Topwater Tricks! Toad Fishing For Summer Bass!

Summer is topwater time! The toad lives in the shadow of the hollow body frog but these baits have earned a place in every angler's arsenal. Come along as we take some of the most popular toads and swim test them so we can compare sound and action in the water!

When it comes to toads, no two baits are alike. Some baits are subtle as they skitter across the water, others splash and make a violent commotion. Different toads work in different conditions and on different lakes so its important to understand the differences between them. We try to always keep a subtle toad and an aggressive toad in the boat throughout the topwater season so we can quickly adapt to changing conditions. 

Below you'll find links to the exact baits discussed in the video, as well as some of the gear we use to fish them. We've included our favorite colors for each, the hooks we use, and even a budget-minded angler who wants a great combo without breaking the bank. All the links go directly to Tackle Warehouse where you can see detailed photos and descriptions of each item. 

TOADS... 

-Strike King Rage Tail Toad: http://bit.ly/2dekwdd

Colors: Green Pump Chart, Green Pump Pearl, Pearl

-Zoom Horny Toad: http://bit.ly/2aY5lBt

Colors: Bull Frog, Grey Ghost, White

-Big Bite Baits Tour Toad: http://bit.ly/2NtAghc

Colors: Dirty Snow, Pearl Shine, Green Pump Chart

-Stanley Ribbit: http://bit.ly/2djis1t

Colors: Bluegill, Smokin Shad, Wild Shiner

-ZMan Goat Toadz: https://bit.ly/3yZ2WF3

Colors: Hot Snakes, Red Bone, The Deal

-ZMan Finesse Frogz: https://bit.ly/3ORrQvL

Colors: Mud Minnow, Red Bone, White

CROSSOVER BAITS... 

-Rage Tail Shad: http://bit.ly/2dqEf8E

Colors: Blue Glimmer, Smoky Shad

-SPRO Flappin Frog 65: https://bit.ly/37ljzM8

Colors: Albino, Killer Gill, Leopard

COMPONENTS... 

-Halo Swimbait Cone Heads: https://bit.ly/3y8yzds

-Owner Twist Lock Hook: http://bit.ly/2cYZ3rM

Sizes: 5/0 or 6/0

-Gamakatsu Superline EWG Hook: http://bit.ly/2ac92XG

Sizes: 3/0 and 4/0

FAVORITE TOAD COMBO... 

Rod- Shimano Zodias 7'2" Heavy: http://bit.ly/2cgmMAe

Reel- Shimano Curado 150 MGL (HG): https://bit.ly/2TQHwrP

Line- Power Pro Maxcuatro Braid (50 lb): http://bit.ly/2clBRiQ

BUDGET FRIENDLY TOAD COMBO... 

Rod- Shimano SLX 7'2" Heavy: http://bit.ly/2mGp1Vc

Reel- Shimano SLX 150 (HG): http://bit.ly/2NfdOnk

Line- Power Pro Spectra Braid (50 lb): http://bit.ly/2aFg46b

WANT TACTICALBASSIN GEAR??

We have a variety of apparel items and custom lure designs available! Everything from hats, to hoodies, to crankbaits! Its all available direct through Tackle Warehouse with fast shipping. See it here... 

TacticalBassin Apparel and Lure Designs: http://bit.ly/38YpPIz

Pond Fishing For Bass: 5 Tips To Catch More Fish!

Tim has spent more than 30 years fishing ponds for bass! He grew up in the country, fishing every pond he could find. Over the years he's developed a handful of confidence baits that he relies on to consistently catch fish. He also has a method of covering water to quickly determine if a pond is worth continuing to fish. 

The 3 factors Tim takes into consideration when approaching a new pond are... water clarity, types and quantity of vegetation (grass), and what kind of dam the pond has. With these 3 questions answered he can quickly assess what type of pond this is and exactly how fish should be positioning. As a general rule of thumb, you should start your search near the dam, along the edges of the deepest water. 

When approaching a new pond Tim uses a "top down" approach. He begins with topwater, then switches to reaction baits, then bottom contact, then finally to a weightless presentation. This stepped method allows him to quickly identify the overall mood of the pond, the quality and quantity of fish in the pond, and whether or not this is somewhere he should continue to fish in the future. 

