Hooked Up Designs Magazine September/October 2017 | Page 46

H
unkered down in matted grass, a large pot-bellied
fish tracked the silhouette of a frog flitting across
the surface canopy just above its head. It maneu-
vered into position to set up an ambush.
The long-legged creature kicking on the surface briefly
paused atop a grass clump before sliding into a tiny pocket
of open water. The frog remained briefly motionless on the
surface before slowly sinking. Appendages quivering as it de-
scended, the frog regained its composure and kicked back to
the surface as it prepared to climb across another thick patch.
The hungry predator could stand no more and lunged at
the frog. As if a bomb detonated beneath the surface, erupt-
ing water spewed frothy weeds in all directions. The enraged
15-pound beast gulped the frog and a sizeable portion of salad
with it. However, instead of slurping succulent frog legs, the
surprised redfish sucked down a mouthful of plastic punc-
tured by a steel hook.
Redfish live in brackish to salty water and frogs typically
prefer sweeter environments. The two species rarely meet in
nature except in some river deltas. Highly tolerant of fresh wa-
ter, redfish share many coastal waters with largemouth bass
and other freshwater species. Sometimes, reds venture many
miles upstream in tidal rivers.
Although the spot-tailed marsh marauders seldom inten-
tionally hunt frogs, no hungry redfish will pass up an easy,
tempting meal. Soft-plastic frogs look and feel li