I took a few year hiatus from fishing and now I fish as often as I can but for the life of me I can't get a hook set when frogging. A few months ago I missed what would have been the biggest bass I ever caught. It exploded from the water after the frog and a few seconds later the line went limp. Same thing Sunday, I made a cast and the lure was almost back to the boat and another huge strike, another 4+ pound'er is on the line and same thing the line goes limp. I am using a 7' medium fast rod with 30# braid. What am I doing wrong? What should I be doing when these huge strikes happen to get a better hook set?

You should be using a heavy action rod, not medium or medium heavy. 65lb braid for frogs, 50lb minimum- but I've snapped 50lb before.

Your drag should be cranked down as tight as it can go.

When you get a strike, slowly raise your rod while reeling up the slack until you feel the weight of the fish- then hit her hard like you're trying to cross her eyes.

What easttexasbassin said. Stronger line, heavy power rod, drag cranked tight.

Wait. Almost wait until you feel the fish. 2-3 seconds. A lot of times the fish is "killing" the bait on the initial strike then it will eat it. It happens so fast it looks like it is eating it initially. I would switch to a 7'+ (I use a 7' 3") heavy action rod with no less than 50 pound braid. And remember...wait on that hook set.

If you're using a hollow frog, use pliers to open the hook bend a little. If fishing cover that will allow, add a double frog stinger hook from Lake Fork Tackle.

I don't suggest waiting until you feel the fish. but depends on how they hit the frog. Usually i reel down once i get blow up then set the hook when the line gets tight. At least a MH rod and 50lb braid H action and 65lbs if your fishing around heavy cover.

What frog are you using?

Yeah,definitely a heavy rod.

Wait on the hookset, when they blow up on it let them get back into the water before you reel in your slack and then hammer them. When they are headed back down into the water the angle of it's mouth is better suited to the top hooks of a frog, plus they are putting downward pressure on the frog when swimming down to expose the hooks more. I personally like to feel the weight of the fish with frogs and especially jigs before i swing, that way I have zero wasted hookset and i'm moving those hook points the entire length of the hookset.

Medium power is too light of a rod if you are using a full sized frog, step up to something with a little tip to it but a lot of backbone MH or a H, and preferably a parabolic action to keep constant pressure on the fish.

I modify all my frogs by bending out the hooks out and up when the cover allows, and on every frog I tie a braid collar down the shank of the double hook so that there is zero flex to the double hooks.

Sometimes you just miss frog fish too, it's just part of the game.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Zfa8L01kCc

^^ Why I like to feel the fish


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XrNIV1VpqjM

^^ Frog Modifications

Set the hook straight up in the air. If you do a sweep set, most of the time it doesn't hook it right. A lot of time you will have them skin hooked in the corner of their mouth. Definitely wait a full 1-2 seconds after the blow up before you set the hook, even in thick cover. High speed reel (7.0:1 or faster) and 50-80lb braid. I use MH 7'3" Dobyns Savvy for popping frogs in open water and a 7'4" AbuGarcia Veritas 2.0 H for fishing the thick stuff.

Yes you need to wait until you feel the fish. One habit I got into is not even look at the bait just wait to feel the fish then hit them and since I started doing that its rare I miss one.

Yep.....gotta wait a second or two. The fish hit the frog to stun it most of the time. Then suck it in. This takes a moment. I learned by counting one Mississippi two Mississippi BAM! Haha. It was painful to get a blow up and force myself to sit in it a couple seconds. But, once I learned to wait, I have caught some huge bass on frogs. My personal best is on a frog.

Listen to Hackney!