Fantastic Frogs for Late Summer and Fall Bites
New Freestyle Frog with Injected Core Technology® (ICT) and ICAST award-winning LIVETARGET frogs are key baits for big bass throughout late summer and fall
Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON (August 29, 2019) – Hot on the heels of winning best new bait in three 2019 ICAST New Product Showcase categories, LIVETARGET reminds anglers that their brand new Freestyle Frog and other advanced frog-replicating baits are ideal choices for catching big bass right now, as well as throughout the coming days of fall. Most anglers agree: it’s hard to beat a hot frog bite, and now is prime time, as frogs prepare to migrate during late summer and fall. That means targeting grass, lily pads, docks, and other shoreline structure – the perfect areas for LIVETARGET’s family of highly productive frog-imitating lures.
Freestyle Frog
A true standout amongst a glut of frog baits on the market, LIVETARGET’s new Freestyle Frog features the company’s proprietary Injected Core Technology (ICT). This versatile lure is unique in many respects, but largely because it’s a surface commotion soft plastic bait that is equally effective beneath the waterline. ICT provides an unmatched, natural-looking appearance so anglers can truly Match-the-Hatch®. The specialized injection manufacturing process enables the lure’s Inner-Core to host a precise frog profile with life-like details, encapsulated in an Exo-Skin covering that drives the lure’s signature action. The Inner-Core provides vibrant, living realism that gamefish simply can’t resist, while the tough Exo-Skin exterior virtually vanishes underwater.
The principles behind this new bait design came from hours studying frogs in their natural habitat. Watch a frog for a little while and you’ll notice it spends a lot of time on the water’s surface crossing lily pads and other vegetation. But frogs also dart beneath the surface while crossing small channels, open pockets, paralleling weed edges, or while repositioning in blowdowns and shoreline brush. That puts them at risk of ending up nose-to-nose with trophy bass, and makes them just as vulnerable below the surface as they are above.
It’s that total vulnerability that LIVETARGET set out to replicate in a bait that can ultimately double opportunities for trophy encounters. The Freestyle Frog can be fished over and across vegetation or beneath the surface in open runs, similar to how one might work a sinking, soft-plastic toad. Essentially two baits in one, the Freestyle Frog dramatically increases the amount of water that can be effectively probed with a single frog bait. 
Setting up the Freestyle Frog is simple. Texas rig it with a 5/0, 6/0 or 7/0 Owner Jungle or similar hook for surface action, or use a weighted screw lock EWG hook to work it below the surface. Control of the bait is easy, too; lift your rod tip to work over pads and surface vegetation or point the rod tip down to swim the frog through sections of open water between fish-holding structure. You can work it with a straight retrieve to take advantage of the broad flapping action and sputtering sound and turbulent bubble trail generated by the V-shaped legs, pop it across the surface like a traditional frog, or twitch it erratically with plenty of direction changes to provoke smashing strikes. Speed up your retrieve for aggressive bites and slow things down if the fish need a little more time to commit.
One of the most significant advantages of ICT is garnered from the precise proportions of the Inner-Core and the Exo-Skin. The Inner-Core is much smaller than the overall mass of the entire lure. That means anglers can present a smaller hatch size while retaining all the advantages of throwing a bigger bait. The Exo-Skin adds approximately 30% more clear plastic, which provides the weight necessary to cast farther and feel more direct contact with the lure.
Not surprisingly, the Freestyle Frog is already producing spectacular results. During testing, anglers have praised its ability to stay in the strike zone longer and to catch bass that are already keyed into preying on frogs above and below the surface. The versatile lure also performs well as a buzzbait or jig trailer.
BASS Elite pro, Todd Auten, has had great success with the new LIVETARGET Freestyle Frog.
“Right now is a great time to fish the Freestyle Frog… late-summer and into fall when they start moving around more. It’s been a key bait for me around shallow grass right away in the morning, lily pads, other areas of shade, and skipping underneath docks. I’ve caught a lot of fish on it and some pretty big ones,” Auten says. “With ICT, you can really throw the bait a long ways, which can be key, and the legs really do a great job of creating a commotion and attracting bass to the realistic-looking body itself. In terms of frogs, it’s an incredibly versatile bait, and one I plan to fish a lot more across the country while fishing the Elite BASS tour.
The new LIVETARGET Freestyle Frog comes in 3”, 3-1/2” and 4” sizes to meet a variety of fishing applications. All sizes are available in eight realistic forage-matching colors. The LIVETARGET Freestyle Frog comes in packs of two with an MSRP of $9.99 USD.
Other Fantastic Frog Options
LIVETARGET offers a host of other exceptional frog baits perfect for targeting big bass, including the 2010 ICAST New Product Showcase-winning soft-bodied Hollow Body Frog, soft-bodied Hollow Body Frog Popper, 2012 ICAST New Product Showcase-winning hard-bodied Frog Popper, and hard-bodied Frog Walking Bait.
ICAST winner, the Hollow Body Frog, is engineered with key attributes to catch big fish – anatomy, detailed color and effortless action – and to elevate the thrill and effectiveness of topwater fishing. On the strike, the soft body collapses easily, while the custom double hooks deliver higher hook up ratios. Ideally used around grass and lily pads, the weedless design enables anglers to cast into thick bush or super heavy cover for unique applications. It simply goes where traditional topwaters can’t. The Hollow Body Frog is available in 1-3/4”, 2-1/4” and 2-5/8” sizes and in 12 colors to match any situation. MSRP is $13.49 USD
Personally designed as a “Signature Series” product by LIVETARGET pro angler and TV personality, Scott Martin, the Hollow Body Frog Popper features a narrow profile and cupped faced that make it easy to walk across the surface, creating a tantalizing sound and unique splash. The extra-strong forged hook and soft collapsible body ensure fast penetration and solid hook ups. The ICAST winning Hollow Body Frog Popper is available in 2” and 2-1/2” sizes and ten colors. MSRP is $13.49 USD.
“I’ve had a number of anglers tell me the Frog Popper is the favorite bait in their box,” says Todd Auten. “It’s just that good.” The bait has quite literally made waves since its ICAST win in 2012. Spitting and popping across the surface, the sound and commotion calls bass in from a distance. Plus, it has a feathered tail for added attraction. Seasoned anglers report exceptional reactions when employing a walk-the-dog presentation, although it’s designed to be fished with a variety of retrieves. The bait is available in 2-1/2” and 3” sizes and in four colors. MSRP is $14.49 USD.
The hard-bodied LIVETARGET Frog Walking Bait is another frog to consider for late-summer and fall bass forays. The slim-profile bait is available in three colors in 4-1/8” and 4-5/8” sizes. The bait is acoustically unique, featuring an internal tungsten ball that produces a soft knocking sound to attract fish from afar. Easy to walk, it’s especially effective over submerged grass and timber. And you can buy it now for the new lower price of $9.99 USD.
