KVD Sexy Frog

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The KVD Sexy Frog from Strike King was designed by Kevin VanDam for versatility.  This hollow body frog fishes well in open water, heavy cover, and everything in between.

KVD Sexy Frog

The KVD Sexy Frog is available in 7 colors: black, tiger black, tiger, sexy frog, leopard perch, copper frog, and stump jumper.  My go-to color choice is the leopard perch.  The frog only weights 5/8 oz.   The only modification I make is to add a Lake Fork Trophy Lures Frog Tail Hook.  Since the Gamakatsu wide gap 4/0 hook travels behind the frog pointing towards the sky, it’s virtually weedless.  The hook also does not hinder the frog’s action.  I have hooked many fish on this hook.  I have also hooked BIG fish on the frog’s main double hook.

I have retrieved the KVD Sexy Frog at various constant speeds.  I have also varied the speed of the frog across the top of the water during a retrieve from a dead stop to full speed.  I have experimented with different actions.  The most productive retrieve is a slow and steady retrieve with the frog’s natural action.  I have caught multiple species on this retrieve.  Large mouth bass, in particular, simply cannot resist a KVD Sexy Frog moving across the water’s surface slowly and steadily.

When you fish the KVD Sexy Frog with the Lake Fork Frog Tail Hook, make loooong casts. Retrieve the frog slowly and steadily while keeping constant eye-to-frog contact. Hold onto to your rod because the strikes will be sudden and explosive! 😉

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Hogy Pro Tail Paddles

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Hogy is an innovative company.  When I leaned that they were offering soft plastic swim baits, I was instantly interested in how they were going to introduce innovation into such an established lure category.

Fish360 Hogy Pro Paddle Tails

First, the 6.5 inch swim baits are available in 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 oz sizes.  This is brilliant because it allows anglers to fish the same profile bait at various depths in the water column.  Traditional swim baits with embedded jigs increase weight as they increase in length.

Second, each swim bait comes with a VMC Barbarian hook.  This hook is strong and sharp.  Traditional swim baits with embedded jigs increase hook size as they increase in length.

Third, the swim baits are made from a specialized blend of UV infused soft plastic.  The material is professionally molded around the VMC Barbarian Jig Hooks.  The result is a durable and flexible soft plastic swim bait with increased visibility in low light conditions.

I like the Hogy Pro Tail Paddles because they offer the same length and profile in a series of weights with the a strong and sharp VMC Barbarian hook.  No compromises!  No rigging required!!  Just add water!!!

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Cuttyhunk 2019

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This past June I went on my annual fishing trip to Cuttyhunk.  Every other trip that I have done on Cuttyhunk has been been during the new moon.  We could not have predicted what the full moon would bring.

Fish360 Cuttyhunk

On the first trip, we fished the southern part of the island at sunset.  The ocean was angry: waves, wind, and whitewater everywhere.  I waded through the chest breaking waves until I reached a good rock to cast from.  I fan casted the area with plugs and worked the entire water column.  The waves were relentless.  The only bump I got was from the wave that sent me flying into the surf.  The wind turned the ocean from angry to dangerous.  We moved to another spot.  At the new spot, my friends hooked into fish.  I dropped a good fish on a buoyant wide body black darter, which was ideal for the rocky shallow water.  When we got back to Pete’s Place, I noticed that my DIY Side Arm and $35.00 custom plug were gone!  It must have snapped off my belt during my unplanned re-entry into the surf.

Fish360 Cuttyhunk

On the second trip, we fished the northern end of the island at sunrise.  I forgot my main plug bag. My friends hooked and landed fish.  I struggled to get bumps with the limited plugs I had in my belt bag.  On the third trip, we fished the western coast of the island at sunset.  I hooked and landed the biggest and heaviest wad of weed north of Montauk!  My friends caught fish.  One fish was on a bucktail! Did the bucktail have a weed guard?  No.  He is that good!

