My Thoughts on Hooks for Buzz Toads/Frogs

I love to fish Zoom Horny Toads and other plastic buzz toads or buzz frogs. Finding the best hook has been an evolution for me. The first hooks I tried were offset wide gaps. They seemed to rip the nose of the bait up immediately upon getting a fish and the hook up ration didn't seem to be the best. I was not satisfied.

The next hook I tried was a Mustad Power Lock Plus EWG Hook

I really liked this hook as it was awesome for hookups and kept the bait usable for multiple fish provided you used super glue with the plastic keeper. The problem is that super gluing is a pain. The Hooks are also expensive at a buck a hook, never the less I bought a bunch of them.

Next hook I tried was the Greg Hackney Hook from Tru-Tungsten
For me, these things were so messed up they never even saw the water. I couldn't rig them on the hook well and they ripped the plastic badly.

The next hook I tried was a Zoom Horny Toad Hook:
These seemed to work pretty good, but I had a problem with the springs stretching out or falling off.

One day I saw some Owner Beast Hooks and bought them.

I thought the Beast was a great hook, but they are more expensive than the Mustad Power Lock.

I also gave the Owner TwistLock Open Gap Centering Pin Hook a try.

These are a little less expensive than The Beast, but still more expensive than the Mustad Power Lock. Using this hook has really sold me on the superiority of the Owner Twistlock Centering Pin Spring...
...over and above the Power Lock plastic keeper on the Mustad Hook. The Twistlock is just the best thing for durability because you can twist it in to the plastic in multiple places and you don't have to mess with super glue. Thankfully you can buy Owner Twistlock Centering Pin Springs and put them on yourself. I plan to cut off all my Mustad Power Lock plastic keepers and replace them with the Owner Twistlock Centering Pin Springs.

Bass Fishing Blogger Tyler Brinks is high on the Stanley Ribbit Double-Take Hook

These look to be something similar to the Gambler Double Trouble Toad Hook.

I don't think I will be trying these because the Stanley Hook is more than $1.50per hook and the Gambler is almost $2.50 a hook and up here in the north country you lose many toad hooks to pike.

I think the Twistock Pin with the Mustad hook will make for the ideal combo.

Platte Lake Oct 7th: Prime Time

I wish I would have gotten out sooner on this lovely day. Today had a light SW wind with sun and temps in the 70's. As it was I didn't start fishing until about 5:40PM. I started on a weed flat in the Big West Bay (Public Access Bay). First I went with the Repo Man, but that didn't get looked at. I switched to a white spinnerbait and caught a small pike on that. Eventually I switched up to a purple (blue shiner) Berkley Frenzy Popper. I got a 13" bass on that, then had a pike steal the lure, glad I've still got tons of them. I tied on another purple BFP and threw that some more along with a Herb's Dilly Buzzbait. Eventually I worked myself in shallower where there was sort of a dense patch of brown rice; Here I was throwing a white Sizmic Toad and on one of my casts through the rice it looked like a little pike was waking the thing. I cast back and it happened again. I cast back one more time and when the fish showed behind it, I killed it in place. After a second there was a big swirl. I made sure the fish had it and set the hook. It wasn't a little pike, but a 19.75" bass that was close to 5lbs(pic).

I worked my way over to some thicker slop (rice, reeds, and pads). I had a hit on the end of a long cast that didn't get the Toad. I worked the area hard with a number of lures but couldn't get another strike. With the sun setting I made the call to head across the bay by the maidencaine where I got fish a few nights ago. There was a little breeze and ripple on the water. I went with the Herb's Dilly but that hauled water. The farther I got into the weeds the calmer it got and I started fishing the Sizmic Toad quickly hoping a fish would show itself. I got something to wake a few times but it wouldn't hit. I kept moving in towards shore and had a hit on the Toad on the end of a long cast in the pads that didn't hook up. I got a second chance at this fish on the Toad and missed it again. I pitched a junebug crawtube into the pads and sure enough it got picked up. It was a 13.5" bass. I was now close enough to cast to the last patch of bullrushes. Something waked on the Toad. On a subsequent cast a fish lit it up but I missed it on the hookset. That was my last bite of the night.

