I haven't been out fishing all that much since my trip to Big Jefferson. But something about that scum frog just made me get back out on a lake and test its worthiness.
What I've found is that I've ignored this tasty lure way to long. My first outing after the Jeff trip, I caught two bass, lost four that were on, and missed another five bites at least.
The action was fun, intense and also provided me with an on-the-go learning experience. Like all topwater baits, the scum frog needs a little touch when it comes to setting the hook.
I found out early on, and probably because the bite was just so violent, that you have to reel up the slack in your line or let the fish take the lure long enough to pull out the slack before you set the hook.
This is critical.
A slacked line ends in a poor hookset, which ends in a 2 for 6 performance. In baseball, a hitter can be happy with a .333 average. In fishing, this only causes heartache.
The two bass I did catch were more than enough to satisfy my curiosity about the frog. On those two catches, I tossed the scum frog on top of, well, scum that hugs the edges of my honey hole.
With the frog on the scum, I hopped and twitched the little lure slightly to the edge of the scum where I let it sit a second. And, like clockwork, I twitched the frog at the edge to let the bass know where the was, but before I could twitch the frog into the water, the bass would shoot through the scum and take both it and the lure in its mouth.
Wow. Fishing topwater is always a visual treat, but watching bass smack through muck and scum to get to my lure, that was truly something else.
So I guess what I'm trying to say is that if you haven't tried a scum frog, do so. If you need a new experience and lure to add to your fishing arsenal, this little baby will more than seal the deal.
