Tackle Tactics » Tips-Techniques » Sweetwater-Impoundments-Brackish » Skinny Creek Bass on FrogZ

Skinny Creek Bass on FrogZ

By Robert Egedi

One of the most effective methods of catching Australian bass in shallow creeks is using weedless, topwater soft plastics, like the ZMan 2.75” Finesse FrogZ. In this article I’m going to outline how, when and where I use them and along with my favourite technique for those slower days when the bass are a bit shy and hard to catch.

I’m totally obsessed with topwater fishing. The visual aspect of a big hit on the surface of the water, makes this style of fishing very enjoyable and rewarding. Skinny creek fishing has grabbed my soul and made bass fishing even more enjoyable.

I use loads of different hardbodies when fishing, however I find that one of the best and most consistent lures on the market is actually a soft plastic. The ZMan 2.75” Finesse FrogZ is a buoyant, frog-shaped, topwater lure that makes loads of noise on the surface. When I had a look at my photos and videos on my phone, I noticed that I have caught nearly 80% of my fish on this lure over the last six month. The smaller body profile makes this lure perfect for bass, JP’s and even saratoga.

Another benefit of the FrogZ, or soft plastic lures generally, is that they are kind of inexpensive when compared to other hardbodies on the market. You also have the freedom to customize them for specific situations by using different styles of jigheads.

Fishing a local skinny creek and chasing bass is always fun. Who doesn’t love to feel that spectacular hit on the surface, when the bass chases the lure and boom… finally takes it! I have found the Australian bass, especially the 40cm+ ones in crystal-clear water, to sometimes be very elusive. Luckily, there are a couple of techniques to trick them.

Correct Jighead

I usually run two different rigs when I’m chasing bass. The TT ChinlockZ SWS (Snagless Weight System) is a perfect option when the fish are taking topwater lures very obviously and a faster retrieve is the go. Personally, this is my favourite choice. Thanks to the SWS belly weight, the FrogZ is heavy enough for nice long casts and I have found the hook up rate much better than a standard ChinlockZ (no belly weight). Why is this? When you use the SWS version your line is always tight and once the fish hit the lure, the hook point can easily penetrate.

In the middle of the day or early afternoon the bass often slow down and they are shy and fussy. They’re around but usually just hiding in the undercut bank, and they don’t tend to take faster lures. In this situation, your best bet is to slow down a little, using the original unweighted TT ChinlockZ jighead. It makes the lure fully buoyant but lighter, meaning you can easily reach very tight areas where the fish are.

The LegZ

I have tried several different brands over the last couple of years and I honestly think the Finesse FrogZ are one of the best. The key and most important feature of the ZMan FrogZ is the little paddle on their legs. I filmed them underwater for a promo video and the noise that they make is very impressive. If there is only one shy bass around the creek, that fish will find the FrogZ instantly.

Colours

Watermelon Chartreuse is probably the most popular colour in Australia but if I had to choose only one from the line-up, it would be the Blue/Black colour. In my opinion the bass sometimes can be a little bit clumsy and miss the lure, while the dark Blue/Black body is very obvious and a contrasted target on the surface of the water.

Keep Moving

This is an important rule that I learned from Vinnie Versfeld when we chased jungle perch in Far North Queensland. Vinnie’s point was that if you stop moving and spend too much time in one spot, you’ll make some noise and spook the fish. My experiences have been the same in my local creek, with the bass behaviour similar to that of the jungle perch.

Choosing the Perfect Location

Using Google Earth to research and find some promising marks and deeper waterholes is probably your best option. Bass usually congregate around these and consistently take topwater lures, especially around first light in the morning.

My Go-To Combo

This article is about the ZMan Finesse FrogZ, however I’ll give you a quick rundown of what gear I use for this style of fishing. I find that a 6’-7’ long, fast or moderate action rod, matched with a 1000-2500 reel, is probably the most suitable for bass bashing. I fish very finesse and don’t like to use heavy braid and leader on the spinning gear. Braid around 6lb-8lb with a rod length of 8lb FC leader is plenty and heavy enough to catch a bigger bass. Some guys are using 10lb-16lb leader however I think it’s too heavy and creates a disconnection between the FrogZ and the rod, especially when you fish from a higher bank and with a slow retrieve. You’ll get plenty of bites, however the slack line makes it virtually impossible to hook the fish.

5 Key Tips

• Fishing Fast – TT ChinlockZ SWS (belly weight)
• Fishing Slow – TT ChinlockZ (unweighted)
• Early and late fish fast / middle of the day fish slower and tight to structure
• Keep moving / cover water
• Lighter braid and leader increased contact with the lure

Stay tuned, in the next article I’ll show you some tricks and lure hacks to increase your hook up rates.

Cheers, Rob