Warm weather prompts activity among frogs and other critters on bass lakes throughout the
country, heating up some of the most exciting fishing action of the year. A YUM BuzzFrog swam across mats of grass will elicit explosive strikes during the warm months, often from heavyweight bass.
A BuzzFrog, as its name suggests, calls up fish like a buzzbait but has the natural appearance of a swimming frog. Paddle-shaped feet create a big buzz anytime the bait is moving.
RIGGING
Using the right hook is important for proper rigging of a BuzzFrog. A 5/O XCalibur Tx3 Wide Gap hook is ideal for rigging the bait straight and hooking fish effectively. Use a medium-heavy action rod, and rig up with 20- or 25-pound-test Sliver Thread.
Rig a BuzzFrog like a Texas-rigged worm. Push the hook point into the end of the frog’s head, right in the center, and then bring it out the bottom, about 1/8 inch away. String the frog all the way up the hook and turn it half a turn and then lay the hook point inside the slot in the frog’s belly. Bend the frog slightly and then push the point through so it sits inside the slot in the frog’s back.
Properly rigged, a YUM BuzzFrog rests completely straight on the hook and the hook point is hidden. The point is actually exposed – not buried in the plastic, but it is hidden inside the slot in the back of the frog.
FISHING
The classic BuzzFrog application is to cast it across broad mats of vegetation and work it across the grass or pads. Some anglers swim frogs quickly and steadily, letting the buzzing feet do the work when the bait hits pockets of open water. Others prefer quick twitches of the rod, which creates more of a hopping action.
The key to effective mat fishing is to isolate the types of areas that fish are using. Key on greener spots, pockets of different types of vegetation, holes in the grass, points along edges and other distinctive features – and pay attention to where every strike occurs.
As good as a BuzzFrog is over mats of thick stuff, don’t overlook little pockets of cover along a lake’s edge. Cast to every piece of cover when you are working edges and work the bait with series of short twitches and occasional pauses.
However you work a BuzzFrog, the toughest thing to master is to NOT set the hook until you FEEL the fish. Bass will miss often, but if you keep working the bait, neither stopping it nor jerking it away, they often will strike again. Wait till you feel the fish, no matter how explosive the strike, and then set the hook hard.
HAPPY TRAILS
Finally, don’t overlook the virtue of using a BuzzFrog as a trailer on a BOOYAH Swim'n Jig. This combination absolutely comes to life in the water and you can pull it though incredibly thick stuff. It also creates a very large profile and tends to draw the attention of super-sized bass.