Andy B Loc: East Springfield PA

#2 was looking pretty shabby so I tied on my new black frog , doesn't look new now !!! 😁. We had a little shower come thru but no lightning but I pulled up anyway just to stretch my legs and " JUST IN CASE" ⚡🌩️🌩️⚡. The afternoon was slow but I did fairly well in the evening. Got 12 for the day a few 2+#ers and some dinks 🤗.
The pads are really growing high above the water and it makes sidearm casting a real challenge. Can't wait till the taller flowers open up they're starting to bulb up now. What a pain that can be casting 🤬. Wind was kinda gusty today and wore me out paddling ( I'll live) ! 🐸🐸🐸🐸🐸🇺🇲🇺🇲

Flytier Loc: Wilmington Delaware

Nice day Andy. I'll be out tomorrow.

Jeremy Loc: America

👍🏻👍🏻 black 🐸

troyfrd1 Loc: Hampstead,NC

Nice day. Good catches. Did you keep them?

bknecht Loc: Northeast pa

Man andy, you continue to hammer them. Nice going.

Andy B Loc: East Springfield PA

Thanks for the question , I do not keep any LM Bass . Catch, photo, and weight, then a kiss on the head and back in they go. I just recently in a two week period caught the same 5# Bass ( verified by photos) and will likely run across her again before summer's up.
Think about how this may add to the day of another fisherman/ woman, just getting started in this wonderful sport?? . "It may Hook them for life" 🤗 ( pun intended ):🐸🐸🐸🐸🐸🇺🇲🇺🇲

Andy B Loc: East Springfield PA

Thank you kind sir: I would like to point out the small gaps between the pads . This is sometimes all I have to aim for and believe it or not, they blow up through those tiny openings . 🐸🐸🐸🐸🐸🇺🇲🇺🇲

Andy B Loc: East Springfield PA

Flytier, "Good luck today and stay safe" .
Remember , " It's a good day to have a good day" 😁😁😁🤗🐸🐸🐸🐸🐸🇺🇲🇺🇲

Fredfish Loc: Prospect CT.

Another awesome day Andy. The wind was blowing up here too. Thanks for the pictures.

Fishdadd Loc: NE Ohio

So you have any suggestions for other froggers? Often bass are hard to hook when fishing a frog.

Andy B Loc: East Springfield PA

Fishdadd:
I have a few things I do but everyone is different so take that into consideration. My main thing is I only use frogs no back up baits just another size of frog perhaps. I tweek my hooks up and out a bit more so in open water and less in heavy pads so they don't catch pads as often. Accuracy is important also to hit exact spots the first time and then presentation by being able to thumb the spool and raise the tip as it lands so it doesn't land like a fat kid doing a cannon ball off the high dive.
Concentration is something that for me is very critical. Never take your eyes off the frog!! Why? Well the obvious is one taking it when you don't realize it and most importantly as you are watching the frog there are a lot of telltale signs that a fish may hit which allows me to remind myself to wait to set the hooks. Some are incoming missiles that a fish is headed toward the frog ( these are tough because it's exciting as all get out), another which is quite common for me is the pads near the frog's path move as one See's it and is coming to eat. Of course the blow up where the bass either misses the frog or perhaps he's just slapping it to stun it , in that case keep your cool and keep the frog twitching but slow the retrieve somewhat.
Frog fishing isn't for everyone and some guys do awesome ( Fredfish) fishing other methods. If you commit to frog fishing for a day and purposely leave behind all other gear( which is really hard to do for most) this keeps the focus on just frog fishing and you won't be second guessing if it's time to change techniques.
As far as hooksets this is always a challenge. If you go into it thinking you've failed then most likely you're not going to change . I loose a lot of sets every time out when I'm not concentrating, watching the frog, when it's been awhile between fish, and especially when I get tired. That surprise blow up still gets me a lot.
There are a few times that fish seem to be more likely to strike which helps the paying attention part. The instant hit, when it his the water doesn't seem to hit the water and they're off with it; the pause when it hits the water and you make that first movement or twitch and the follow up twitch; and the one that scares the crap out of a guy when it hits right before you pull it out of the water because by this time you're thinking about where you're going to cast next and not watching the frog!!! ; Anytime in-between there's always a chance but I think ii sorta diminishes after the first 10 feet.
I find that I sometimes fail to set the hooks like I'm trying to "Rip their Lips off" and to keep pressure on them the entire time . You don't play a frog fish you haul his ass in as quickly as you can, ski him across the water pads whatever if you can . Playing one out? Any slack and alot will throw the frog ( don't know how they do it but they do)
In closing I feel a lot of guy's also do not work an area slow enough and cover all the possible spots one may be lying in wait , if you're not getting your frog untangled from shore brush you're most likely not hitting those spots, or in my case catching lilly pad leaves ( the butt hole crack on the pads has ruined many a perfect cast into a bass holding spot.
Other than talking to myself for confidence and calling myself out on stupid casts and sets I feel that talking while fishing let's the fish hear you ( whether this matters a lot I'm not sure? ) but it's sure annoying when other fishermen are within hearing distance,🤬. You can expect to lose fish frogn' even if you do everything perfect it's not a failure " Failure is a bruise not a tattoo" , keep a shot term memory lose and keep casting. Hope I covered something you can use?? Sorry about the book I just wrote😜😜, 🐸🐸🐸🐸🐸🇺🇲🇺🇲

NJ219bands Loc: New Jersey

Nice 👍

Jim Kay Loc: Franklin, Virginia

Nice ones Andy!

plumbob Loc: New Windsor Maryland

Good going Andy you are one with the frog for sure.

Do you ever run into snakes laying in the pads?

Andy B Loc: East Springfield PA

plumbob; no snakes so far,😜 I'm not sure one would survive long on my pads? There's some very aggressive bass under them pads( thankfully) I do have lots of bees though. Honey bees , Yellowjackets, and either Bumblebees or wood borrower's not sure which they are. Not threatening just annoying🥴. But come to think of it , I've never even seen a snake in or around this lake and I'm frequently there? Of course I never caught a Bowfin till this year either. Snakes you mention Bob, thanks probably be the next story coming soon about how I had to wrestle a water snake while in the yac🤪😜.🐸🐸🐸🐸🐸🇺🇲🇺🇲