A quewstion about live frogs

[Jeremy A]

Do there work for walleye?

[FROGMAN]

YES, ask Backwater Eddy, and the late "Burt the Frog"!

[Backwater Eddy]

Hay man, It's a walleye eat frog world out there!

Only the strong survive!

Oh Ya, and smart old fart frogs like "Buck"!

:)

><(~.~)><

BE

[Backwater Eddy]

OK seriously now......

Yepper, frogs work well for walleye during the fall transition when frogs seek the shelter of muddy lake bottoms to winter.

They make large group movements called "frog runs" that gradually put them in the feeder creeks or sloughs or marsh areas that spill into the main lake body. These area are prime fall casting areas as walleye hunting the shallows are quick to key in on a food glut and often feed heavy and with a vengeance on these snow birds.

Casting cranks work just as well for frog run walleye as they are target hunting so a slow moving profile is a tempting meal to hunting walleye. Tweaked Husky Jerks or Doctored Rap's for instance.

Frogs on jigs is very productive and the use of a stinger hook high and set back on the frogs back helps the hook up rate and keeps the fish from swallowing the frog too deep, quicker kook sets etc.

Frogs on the surface is a great method for shoot out situation such as walleye on creek mouths. Just fling that nose hooked live frog out on a bare hook and let him drift out of the river or creek mouth into the mouth of waiting piggy walleye. Simple but darn fun...SLURP--GULP!

This can be a line watching situation but a slow fallow retrieve is best so no missed strikes come from too much loose line. Long casts and a slow retrieve with a pause on occasion works wonders.

As the weather gets increasingly colder the frogs become more scarce and there biology is such as they develop a waxy antifreeze coating that walleye tend to shy away from, this is usually the end of the frog bite but pike and some big walleye dig them out of the mud even after ice up so that is a point on argument, I think the walleye just get sick of them myself? You can keep your frogs in a warm basement and they will not form that coating tell, well, it's too late! HA!

Jigs styles for frog jigging are stand-up style's and my personal favorite Northland's Wide gap rigged with a stinger, 1/4-3/8 on fire line rigged reels. Pump-pause-pump-shake-pause---pump-pump etc.. this is the best frog jigging style, it looks like a frog rooting in the mud to winter. Some nights a slow steady retrieve just off the bottom draws more aggressive strikes, test the waters as each night is a bit different.

So there it is-everything you ever wanted to know about fall frog flinging and were brave enough to ask!

Many walleye guys don't try this because it "SEEMS" to primitive or crude, like a fly fisherman snickering at a bait fisherman! All I have to say to that is Walleye Piggy's have no manners, they don't care!

Good luck frog flinging!

Backwater Eddy ................><, ,> >^^<

[Jeremy A]

Thanks Eddy

[backwtr1]

Your very welcome Jeremy!

Good luck frog flinging Bud!

Practice C&R on the piggy's ok?

BE...........><, ,>

[GORD]

they are a great(my favourite) big fish bait. put the hook thru the tendon in the leg near the back of the knee. they will kick up a storm as they try to swim away. this action drives the fish wild. keep it up off the bottom a few feet so the fish can see it. given half a chance the frog will swim down to the bottom and dig in to hide from the fish. there is a 50/50 chance of getting a big northern or big walleye. they will hit it hard.....don't have your drag set too tight and hang on. "frogs catch fish when all else fails".

[Juls_WI]

Very informative Backwater Eddy..thanks!

I have never used frogs for walleye before...just might have to try that sometime..rrrriiBiittt! ;-)

But then again, they are pretty cute lil buggers. Don't know if I could put the hook thru that cute little froggy smile of their's! I'm such a "softy" sometimes..hahahah

Juls

[ufda]

On Minnesota frogs, which of the 6 legs should I put the hook through? ;-)

ufda