Platte Lake Oct 5th: Avoided the Skunk

Tonight I got out fishing for about the last hour before dark. Today was warm (70+) and sunny with a pretty good SE wind.

I didn't stop at Jenny's, but did fish from the dock. I cast next to Sherman's dock and a fish boiled on the Ish's Phat Frog, but didn't get it. I cast back and this time the fish really swirled on it, but somehow I didn't hook up. Several more casts produced nothing, so I threw a Zoom Horny Toad and let it sink and sit. On about the 3rd cast of doing that, it got picked up, but I missed the fish.

Finally I got the boat untied and headed towards Sherman's/Jenny's (East). I worked the area with the missed fish hard but didn't get a thing. On the other side of Sherman's dock I made a cast up by shore and had what was sure to be a small pike swipe at and finally get the Horny Toad. When I set the hook the line got cut. I kept working my way East and when nothing happened I decided to move.

I headed to the North side of the bay where I caught fish last week on Monday. I think I got a couple of bites on docks with a crawtube, but I didn't hook anything. The sun set and I decided to head back to the South side of the bay and fish the water that would be calm near Jenny's. I got the skunk out of the boat with a small pike on a white Sizmic Toad. I figured that was going to be my only fish as it was getting dark quickly. I was making my way out of the weeds when I got another hit. I was pleased to get the 15" bass in the pic on the Sizmic. I fished for maybe 5 more minutes and then headed in.

Herb's Dilly Day

Today I was out on Platte Lake from about 2PM to 6:15PM

Conditions were overcast with W NW wind blowing 8 to 18MPH

My first stop was Jenny's from shore and I had a hit on a Sizmic Toad almost up on shore. I didn't set the hook, so I don't know if it was a bass or pike.

Next I headed to the lake place and got the boat ready. I decided with the West wind to just drift the slop to the East of our lake place. Two docks down I got a 13.75" bass on the white Sizmic Toad. As I rounded the corner I had something big follow the Toad to the boat. I wasn't paying attention and didn't realise something was up until there was a big boil just after I pulled the Toad out of the water.

I decided to try a Herb's Dilly buzzbait and I had a couple of strikes right away that didn't hook up. Then I caught 14", 15", and a 15.25" and a pike. The fish definitely wanted that buzzbait. I missed a couple of more strikes. I worked my way out of the slop, then decided to go right back into a boat lane. I made a good cast into an open area in some thick stuff and was rewarded with a 15.5" largie. I had a swirl and I cast back with a Title Shot Jig with white/red Strike King Bleeding Bait Flippen Tube. The fish nailed it, but I missed the hook set. I cast back in and it got picked up, but I missed it again and it was gone. I worked the area with the Dilly. As I was ripping it out of the weeds I had a Norman Speed Clip malfunction and the Dilly disappeared. I got right to the spot, but the water was just to weedy, murky, and deep for me to get it back. Stupid mistake on my part not tying direct as soon as it was clear the fish were on the Dilly. As far as I know the Herb's Dilly with a normal buzzbait blade are not made anymore and losing one totally sucks. Fortunately I have several I picked up on Ebay and I just put on another one in the exact same color, green with yellow skirt.

It was about 4PM and I decided to make a move to the North end of the big West bay across from the Public Access on Platte. Right away I was rewarded with a 14" and 13.75" bass on a Snagproof "Buck Nasty" (brown) Ish's Phat Frog. I had a fish follow the Dilly out from the bullrushes. I cast back at the follow with the Strike King Tube and the fish hit. It was about a 23" pike. I worked my way around the bullrushes. I was casting towards the last patch of rushes that are out from shore when the water erupted on the Dilly. I knew it was a good one immediately. It stayed hooked up and I landed this 19.5" which was just under 5lbs.

