The Zoom Horny Toad - How Do Ya Rig It?

[TheFLY]

Just got a free pack ... heard they were great. Do you just slide it onto large 3/0 or 4/0 hook the way you'd thread a worm onto a darter head so that the point is exposed on the belly-side ... then fish it like a topwater frog

Help ... thanks in advance, CG.

[Mark Langner]

It was either my latest FLW magazine or my latest In Fisherman magazine, showed that you would t-rig the bait (no weight of course) with a 3/0 or 4/0 wide gap hook. Me, I'd tex-pose it to aide in my hook setting. While you can work the bait many ways, one way is to reel it in so the legs wiggle and splash the water (like a plastic buzz bait sorta). Naturally you can hop, skip, pause, twitch it too. Some will experiment using heavier hooks when they want to pull it into a hole in the grass and cause it to slowly flutter down. Hope this helps, just what I have been told.

[Bill K]

I have had good results rigging it with a EWG 3/0 hook, but a 4/0
will do just as well, maybe better. I push the point thru then back it in to make it weedless, but when the bass bite down the hook gets them. Do not be in a hurry to set the hook, work it just like you would any other frog bait. Junebug and Grn/pumpkin have worked well for me. Bill K

[Wild Bill]

I am an "openly admitted FROGAHOLIC"...{LOL}

I fish these ALOT.
Rig them either skin-hooked on an OWNER "Wide Gap Plus" in Size 4/0....or try the new 'corkscrew hooks by HOOKERZ HOOKS.
You can use a 'tex-pose' hook rigging if fishing open water, but for areas with cover, I skin hook it into the top of the bait just a tiny bit, so it runs clean of debris.

I 'buzz' them along at a fairly steady clip, and they really shine along weedlines or edges of cover.

It has twin hooked shaped tails, as as you crank it along fast enough to keep it on top of the water, the twin tails 'buzz', and froth the water like a subtle buzzbait.

Colors I use:
Green Pumpkin
Green Pumpkin/Pearl {Laminate}
Watermelon.. {Hint:Dye leg tips chartruese}
Black..{for evening fishing}

To me, this is EXCITING fishing.
The BLOW-UP gets me every time..!
Gotta Love it..!!

Been using it two full seasons with GREAT success..!!

[TheFLY]

*NM*

[kopper_bass]

just had to say that - sorry!

I actually do like using them with a weight on front nose. i use a 1/16 oz bullet weight. This allows you to buzz it across the top still, but when you pause it over a hole, it does a noze dive down with legs kickin'.

I use either the slitshot version and crimp it down, or the std version bullet weight and use a bobber-stop knot on the front of it, to keep it in place. that keeps the weeds from boggin it up.

A note about rigging the hook. If you pull all your frogs out of the bag, and look at them closely, you'll notice very quickly that the consistency is very unreliable. So, when you rig the hook, give it a quick cast and watch it. You'll likely have to offset the hook left or right to keep it tracking straight. You don't want it to twist around and around as you reel it in!!

Lastly, for all your HornyToad enthusiasts - if you like these,
then give a try with the new Berkely versions; called
Powerbait RealStix and Gulp BatWing
Both are more consistent in color and shape and work just as well; plus they have the incredible Berkely scents built in that leave a trail as you reel them in. You might like these even more!

Kopper_Bass

[Wild Bill]

Yes...The hookpoint is either just ever so slightly embedded into the Frog's back, with the hookpoint laying parallel to the frog's back, or just above the frog's back if tex-posed..

This bait has a slot in it's belly to allow hook upward movement on the hookset.

The "Horny Toad" also has two slightly raised ridges in it's back, parallel to it's body length, to act as minor hookpoint protection, if it is skin-hooked.

With this bait, I REALLY like a real heavy wire hook, for many reasons..
1] I am fishing for 'better' fish with this bait, and I DON'T want it to bend out under a good fish in slop..
2] The heavy wire hooks act like a better 'keel' to the bait, helping to keep the bait upright.

Slather it up in some form of fish attractant, for two reasons..
1} It makes fish hold on better[purportedly].
2} It acts as a lubricant sliding over the slop.

SPLOOOOOSH..!!!

Have fun..!!

[troymaggy]

They actually make a Zoom Horny toad hook. it is a 5/0 60 degree jig hook with a hitchhiker on it. I have never tried them myself, but I hear they work really well.