Fish360 Cuttyhunk Striped Bass

On the last trip, I had all of my gear.  The wind was light.  The oncoming waves were predictable.  I waded through weedless water and climbed onto a flat top rock.  I snapped a floating blue/white Super Strike Little Neck Popper onto my leader’s 175 lb Tactical Angler’s clip.  I aimed towards Martha’s Vineyard and propelled my plug as far as I could with my 11′ custom rod.  I began my retrieve. Crank, crank…POP!  Crank, crank…POP!.  Crank, crank…FISH ON!  Schoolie.  I quickly unhooked the fish and made another long cast.  Crank, crank…POP!  Crank, crank…POP!  Crank, crank…FISH ON!  Keeper.  I quickly unhooked the fish and made another long cast and began my retrieve.  Crank, crank…POP! Crank, crank…POP!  Crank, crank…POP!  The fish moved.

Fish360 Cuttyhunk Striped Bass

At the second spot, I climbed onto a rock with a long slanted slope.  While struggling to keep my balance, I fan casted the area.  Crank, crank…POP!  Crank, crank…POP!  Crank, crank….BANG!  A fish blew up on my plug!!  After two nights and two days of extreme surfcasting, the adrenaline rush turned my bruised and fatigued body into Olympic grade!  I retrieved the plug back to my feet and casted in the same direction.  The plug landed past the blow up.  I started my retrieve.  Crank, crank…POP!  Crank, crank…POP!  Crank, crank…BLOW UP!  The fish broke the surface right in the path of my plug.  I continued my retrieve.  Crank, crank…POP!  Crank, crank…BANG!  The fish blew up on plug again!!  I continued my retrieve.  Crank, crank…POP!  Crank, crank…POP.  Crank, crank….FISH ON!!!!  My 11′ custom rod was fully arch over.  Line was pulling off my ZeeBaas reel like the drag was not set.  I struggled to gain line.  If my rod snapped, I was ready to hand-line the fish in.  I eventually got the fish to my rock.  I dropped my rod into the water behind me with my right hand and reach down with my left hand to grab the 80 lb Ande leader.  I pulled the fish up the seaweed slope of the rock.  As I griped the fish with my Fish Grip, my 11′ custom rod separated into two sections.  The fish slid down the rock back into the ocean.  I grabbed the lanyard attached to the lip gripper and genteelly pulled the fish back up the rock.  After a few quick photos, she was released to swim and spawn another day.

Fish360 Cuttyhunk Striped Bass

This trip reinforced lessons I learned from previous trips.  This trip taught me some new lessons.  Were two lights at night.  Carry a compass.  Fan cast your spot.  Retrieve your plug until your feet.  Fish the water column.  Move with the fish.  Secure your gear via lanyards.  Update my DIY Side Arm design.  Fish one piece rods.  Have confidence in your method.  Never stop learning!

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Five Frog Challenge

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Today I went fishing to one of my froggy spots with five different frogs. The goal was to catch a fish on each frog. Having never fished these frogs before, this increased the challenge.

Fish360 Five Frog Challenge

I caught the first fish at 06:14 AM on an all white YUM Tip Toad Frog (4.5″).

Fish360 Five Frog Challenge

I caught the second fish at 06:55 AM on a green pumpkin/chartreuse Strike King Rage Tail Toad (4.0″).

Fish360 Five Frog Challenge

I caught the third fish at 07:12 AM on an all black Strike King KVD Perfect Plastic Gurgle Toad (3.75″).

Fish360 Five Frog Challenge

I caught the forth fish at 07:45 AM on a ghost watermelon Berkley PowerBait Rib Toad (4.5″).

Fish360 Five Frog Challenge

I caught the fifth fish at 07:56 AM on a “June Bug” Zoom Horny Toad (4.0″).

