Attaching the right lure to your hook is crucial if you want to have a successful bass fishing session. If you have done your research, you will be well aware there are various options at your disposal. Nevertheless, soft plastic frog lures and other artificial baits tend to be the most popular. Still, this doesn’t narrow down your search as there are various categories within this category.
This guide will focus on one category that deserves some attention; soft plastic frog lures. Specifically, we’ll begin by explaining what they are before diving into more detail on how to use them and the best ones you should buy. By the time you reach the end, you should have all the information needed to understand this topic and make a more informed decision when fishing.
What are Soft Plastic Frog Lures?
Soft plastic frog lures are a specific type of frog lure used for bass fishing. In general, all frog lures are designed to mimic frogs. You can get harder ones, bigger ones, and all sorts of other designs. Regardless, they replicate small frogs that swim in waters where bass usually reside. Not only that, but bass are known to eat these small frogs, so this is a perfect lure to have on the end of your hook.
Due to the nature of how these lures are constructed, they have a hollow body that’s made entirely of plastic. The hollow body and plastic material work together to let the frog sink slowly down into the water. This differs from other frog lures that are more prone to settle on the surface.
Another key feature of soft plastic frog lures is the legs on the frogs. Because the plastic is soft and pliable, it means these legs can move and mimic a kicking or swimming motion. Therefore, when they are retrieved and reeled in, the frogs seem like they’re swimming around underwater. This attracts the attention of any nearby bass, luring them in. While other frog lures do exist, soft plastic ones are the most popular because of how versatile and useful they are.
Best Frog Lures Setup
When you fish for bass using a frog lure, it’s commonly referred to as frog fishing. This can be slightly confusing as it seems like you’re fishing for frogs, but that’s not the case. With this in mind, you must have the best setup possible for frog fishing. Consequently, you need to consider the:
- Rod
- Reel
- Line
The ideal rod for soft plastic frog lures is a casting one. It needs to have a pretty good casting performance that allows for decent accuracy. In terms of specifics, the best rods tend to be around 7 to 8 feet long and are fast/extra fast in their action. If you need to know the power preferences, frog rods should have heavy power. This style of fishing is very heavy, so don’t opt for a lighter rod!
It’s a similar story with the reel in the sense that you need one that focuses on accuracy. The whole idea with fishing for bass with a frog lure is that you cast it accurately and then retrieve it through vegetation. So, what type of reel works best for this technique? A spinning reel is not going to work here as it doesn’t offer enough control. On the contrary, a baitcaster reel fits perfectly into place. You have ample control over your casting, and you can do so without exerting too much energy or physical strain. It’s the thumb control that you get with baitcasting reels that really makes them stand out. Here, you can use your thumb to place the lure exactly where it needs to be.
What about the fishing line? Professionals and expert bass fishermen agree that a braided line is your only option here. It has a low stretch, so you can maintain speed and power when reeling in and retrieving. It’s also extremely thin, so it cuts through heavily weeded areas much better than some of the thicker line options.
How to Rig a Soft Plastic Frog Lure
Rigging one of these lures can be extremely interesting as there are a few unique ideas out there. Not only that, but you can rig this as a trailer for a different lure as well. We’ll discuss your options in the following section:
- Texas Rig – A classic rigging variation that helps you sink your frog lure down below the surface. From here, you can wriggle it through vegetation and prepare for any bites from hungry bass.
- Popping Rig – Something of a unique way to rig your soft plastic frog lures. Many professionals will add suction cups to the head of their frog lures, allowing them to create sounds in the water. This effect makes it sound like the frog has jumped off a lilypad into the water below, which can attract lots of bass in the area.
- Trailers – You can attach your frog lure to the back of a buzzbait if you want to use it as a trailer. Here, you have some additional bulk to your lure and the kicking action of the frog’s legs commands lots of looks from any nearby bass.
How to Fish a Soft Plastic Frog Lure
Naturally, the purpose of using a frog lure is to try and convince the bass that your lure is a real frog. As a result, you have to use fishing techniques that mimic the behavior of frogs as accurately as possible.
Traditionally, the main way to fish a soft plastic frog lure is to begin by casting it off very accurately. Ideally, you need to aim for a spacious stretch of water where you can land the lure and let it slowly sink below the surface. Then, it’s a case of retrieving the lure and bringing it back to your boat.
However, a key thing to note is that fishing with a frog lure only works in areas where frogs are present. Thus, you are looking for lots of vegetation and weeds, preferably some lilypads on the surface, and all the other makings of a frog’s natural habitat. Then, after casting into open space, you work the lure through the weeds and vegetation. This is why you need a braided line as it slices through the thick weeds without snagging or causing problems. Moving through the greenery makes it seem like a frog’s natural movements, and the bristling of any weeds can attract bass from nearby.
You can experiment with different retrieval speeds, though a medium-fast one is usually the most accurate replication of how a frog swims. One clever tactic is to retrieve your lure, then jerk it up towards the surface, letting your frog sit there momentarily before sinking it back down. This gives the bass an opportunity to strike while you’ve paused, but it also shows a common behavior of frogs coming to the surface before plunging below again.
As soon as you feel a bass bite your soft plastic frog lure, wait until you can actually feel the whole weight of it pulling against your rod. This indicates they’ve been hooked, so you can then set the hook with force and move them away from the cover.
Recommended Soft Plastic Frog Lures
The interesting thing about these lures is that they come in so many shapes, sizes, and designs. There are lots of species of frogs out there, so many lures are replicating different ones. You also have to consider things like the length of the legs, colors, and the general shape of the frog.
Plenty of options are at your disposal, but if you’re looking for recommendations, we suggest the following three soft plastic frog lures:
Zoom Bait Horny Toad Bait-Pack of 5 (White)
- Toads work well slow or fast on top
- Rig it weedless and fish the mats
- All Zoom Baits are Salt Impregnated to make fish hold on for that extra time to get you more hook ups
- Country of Origin:United States
Stanley SRF-205 Frog Ribbit Green Pumpkin Red/Pearl, RIBBIT • 3½"
- Package length: 12.192 cm
- Package width: 7.366 cm
- Package height: 0.762 cm
- Product Type: FISHING HOOK
- Zoom Horny Toad – At 4.25 inches, this is one of the larger frog lures in this category. It’s described as a topwater toad, and this bait produces a slight buzz as it moves through the water. The little feet at the end of the legs are also designed to move in a swimming motion, giving off a slight pitter-patter that alerts bass in the area. It’s filled with salt as well, so you can use this for weightless rigging as it can sink by itself.
- Strike King Rage Toad – This offering from Strike King is equipped with a very unique set of legs. Unlike other soft plastic frog lures, the legs on this one are more paddle-shaped and rounded. This is done to stir up more topwater turbulence than any other product, creating a real splash while you fish. It’s 4 inches long, and you can find it in a variety of different lure colors to suit your requirements.
- Stanley Ribbit 2.5″ – A 2.5-inch frog lure that’s small in size but big on results. Works very well as part of a Texas rig, and the main selling point is the realistic kicking action via the legs. Confuse many bass with this small lure and enjoy copious strikes.
Arm yourself with any of these lures and you will be ready for some frog fishing. If you find yourself in stretches of water where frogs are commonly found, using a soft plastic frog lure makes a lot of sense when fishing for bass. It’s an enjoyable way to fish, so consider trying it the next time you set out.
