Hooked Up Designs Magazine September/October 2017 | Page 50

Capt. Mike Gallo shows off several hearty redfish
he caught on soft plastic frogs while fishing in the
Bayou Biloxi Marshes near Hopedale, La.
until it drops into an open pocket. When a frog slithers back
into the water, redfish seize the opportunity to strike. If nothing
happens, let a frog sink a foot or two. As the frog slowly sinks,
its appendages quiver, driving redfish nuts. Then, pull it back to
the surface and pop the bait to make a splash. Work it across the
top until it hits another pocket and repeat. Quite often, redfish
gulp frogs as they sink or attack them as they see an easy meal
attempting to escape.
“I really enjoy the versatility of frogs,” Gallo commented. “I
can run a frog across the surface like a topwater bait or let it sink
to the bottom. I’ve even fished frogs under popping corks in the
grass when the water is high or fished them on bottom like a
Texas rig. Since it’s weedless, it’s the perfect bait to use in thick
grass. Fish do not necessarily have to see it to locate it. It’s a really
fun way to fish for redfish.”
A buzzing frog also makes a great search bait. It produces con-
siderable vibrations and noise so fish can easily find it and react
to it. Even if a redfish doesn’t erupt on a buzzing frog, it might
swirl and give away its position. Anglers spotting the commotion
might swiftly follow up with a more subtle bait like an equally
deadly Texas-rigged soft-plastic shad or similar bait that slithers
across the grass.
“One time, I saw a redfish within casting range,” Gallo re-
called. “The other angler with me cast behind it and brought the
frog steadily toward the redfish. I could see the redfish lower
himself in the water so it could tilt its head upward and look
behind him because it could hear the lure coming. A Stanley Rib-
bit frog puts off great vibrations so a redfish knows it’s coming.
The redfish waited for the frog to pass over it and then attacked
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it from behind. That’s a clear demonstration of how a redfish will
use its lateral lines to pick up vibrations and locate prey.”
Anglers can also work floating frogs almost like conventional
topwater bass lures, but ones that can move through the thick-
est vegetation. Some look like natural frogs. Others, like a SPRO
Bronzeye Pop Frog, come with blunted noses to make them act
more like traditional topwater poppers. Some come with kicking
legs and some with skirts like spinnerbaits.
“I like to fish floating frogs the best,” recommended Robert
Brodie with Team Brodie Charters (228-697-7707, teambrodi-
echarters.com) in Biloxi, Miss. “Frequently, we fish coves with
abundant grass and tailing redfish. A topwater frog works excel-
lent for that situation because it can go in places where we can’t
throw most other baits. I look for little openings in the grass and
cast there. I just twitch the bait a little and pull it to make a few
ripples in the strike zone, just enough to get a fish’s attention.
Redfish can’t stand that.”
With a floating frog, anglers can use the “hop and pop” re-
trieval method. With this method, toss a frog to a likely spot and
let it sit on the surface for a few moments until the concentric
rings fade. Then, pop the frog vigorously to move it a foot or two.
Let it sit again for a while and keep repeating this movement. The
commotion simulates a live frog splashing across the surface. Oc-
casionally, let it “crawl” over vegetation and pause briefly. Also,
let it sit completely still for longer periods when the frog lands in
open water between grass clumps.
“I like floaters best,” advised Jimmie Dooms, a redfish pro
from Portland, Texas. “If a redfish sees something in the water
that looks good to eat, it will attack it. I pop a floating frog along
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017
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