Fish360 Five Frog Challenge

I caught all of these with my new frogging set up. A St. Croix Tide Master rod (TIS80MF), which is a medium power, fast action rod at 8 feet in length, rated for 3/8 oz to 3/4 oz. A Shimano Stradic ST 2500 HGFK, which has 20 lbs of drag and a 6:1 gear ratio. SpiderWire Invisi-Braid (50 lb tests) tied directly to a 50 lb Tactical Anglers power clip via Palomar knot[]. This unconventional frogging set up is very well balanced set up. I made loooong casts for 4 hours via kayak without fatigue or pain. This unconventional frogging set up also allows for fast frog exchanges. I was able to change frogs based on the structure and cover I was targeting without re-tying. Time is fish!

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DIY Scent Bottle Carabiner Loop

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I like to spray my soft plastics with scent.  When fishing from shore and kayak, I have had a few occasions when I nearly lost my scent bottle.  I have been seen jumping into a river (without waders) to grab my scent bottle before it reached the river bottom.  I have hence made a loop to secure my scent bottle to by fishing belt or kayak via lanyard.

DIY Scent Bottle Carabiner Loop

First, insert a 4″ length of vinyl tubing (1/4″ diameter) into a 14″ length of 14 gauge copper wire until it reaches the midpoint of the wire.  Bend the wire to from a large loop where the ends overlap the loop wire by 4″.

DIY Scent Bottle Carabiner Loop

Second, wrap each end of the wire over the main loop. Use a pair of pliers to make the wraps tight.

DIY Scent Bottle Carabiner Loop

Third, Move the vinyl tubing over the wire wraps.  Use a pair of pliers, if necessary.  By design, this a tight fit.

DIY Scent Bottle Carabiner Loop

Lastly, wrap the bare wire end of the loop around the neck of the scent bottle.  The result is two loops.   Twist the larger loop until the small loop tightens around the neck of the scent bottle.  Do not over-tighten so as not the break the wire.

DIY Scent Bottle Carabiner Loop

Scent bottles are expensive.  Copper wire and vinyl tubing are inexpensive.  Secure your scent bottle with this inexpensive solution. 😉

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DIY Buzz Frog Hook Modification

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This season I started fishing buzz frogs.  I like the sonic action of the rotary prop.  Unfortunately, if the frog turns during a cast, the wire and hook eye can temporarily lock up and hence ruin the action of the frog on the retrieve.  I hence modify my buzz frogs with heat shrink tubing to keep hook inline with the wire.  This hook modification only requires some simple tools and heat shrink tubing.

Fish360 DIY Buzz Frog Hook Modification

First, remove the frog and the bait keeper from the hook. Carefully thread a 3/4″ length of heat shrink tubing (3/16″ diameter) over the hook until the hook eye/wire joint is reached.  Bend the wire so that it’s inline with the eye of the hook.  Apply heat to shrink the tubing.  Let the tubing cool.

Fish360 DIY Buzz Frog Hook Modification

Second, make a hole in the tubing on either side of the hook eye; for example, with the point of another hook

Fish360 DIY Buzz Frog Hook Modification

Third, re-secure the bait keeper to the hook eye.

Fish360 DIY Buzz Frog Hook Modification

And lastly, re-secure the frog to the keeper and then the hook.

A bad cast can cost you a fish! I highly recommend this buzz frog hook modification because it will improve the bait’s castablity, action, and hook up rates.

 

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Block Island 2019

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Today I had the opportunity to fish with Capt. Tony Guarino from Booked Off Charters.  The plan was to leave port at 6:00 AM.  I had a two hour commute, so I stayed overnight at the Scarborough Beach Motel, which is only a 15 minute drive to Point View Marina.

Fish360 Block Island 2019 Striped Bass

We started jigging bucktails on wire line and lead core line. The rod with wire line induced more strikes so we switched out the lead core rod with another wire line setup. When the bucktails stopped producing, we switched to trolling umbrella rigs with colored surgical tubing on wire line. Single, double, and even triple hooks hooks was not as hard as taking a picture in the 4 to 6 foot seas that we experienced at Block Island’s South West point!

Fish360 Block Island 2019 Striped Bass

I had my water shoes and Stomr neoprene booties. My feet were fine. Some of the anglers on the boat had sneakers. They hung their wet socks on the protruding stainless steel hardware of the highly customized 35’ Terry Jason Downeaster. Thankfully no man or sock went overboard. Before my next trip with Capt. Tony Guarino, I am getting a pair of water proof boots like the Rugged Shark Deck Boots, which I can use all season long (spring, summer, and fall).