Below you'll find links to the exact baits and presentations he recommends using for this method. We've included links to the exact baits, including colors, sizes, and best rigging components. We've also included some great budget rod and reel combos for pond fishing. All the links go directly to Tackle Warehouse where you can see detailed photos and descriptions of each item. 

Topwater... 

-Whopper Plopper (75 or 90): http://bit.ly/2bsPbQV

Colors: Bluegill, Munky Butt, Loon

-Spro Bronzeye Poppin Frog 60: http://bit.ly/2hKsO0g

Colors: Sunfish, Killer Gill, Leopard

-Zoom Horny Toad: http://bit.ly/2aY5lBt

Colors: White, Bullfrog, Green Pumpkin Pearl

Swimbait... 

Bait- Keitech 4.3"-4.8" Fat Swing Impact: http://bit.ly/2ab7s8v

Colors: SunGill, Copperfield

Hook- Owner Flashy Swimmer 5/0: http://bit.ly/2e8O4Y7

Style: Gold Colorado Blade

Soft jerkbait...  

Bait- Zoom Super Fluke: http://bit.ly/2aqys0H

Colors: Green Pumpkin, Baby Bass

Hook- Gamakatsu EWG 4/0: http://bit.ly/2ac92XG

Creature Bait... 

Bait- Reaction Innovations Man Bear Pig: http://bit.ly/2s51oIV

Colors: Flora Bama, Magic Craw Red

Weight- Swagger Tungsten Vader 1/8 oz: http://bit.ly/2NjDYtV

Hook- Owner Offset Shank 2/0: http://bit.ly/2D9Pmj0

Senko... 

Bait- Yamamoto 5" Senko: http://bit.ly/2axAmNS

Colors: Green Pumpkin, Electric Shad, Baby Bass

Hook- Owner Twist Lock 2/0: http://bit.ly/2ZlkuLl

Glide Bait... 

S-Waver 168 (Bluegill): http://bit.ly/2aiu8Sh

Budget-Friendly Combo (Frog/Flashy Swimmer/Glide)... 

Rod- Shimano SLX 7'2" Heavy: http://bit.ly/2L3wppO

Reel- Shimano SLX 150 XT: http://bit.ly/2BRTYL8

Line- Power Pro 50 lb Braid: http://bit.ly/2aFg46b

Budget-Friendly Combo (Soft Jerkbait/Creature/Senko)... 

Rod- St. Croix Bass X 7'1" Medium Heavy: http://bit.ly/2r0xWAs

Reel- Shimano SLX 150 XT: http://bit.ly/2BRTYL8

Line- Sunline 15 lb Fluorocarbon: http://bit.ly/2h4LNjm

Budget Topwater Combo... 

Rod- Shimano SLX 7'2" Medium: http://bit.ly/2L3wppO

Reel- Shimano SLX 150 XT: http://bit.ly/2BRTYL8

Line- Power Pro 30 lb Braid: http://bit.ly/2aFg46b

Want TacticalBassin Gear?  

We have a variety of apparel items and custom lure designs available! Everything from hats, to hoodies, to crankbaits! Its all available direct through Tackle Warehouse with fast shipping. See it here... 

TacticalBassin Apparel and Lure Designs: http://bit.ly/38YpPIz

Summer Topwater Fishing | Grass Fishing Tips

Bass are exploding inches from the rod tip! Its a feeding frenzy!! When Matt woke up he knew he had perfect topwater fishing conditions so he jumped in the kayak and headed out on Clearlake with 3 topwater rods in hand. His hunch was right as bass were exploding through the grass beds ambushing baitfish. Come along and see how Matt adjusts to catch as many bass as possible before the wind and waves get a chance to ruin it all.

Matt started the day with 3 baits tied on. He'd selected a Gavacho (popping frog), Teckel Honker (straight retrieve frog), and a Rage Shad (straight retrieve solid body) for their unique actions. Each bait would meet a different set of possible circumstances and at least one was going to produce. Before day's end Matt also added a Fluke to the arsenal to help convert leery bass.

