Frog Season

Fall is great for some good topwater action. Lakes and rivers that have grass in them require one of my favorite lures. The Strike King Rage Tail Toad. This soft body frog has unbelievable action when it is worked over the grass. The vibration of its legs is unlike any other topwater frog on the market. One misconception about these baits is it can only be thrown in the early morning or late evening. Wrong! I have had great success throwing the Rage Toad all day long. If it is cloudy then that is an extra bonus. This lure does not have to be just cast out and reeled in. You can pause it, shake it, or burn it depending on the fish’s mood. The Rage Toad glides over grass easily and the bass go nuts for it. There are a few tricks to catching bass on this type of bait that I have learned over the years. One of the coolest ones is a Carolina rig bead. Place the bead on the line before you tie the hook on. The bead helps keep the grass from clumping up on the bait. Another important thing I do is not wait forever after the fish strikes the bait. I might wait a second or two but that is it. When he strikes, I set the hook. The next tip is the size of hook. I use a 6/0 Mustad wide gap hook. It is huge and almost looks like a shark hook, but when the bass get the bait, they do not get off. Another key to getting more strikes is to take multiple casts over the same grass bed. Cast at different angles and this will often trigger a strike. A lot of times an angler will just fish down a grass line or bed and take random casts not totally covering the area. These grass areas need to be combed and picked apart. Throw the bait all day. Do not just stop when the sun gets up. I have caught fish in the heat of the day by just sticking with it. The equipment I use is also important. Braided line is a must when throwing this type of bait. I use 50lb. Vicious Braid. I like the 50lb. better than the 65lb. because I can cast it a lot farther. I use a stout rod like a seven foot fast heavy and an Ardent XS 1000 reel. The right equipment can make all the difference in the world. So this fall throw a Rage Toad. It is some of the most heart pounding topwater action you can do.