Bottom line, this was one of the best charter experience that I have had. I would recommend booking a trip on Booked Off Charters. Booking online is easy. Capt. Tony Guarino has the expertise and local knowledge to get you into fish!

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Frankenstein Frog Strike

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Today I fished one of my froggy spots.  For two hours, I systematically fished every proven productive structure with three different frogs.  Occasionally, I grabbed my forth rod and sank a wacky rigged Senko.  Skunked!

Frankenstein Frog Strike

At the end of my trip, I clipped a Frankenstein Frogs onto the Tactical Anglers clip on the end of my 50 lb Power Pro.  I made my last cast.

Frankenstein Frog Strike

The frog swam well.  The new legs created whitewater and sound as I retrieved it steadily.  The frog did not make it to my kayak without seducing a strike from a blue gill terrorizing bass.

Frankenstein Frog Strike

Hence forth, I am saving my single and dual amputee frogs.  I will give them new legs via reconstructive surgery in my laboratory.  Fish beware….I now have confidence in Frankenstein Frogs!!!

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Shad Flutter Spoons

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The first time I went fishing for American Shad, I brought a Plano box with shad darts.  My friend was fishing next to me.  He caught fish.  I got shunked.  He was using shad flutter spoons.  Since that first trip, I have fished shad darts and shad flutter spoons.  Shad flutter spoons have consistently outperformed shad darts.

Fish360 Shad Flutter Spoons

Shad flutter spoons are so light that in order to get them down in the water column, I peg a tungsten sinker Carolina style.  I use 1/2 oz, 3/8 oz, or 1/4 oz depending on depth and current.  I prefer tungsten because of it’s high density and small foot print.

Fish360 Shad Flutter Spoons

I make all of my rigs ahead of time and store them in individual ZipLock snack bags.  I then store these rigs in ZipLock quart bags based on size: 1/2 oz, 3/8 oz, and 1/4 oz.  I quickly change up my rigs by sliding the swivel off-and-on the Tactical Anglers clip tied to my main line.  Time is fish!

Fish360 Shad Flutter Spoons

How a shad spoon is joined to your leader determines it’s action.  An improved clinch knot will make the spoon swim in a straight line during the retrieve.  I double surgeons loop knot will allow the spoon to flutter side-to-side.  I have found that a #2 Decoy Egg Snap provides the maximum flutter action because of it’s rigid radial arch.

Fish360 Shad Flutter Spoons

The two most popular shad flutter spoon color patterns are: yellow/gold and chartreuse/gold.  Ironically, I have had the most success with pink/gold!

The next time you target American Shad, feed them spoons!  They cannot resist the seductive fluttering action!!

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Bass Buff

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Capt. Tom Mikolesk of Grand Slam Charters Montauk has been hunting fish full time for the past thirteen years.  In his book BASS BUFF A Striper Fishing Obsession Guide he shares his experience and expertise on targeting striped bass. In the first part of the book, Capt. Tom Mikolesk describes how he got hooked on striped bass and how he became a charter captain.  He also provides a historical and biological overview of striped bass.

Fish360 Bass Buff

In the second part of the book Capt. Tom Mikolesk shifts focus to techniques for targeting striped bass from a boat.  He explains in detail how to properly and safely troll umbrella rigs, bunker spoons, parachutes, tube and worm, and plugs.  He also describes how to drift eels and 3-way bucktails.  The value of this book is in the proven practical technique tips.  For example, how you rig a bunker determines if it will swim on top or towards the bottom.

Are you a surfcaster looking to fish from a boat?  If so, then this book is for you. Are you already targeting striped bass from a boat and would like to improve or expand your techniques?  If so, then this book is for you.  Are you looking for the latitude and longitude coordinates for the secretes spots to hook and land a 50 pound striped bass?  If so, then this book is not for you.

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