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Big
Bites Bait Of The
Month
The
Dean Rojas Fighting
Frog
This
month’s Big Bite Bait of
the Month is the Fighting
Frog as you will see the
Fighting Frog is a
versatile bait that can be
fishing in many different
ways. The Fighting Frog
comes in 2 sizes 3.5”
and 4” with the 4”
being the most popular
size but if you fish for
smallmouth the 3.5”
Fighting Frog will have a
place in your tackle box.
Dean
Rojas designed this bait
for Big Bite and used the
Fighting Frog to power him
to a 3rd place
finish at the Elite stop
at Smith Mountain Lake
last week sight fishing
bass in the shallows. Dean
says “the Fighting Frog
is playing a big part of
his early season fishing
this year” that
currently has Dean sitting
in 3rd place in
the AOY race. Let’s
look at how to rig the
Fighting Frog, and a few
different ways of how to
fish this bait.
Texas Rig It
seems like we always start
with the texas rig, but
when you look at this bait
it will be one of the main
ways to rig and fish the
Fighting Frog. Simply
start with the weight size
you want, and thread this
on your line. The size of
the weight I choose will
depend on the conditions I
am fishing in. If I am
just casting the Fighting
Frog down a weedline I
will use a regular bullet
weight but if I am fishing
in heavy cover I will opt
to peg my sinker with a
rubber T, or use a
toothpick. If I want to
keep my bait and sinker as
one I will use a screw in
type sinker that will stay
attached to the bait.
Match
your hook size to the size
bait you are using if you
are using the 3.5”
Fighting Frog I will use
either a 2/0 or a 3/0 worm
hook.
If I am fishing a
4” Fighting Frog I will
use a 3/0 to 4/0 worm
hook. Rigged this way I
can fish the Fighting Frog
from the weed flats all
the way to the outside
weedline or another option
is flippin a heavy cover
situation. Match your
fishing equipment to the
conditions you are fishing
in.
Jig Trailer
This
is my sleeper trailer that
has caught a lot of big
bass along the way, now my
secret is out. I fish the
Fighting Frog is two
different ways as a
trailer. In one rigging I
will use it on a full
dressed jig and on the
other I will just use a
jig head, and the Fighting
Frog threaded on the jig
head.
I let the bass tell
me how they want the bait
rigged but I always keep
both riggings handy and
ready to go.
I
will generally fish these
rigs on a 7ft medium heavy
to heavy action baitcaster
rod teamed with a
baitcaster reel spooled
with 15lb fluorocarbon
line. At times when the
bass are in a real tight
lipped mood I will just
fish the Jig and Fighting
Frog combo on a 7ft medium
action baitcaster rod
teamed with a matching
reel, spooled with 10lb to
12lb fluorocarbon line.
When using this combo I
will many times downsize
my jig head choice to
1/4oz or 3/8oz.
In
the past few years I have
started to use a Fighting
Frog as my trailer on my
football jig head
presentations. This is a
switch up from the
standard spider grub
presentation. I feel it
gives the bait a different
look and action.
Jig Heads
This
is a rig that I use a lot
when I fish in heavy
fishing pressure
conditions, or when the
bite gets extra tough. I
simply take a jig head or
a mushroom jig head and
thread a 3.5” Fighting
Frog on with an exposed
hook. This is a great
choice when you have to
slow down and go to a
finesse presentation.
In
the last few years there
has been so much said
about fishing a shaky head
and a worm, the Fighting
Frog gives you another
choice when it comes to
picking a bait to present
in tough fishing
conditions. I simply take
a shaky head jig head or a
finesse football jig head,
and rig the Fighting Frog
on the hook weedless and
start to fish. This
presentation works great
in sparse weed conditions,
or on open rocks.
I
will fish these rigs on
7ft to 7 1/2ft light to
medium actions spinning
setups, teamed with
spinning reels spooled
with 6lb to 8lb
fluorocarbon line. I fish
the 6lb line in open water
conditions and will go up
to 8lb in heavier cover
conditions. I can tell you
do not be afraid to drop
down to 6lb line when the
bite gets tough you will
get more bites than you
will with the 8lb line.
Drop Shot
Drop
shot has been around for
awhile now but what you
tip your drop shot with
may be new to you. I have
my favorites just like
many fishermen do but in
the last few years I have
been using a 3.5”
Fighting Frog as a bait to
tip my drop shot with and
I can say it has worked
very well. This is just
another kudos to the
Fighting Frog.
I
have also started to fish
a power shot, and have
used a 4” Fighting Frog
as my bait choice. For
those of you that may not
be familiar with what a
power shot is; instead of
using a light spinning
setup for your fishing rig
you use a heavier
baitcaster setup. I like a
7ft medium action
baitcaster teamed with a
matching reel spooled with
10lb to 12lb fluorocarbon
line. When it comes to
hook choices I will use a
standard 1/0 to 3/0 EWG
worm hook. I can either
nose hook my Fighting Frog
if I am fishing in open
water conditions, or I can
texas rig the Fighting
Frog if I am fishing in
weedy conditions.
Scott
Petersen
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