I had a couple more good opportunities with the Dilly. One I think was a big pike but I couldn't hook up or they just boiled on it. My final fish was a Pike on the Sizmic Toad.

As I headed out of the junk I decided to throw my new Lunker Punker on the edge of the maidencaine. Can't say I'm real impressed with the thing, but I did have a small pike swirl on it.

I'm now 3 for 4 on fish with the Ish's Phat Frog.

3 X 15"

Tonight I left the house a little after 5PM to go fishing. Today was sunny and in the high 60's with a fairly light NE breeze. Naturally, I stopped to fish from shore at Jenny's. I had replaced the Mad Maxx frogs with the Snaproof Ish Phat Frogs I got yesterday. On about my third cast I got a backlash and my line broke at the knot sending the "Iced Out" Phat Frog off into the lake. Being that the Phat frogs are not supposed to take in water and sink, I figured I would be able to come back with the boat and find it. I then worked the area with the "Buck Nasty" color Phat Frog and didn't get any hits. At the lake place I did a quick round off the dock with a white Sizmic toad. I got struck by a pike right in front of the dock and it stole one of the Sizmic Toad's legs.

I got my stuff in the boat and headed off to retrieve my frog. Sure enough I found it and got it tied back on and I started fishing with it. I probably fished for 20 minutes without a single hit and it was pretty clear to me that these fish were off. I decided to go across the lake and fish docks.

Before I got to the docks I decided to hit the Southern edge of a big reed bed. I wasn't getting anything when I noticed a some fish movement. I cast past the spot and brought the Phat frog slowly into the area. All of a sudden a big bass (4+ I'm sure) comes completely out of the water as it hits the frog. The fish jumped in my direction and I ended up with a lousy hookset and it got away. It sure seems like I've missed my fair share of bigger fish over the last couple of years. I worked the reeds but couldn't get anymore hits, so eventually I started in on docks. On probably the 6th or 7th dock I cast my white Fin-Tech Title Shot Jig with white/red Strike King Bleeding Bait Flippen Tube up by a shallow fishing boat lift and sure enough it got picked up. I set the hook and caught this 15.5"
I was really glad I caught something as it was around 7:30PM and I thought I might get skunked.

A couple of docks down I pitched in between a dock and boat lift with the same tube and I thought I felt something pick it up, but when I set the hook all I did was mess up the tube on the jig. I got it re-rigged and pitched it back in and sure enough it got picked up again and I landed a 15.25" bass.

Down the way a couple more docks there is a good sized slop patch between a couple of docks. I threw the one legged Sizmic Toad on the inside weedline of the slop and had a fish steal the other leg. I cast back and ended up pulling out a 15" bass, which was my last fish of the night.

The last dock in the run, which is usually money had the pontoon lift, boat lift, and the 2 wave runner lifts taken out of the water. I just left.

Mille Lacs, Platte Lake Dock N Slop

Went to Eddy's Jetty on Mille Lacs. The SE wind was probably too much for topwater and I didn't get any hits on a spinnerbait, so this trip was a skunk.

My first stop at Platte Lake per usual was at Jenny's from shore. Right away I missed a good bite on a white Sizmic Toad. I didn't hook the fish so I thought I could get it to bite again, but the Toad didn't get a 2nd look. After working the area I went and got a "Grapes of Wrath" Tru-Tungsten Mad Maxx. I cast to the area where I missed the strike and slowly brought it to the edge of the opening when WHAM. Fish ON!

Do you think it wanted it?