Fishing weed beds can be overwhelming but it doesn't need to be. The bass treat this cover like any other. They focus on points, funnels, overhead cover, and small protected pockets. Once you learn to look through the expanse of weeds and see the subtle differences between one clump and the next, the bass become very predictable. Once Matt identified prime spots he was able to use the topwater and fluke combination to successfully lure out the bass.

Below is a breakdown of the gear and equipment Matt used today...

The baits...

Teckel Honker Frog (Grey Camo): http://bit.ly/2Xj7Ye4

Strike King Rage Shad (Blue Glimmer, Smokey Shad): http://bit.ly/2dqEf8E

Jackall Gavacho (Chart Strike Gill): http://bit.ly/2L7KsWS

Zoom Super Fluke (Smokin Shad): http://bit.ly/2aqys0H

Fluke Hook- Gamakatsu EWG Superline 4/0: http://bit.ly/2ac92XG

Kayak Storage...

Plano V-Crate: http://bit.ly/2BLjK4f

Plano Hydroflow 3700: http://bit.ly/2PR1kU0

Kayak...

Old Town Predator PDL: http://bit.ly/2WyVQka

Matt's Fluke Combo...

Rod- Shimano Expride 7'2" Heavy: http://bit.ly/2nTq9FL

Reel- Shimano Curado DC HG: http://bit.ly/2yHtsp4

Line- 50 lb Power Pro Maxcuatro: http://bit.ly/2clBRiQ

Matt's Rage Shad Combo...

Rod- Dobyns Champion Extreme 746: http://bit.ly/2ab2kRX

Reel- Shimano Curado 200K HG: http://bit.ly/2tHewEh

Line- 65 lb Power Pro Maxcuatro: http://bit.ly/2clBRiQ

Budget Friendly Frog/Shad Combo...

Rod- Shimano SLX 7'2" Heavy: http://bit.ly/2L3wppO

Reel- Shimano SLX HG: http://bit.ly/2NfdOnk

Line- 50 lb Power Pro: http://bit.ly/2aFg46b

Frog And Toad Tricks You Need To Try!

Check out these tips on Toads and Soft Body Frogs to increase your catch rates today. We all love topwater but at times the hook up ratio can be frustrating. Tim goes in depth with bait styles, shapes, hooks, hooksets and more to help you become a great topwater fisherman. 

Color selection is very simple with toads and frogs. We recommend using as few colors as possible, focusing primarily on white, black, and chartreuse. 

Once you understand the differences in foot shapes and the sounds they will emit, choosing the right soft body frog is simple. Pair it with the right hook and train yourself to slow down your hookset and your hook up ratio will increase dramatically. 

The Baits...
Stanley Ribbit: http://bit.ly/2djis1t
Stanley Bull Ribbit: http://bit.ly/2cJZVye
Zoom Horny Toad: http://bit.ly/2aY5lBt
Rage Toad: http://bit.ly/2dekwdd
Sizmic Toad: http://bit.ly/2gW8xWl
Rage Shad: http://bit.ly/2dqEf8E
Damiki Air Frog: http://bit.ly/2kWCcA7

The Hooks...
6/0, 5/0, 3/0 Owner TwistLock: http://bit.ly/2cYZ3rM
6/0 Owner Beast: http://bit.ly/2vQ1UHG

The Line...
30 lb MaxCuatro Braid: http://bit.ly/2clBRiQ
65 lb Sufix 832: http://bit.ly/2ae93Ji

Tim's Rods...
Rod for Smaller Toads- Zodias 7'2" Med Heavy: http://bit.ly/2cgmMAe
Rod for Larger Toads- Expride 7'2" Heavy: http://bit.ly/2nTq9FL

Price Point Rods...
Rod For Smaller Toads- 7'3" Med Heavy: http://bit.ly/2bGvlVV
Rod For Larger Toads- 7'2" Heavy: http://bit.ly/2mGp1Vc

Reels...
Shimano Metanium MGL XG: http://bit.ly/2ezIBfB
Abu Garcia Orra Inshore: http://bit.ly/2axc1a1
Shimano Casitas: http://bit.ly/2geKxsp

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