Hooked Up Designs Magazine September/October 2017

frogs across the surface with a slow, steady retrieve like working traditional bass buzzbaits. Hold the rod tip high and crank the reel enough to make the frog legs and feet sputter across the grass tops. Others pull the bait in quick hops, an excellent tactic when target- ing aggressive fish. Either method can produce vicious, exhilarat- ing strikes from irate redfish. “An angler can fish a frog every kind of way,” Niemoeller ex- plained. “Sometimes, I throw it out and buzz it right across the top as fast as I want. Sometimes, when we see redfish chasing it, we slow it down or stop it and then hang on for the bite! If a redfish wants a lure bad enough, it will catch it.” In scattered cover or where submerged grass doesn’t quite reach the surface, cast a sinking frog to a likely spot and let it remain mo- mentarily motionless. If it lands in thick grass, it might just sit on the surface. Twitch it for a few moments. When the frog sits atop matted grass, fish can still see the silhouette. Sometimes, redfish follow the morsel waiting for a chance to strike. Sometimes, they don’t wait, but obliterate the bait sitting on the grass, frequently flinging any vegetation they didn’t ingest all over. “When a big redfish explodes on a frog, it’s one of the most ex- citing things in fishing,” Dubose remarked. “The e xcitement of watching a redfish come up and hit a frog on the surface is second to none. Fishing a frog is like fishing a topwater bait, but it can go way back in the thickest cover.” If a sinking frog lands on a thick patch, crawl it over the mats If it breaks, just BAND-IT! Spearband Replacement and Repair kit. • allotment of rubber in various diameters • cutting and securing tools • rope and stainless wishbones • and more inside a custom waterproof box! Available at Capt. Hooks, Formula FreeDiving, Shellman, Bandito Mfg Check out our keysy custom apparel! www.onboardbandit.com 305-481-1367 305-923-1595 FREE LOCAL DELIVERY FIRST CHECK OUT THE NEW COBIAS The all new Cobia 344 THE SMARTEST MOVE ON THE WATER hookedupdesigns.com SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017 HOOKED UP 49

Hooked Up Designs Magazine September/October 2017 | Page 49