Next I headed to the lake place. Fishing from the dock I had a hit on the Sizmic Toad that didn't get it and I couldn't get the fish to go a 2nd time, probably a pike. I thought the wind was blowing out of the SE so I took the boat to go fish docks by the Platte Lake public access. Turns out the wind was out of the E NE so I was actually getting blown along the docks and a bit towards shore. On the first dock I thought I had a hit twice, but both hooksets came up empty. On the 2nd dock I picked up a 13" bass on a junebug crawtube. On the 3rd dock I got a 20" pike which lost the crawtube body, so I put on a black/blue one. On my way around the dock I spotted the junebug crawtube floating, so I went and got it. It will need some Mend-It before fishing again. The rest of the docks I fished were a bust and I broke off the crawtube on a boat lift. I came to area with a sparse pad bed and I fished the white Sizmic Toad. I missed my first bite, small fish and then caught a 13" bass. The wind was blowing in pretty good to the slop I wanted to fish and I didn't get a bite. I headed to the other side of the bay (North) to see if the wind wasn't as bad. I went past the maidencaine in up by shore where there are reeds, pads, and bullrushes. I missed the first 3 strikes I got on the Sizmic. Finally I picked up a 14" bass on a "Big Sexy" Mad Maxx frog along the bullrush edge. A little farther down I picked up another 14" on the Sizmic Toad off the very last edge of the rushes.

I worked my way into the rice and pads managing to miss the final 3 strikes I got. One of the misses was a choke on my part with the "Grapes of Wrath" Mad Maxx. I think that one was a bigger fish.

I am now 9 for 11 on Tru-Tungsten Mad Maxx frog bites.

Platte Lake Sloppin'

I got out around 3PM today and fished until dark. All I did was fish slop (rice, pads, weed mats, duck weed, reeds). I started from our lake place and worked East. Around 7PM I headed to the vicinity of the big maidencaine bed across from the Platte public access fishing rice, pads, and weed mats. My big fish was this 19.25" caught on a watermelon Red Zoom Horny Toad.
I also caught fish on a white Stanley Ribbit, Junebug Crawtube, and a white Sizmic Toad high floater.

Here is a run down of the Fish:

Horny Toad: 15, 14.5, 19.25, 13.25
Ribbit: 13.5, 14, 14, 13.25, 14, 14, 14.25"
Crawtube: 13.25"
Sizmic: 14.25"

I did miss a few fish today, including what looked like a very good one that stole my last Stanley Ribbit. I had one pike bite off a Ribbit as I went to lift him in the boat.

Biggest Bass of Year

Actually this:

...Is my biggest bass of the last couple years. She measured in at 21.5 and I would guess was in the high 5's; She hit a Sizmic Toad fairly close to the boat. It is the second biggest I've caught out of Platte. I caught a 21.5"er that was much thicker and probably went mid-6's two years ago.


This bass was one of those fish that fools you. I thought I had a little pike swirling at the frog in a tease. Fortunatly I decided not to pull it away and kept baiting it. I did this for a good 30feet, before it finally sucked it in; all the while I thought it was just a slimer. It was about 10 feet from the boat when it took the frog and I set the hook, all I saw was head and mouth of a big bass. I was using heavy tackle in fairly heavy but dying cover and so I horsed it right to my awaiting hand.

As long as I'm on big fish Here's two I caught on Platte the night after this years September Tournament debacle on Platte/Sullivan:


The big fish was only 19.75 but weighted 5lbs4ozs. The smaller fish is a regular sized mid 3lb 18" Larry. I got the big one under a dock that I just hammered to no avail on the previous tournament day; Got her on a SnagProof Bobby's Perfect Frog on one serious swirl. Sometimes you know they are big and sometimes you don't.

Fishing Report

It was a long day out at the "New House" which is actually now after long last on the property. I video taped the thing. Watching a modular home get put on it's foundation is interesting and I am sure my commentary and videography skills made it even more so. My one regret is that I didn't interview "the guys." A little Leno'esk "Dave Walking" would have been cool.

Anyway I headed out at dusk on this perfect mid fall day and slammed 5 topwater bass, but none were pigs. I had several pike blow ups and one was from a huge'n. But it missed the Sizmic Frog. Oh to be out all day on a day like this, the fish were shallow and ultra aggressive; another day that you could pop a state record.