The 8 Best Frog Lures for Fishing Bass in Cover (You Need These in Your Tackle Box)

There’s something special about fishing weedy cover. When a bass finally hits, it’s like they ripped up out of nowhere.

If you’re fishing topwater, you get to see them launch out for the bait, an experience most bass anglers really love.

If that angler is you, I’ve got a list of frog lures that you gotta have on hand.

One of my favorite lures to throw when I’m dealing with some dense grass is a frog topwater lure. Not only are frogs natural prey for big bass, but often these lures will look like many other types of prey fish the bass might be on the hunt for.

Another important consideration is that sometimes they are the only lure capable of making their way through (or over) thick vegetation while retaining their intended movement.

If you’re trying to get through your day without a monster snag, and you’ve noticed some frog or toad activity at your fishing hole, try tying on my absolute favorite: The Live Target Hollow Body Frog.

This classic bass killer is always in my tackle box and great for a weedy situation.

Before we get into the list, it’s important to know the different types of frog lures.

Different Types of Frog Lures

Walking Frogs Walk on Water

Walking frogs, the original frog lure, do as their name suggests and walk on water. They are my top choice when the grass is the thickest!

These lures have hollow bodies with upturned hooks. The upturned hooks curve hard against their bodies to keep them safely away from the grass cover in which you’ll use them to fish.

At first glance, an angler might worry that there would be no room for a bass to even hook on this design. That’s where the hollow body comes in. It’s made from relatively flexible material, so that when a bass hits, the body crushes, and the hook sinks in.

But what about movement? Walking frogs have tassels that float and twirl like a frog’s legs might while the lure is skated across the surface. The overall effect is that of a swimming frog stumbling through thick cover – which is going to look very inviting for a hungry fish!

Popping Frogs Pop

If you’d like a little more action and noise with your frog lure, a popping frog is what you’re looking for. These lures have a very similar design to a walking frog lure, with hollow, squishable bodies and upturned hooks. This means they are still great at fishing heavy cover.

The major difference is the shape of their nose. Instead of tapering off to a point, the nose is a scoop shape. This gives the lure interesting movement in the water.

It makes a “popping” sound while it scoots along, which bass really seem to love. It also throws the lure around, like an injured frog might swim.

The lures still have skirt legs on the back, creating an attractive swimming illusion for the bass lurking underneath.

Plopping, Prop, or Paddle Foot Frogs: As Real as It Gets

The plopping frog is a new installment to the frog lure market, and it offers the most realistic movement of all.

So much so, they could arguably be called the best topwater frog for bass available to the angler. Half the body is generally hollow with upturned hooks, to facilitate casting in thick growth.

The other half of their body is solid, in order to support its prop feature: spinning legs!

These legs create a disturbing motion bass can’t resist. While the tassels on the other two lures do a pretty good job, the legs on the propping frog look as close to the real thing as you’re gonna get. In addition, they really crank up over open water, helping lurking bass keep track of the lure’s movement.

Of course, there is a downside. These lures seem to get hung up more often than their more streamlined predecessors. It’s also easier for a bass to miss the hook without the squishy body to collapse around it.

TOP 8 Best Top Water Frog Lures for Bass Fishing

LiveTarget Hollow Body Walking Frog

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Here’s my favorite for the best frog lure for bass right out front. The Live Target Hollow Body Frog is on my list of best bass lures for fall for a reason. With hyperrealistic colors, a soft body, and great movement, it’s one of the best frog lures on the market.

One of the things that makes this lure stand out is its flexible (yet durable) body.

Frog lures are notorious for losing bass. This inconvenience is regularly overlooked because they are regarded as the only usable lure in heavy cover. The hollow body frog does a great job addressing this issue by making the hook hard to miss for a hungry bass.

In addition, the small arms and 3D eyes give it a realistic look that cheaper frogs just don’t have. It may be on the higher end of the price spectrum, but the craftsmanship sets this frog apart.

Pros

• Quality construction.
• 3D eyes and arms.
• Ultra realistic.
• Soft, squishy body so the hook will set.
• Great movement, glides left to right easily over cover.
• Great color selection.

Cons

• Very expensive to lose.

Takeaway

If budget is no issue, or you’d just like to have a nice frog lure in your arsenal, the Live Target Hollow Body Frog is best in show. If you know an angler with one, they’ve likely got some big bass stories to go along with it.

River2Sea Bully Wa II 65 Walking Frog Lure

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One of the more annoying traits of a hollow body frog lure, is that at some point it’s going to fill up with water. This usually happens when you’ve made the perfect cast and can’t wait to get it hopping across some hard-to-reach lily pads.

Watching your lure struggle and sink is pretty heart-wrenching, but River2Sea has come up with the solution. The Bully Wa II took the success of the Bully Wa and built on it by sealing the hook holes to help prevent the hollow body from filling with water.

Other than this feature, it is built very similarly to other walking frog lures, with a nice crushable body and two upturned hooks.

And it’s probably got the widest belly of all the entries on the list, making it a great largemouth bass lure option. The big belly and side to side movement encourages big bass bites!

Pros

• Sealed hook holes improve buoyancy.
• River2Sea has a proven track record with the original Bully Wa.
• Wide construction for big bites.
• Ideal lure for largemouth bass.

Cons

• Tassels and body are less realistic than other lures for the same price.
• Limited color options.

Takeaway

If you’ve given up on frog lures because of buoyancy issues (I’ve been there!), why not give this Bully Wa II a shot? Its predecessor was top of the market. This is a great lure for spring bass fishing, when the cover is heavy and the water is high.