Gabe Bolivar
The Finer Points Of Frogging

Photo: BassFan FLW Tour pro Gabe Bolivar says he's always got a frog handy just in case an opportunity presents itself.

Fishing a frog was once regarded as too risky of a technique to rely on in high-dollar competition, and it still carries that stigma to some degree. But if this year is any indication, many pros are starting to warm up to the idea of tossing a toad on tournament day.

Frogs and toads have always been a staple in Gabe Bolivar's tournament arsenal. The California pro never passes up the opportunity to bust a big bass with one of his amphibious friends, but as much as he loves fishing a frog, he says it's not a technique he relies on in just any circumstance.

"Every bait in a fisherman's tackle box is a tool," he explained. "For me, a frog is a specialty tool I use for specific purposes. You'll rarely find me out there throwing a frog all day, but I usually always have one on my deck just in case a good opportunity presents itself."

Here, Bolivar explains the finer points of frogging.

Big-Fish Magnet

Frogs and toads have plenty of likeable properties. They're virtually snag-proof so you can fish them just about anywhere. And they draw vicious strikes, which puts them pretty high up on the fun scale.

But for all the positive features attached to frogs and toads, there's one big downside that's considered a deal breaker by most cast-for-cash pros - a high percentage of lost fish. The weedless, come-through-anything construction of frogs and toads goes hand-in-hand with a poor hookup ratio compared to other baits.

So why would a pro like Bolivar, who's making his living catching green fish, dare to utilize such a chancy bait? The answer is simple: big bites.

"A frog is probably one of the best baits you can throw when you're looking for one or two kicker bites," he said. "It's very rare for me to go out and catch an entire limit on a frog, but when it comes to getting that one big bite, it's a great tool for that."

He's got a couple theories on why big fish seem to be drawn to the bait. First, you can present a frog in places where bass aren't used to seeing lures.

"Big bass didn't get big by hanging out in the open," he noted. "They know how to hide and how to ambush prey. It's the same idea as why you get big bites when you're flipping. If you can put a bait in heavy cover where those big fish aren't used to seeing that sort of thing, you're going to some good bites."

Another reason he thinks frogs and toads tend to draw strikes from above-average bass is because the imposing presence of the bait sets off the fish's territorial disposition.

"I think frogs just have an invasive quality to them," he said. "When that bass looks up and sees that shadow he thinks, 'I'm gonna' get that sucker.' It's like it just makes them mad and they can't stand it.

"I think the bigger a fish gets the more territorial it gets, so that's why bigger, older fish really seem to key in on the frog," he added.

Two-Pronged Approach

Frog baits can be lumped into two main categories: hollow-belly, walking-type baits like the Snag Proof Bobby's Perfect Frog and the SPRO Bronzeye frog, and soft-plastic, cast-and-reel offerings like Berkley's Power Bat Wing Frog.

Most pros tend to favor one style or another, but Bolivar says serious frog flingers should have both types in their box.

"If I'm in an area that lends itself to frog fishing I'm always going to have both types on my deck," he said. "In a normal tournament situation I favor a toad bait that I can cast and reel, because you can cover a lot more water that way.

"If I see a specific piece of cover, like a hole in a grass mat or a log, that's when I pick up a hollow-body frog," he added. "A frog works much better for picking apart isolated cover."

He'll also use the frog as a follow-up bait when he gets a missed strike on a fast-moving toad. "That trick gets them almost every time," he noted. "A lot of times a fish won't really eat the toad, but it's enough to get them to show themselves. Once they do that you can burn them with a frog."

Frog Flinging Necessities

You'll never find a carpenter without a hammer and a saw, and Bolivar says there are a couple tools that anyone who's serious about frog fishing shouldn't be without.

"You never want to throw a frog on monofilament or fluorocarbon," he said. "When you're throwing frogs around heavy grass and wood, braid is the only way to go."

His braid of choice is Spiderwire Ultracast. He uses 65-pound test for just about all his frog applications, but will beef that up to as much as 80-pound if conditions demand it. "I like the 65-pound because it's a little more manageable, and it cuts through vegetation better," he noted.

The second must-have tool for throwing toads is a high-speed reel with lots of power for winching fish out of heavy cover. "The Abu Garcia Revo STX with the high-speed 7.1:1 gear ratio is the only reel I use when I'm throwing a frog. When that fish bites I want to get it turned towards the boat as soon as possible.

"That's a really important part of frog fishing," he added. "Getting the fish hooked up is only half the battle. If you don't have good quality line and a fast reel to get them to the boat you're going to lose a lot of fish. When that fish bites you need to set the hook and start reeling as fast as you can, and don't stop reeling until that fish is in the boat."

Notable

> Bolivar also likes throwing frogs at spawning females. "I don't sight-fish with it," he noted. "I like to use a frog early in the morning during the spawn up in areas where I think there might be beds. Those big females can't stand having a frog swim over the top of their bed. And sometimes even if you don't catch them you'll get them to blow up on it, and you can come back later and sight-fish for them with a soft-plastic."