More action out of a Horny Toad

[Baron49]

Not sure where I got this idea from, but have used it for a while now and found it really does work. 

Take your favorite hook for a Horny toad and put a good stainless steel split ring though the hook eye.  Usually a # 4 will do it.  Make sure the hook swings freely, as some split rings are too big and will not allow enough freedom of movement.  Now rig the toad as normal and tie to the split ring.  You will see a more pronounced side to side rocking motion in the Horny Toad.

Tried this with several other buzz frogs/toads and saw little difference, other then the split ring does shed weeds and junk similar to using a bead with a Ribbit.

[Lipripper]

Not sure where I got this idea from, but have used it for a while now and found it really does work. 

Take your favorite hook for a Horny toad and put a good stainless steel split ring though the hook eye.  Usually a # 4 will do it.  Make sure the hook swings freely, as some split rings are too big and will not allow enough freedom of movement.  Now rig the toad as normal and tie to the split ring.  You will see a more pronounced side to side rocking motion in the Horny Toad.

Tried this with several other buzz frogs/toads and saw little difference, other then the split ring does shed weeds and junk similar to using a bead with a Ribbit.

baron eye throw my first Ribbit on sunday so puttine a bead on will help it shead weeds better. I did notice it always came back with junkg on it.

[Bassinkorea]

Thanks for sharing Baron 

Would the results be the same using a quick snap-link ??

[Baron49]

Lip,

I have tried the Ribbit both ways and now always use a bead.  You can throw that little frog into just about anything and it will come back making a racket.  I got hooked on them right after they first came out and have either a Ribbit or a Horny toad rigged and ready to go on my deck all the time.  Don't be afraid to throw the Ribbit anytime of the day.  A friend of mine took me to one of his Smallmouth spots in over 25 foot of water during the middle of the day on Lake Ontario and we called Smallmouth after Smallmouth up with white Ribbits.

[Baron49]

Thanks for sharing Baron 

Would the results be the same using a quick snap-link ??

I am not sure, but at least with the split ring it is round and smooth and no grass or weeds can hang on it.

[Fish_myster]

I'll try it out! Thanks for sharing this tip 

Chip

[coldfront]

baron, with the more pronounced side to side motion, do you also see differences in strike counts?  (yes, I'm dense...I assume so...  )

[Baron49]

baron, with the more pronounced side to side motion, do you also see differences in strike counts?  (yes, I'm dense...I assume so...  )

I will not say for sure that I am getting more hits, as how do you really know that?  What I can say is the bait runs cleaner and it has a more pronounced side to side rocking action.  That along with the more subtle "pitter-pat" sound of the Horny Toad oppossed to the racket a Rage Toad or a Stanley Ribbit makes seemed to work for me in Florida this year.  I caught several good Florida bass using the Horny Toad this way and was not getting bit at all on the Ribbit or the Rage.

[coldfront]

I will not say for sure that I am getting more hits, as how do you really know that?  What I can say is the bait runs cleaner and it has a more pronounced side to side rocking action.  That along with the more subtle "pitter-pat" sound of the Horny Toad oppossed to the racket a Rage Toad or a Stanley Ribbit makes seemed to work for me in Florida this year.  I caught several good Florida bass using the Horny Toad this way and was not getting bit at all on the Ribbit or the Rage.

I know that I'm a huge fan of the 'pitter-pat'  and I fish my toads with rod tip high (about 1 o-clock)...which keeps a lot of line off the water and I do note the side/side rocking action ... will have to try a split ring and see if it's more than I get with the bead...

Plus that 'high rod tip' forces me to drop it a bit before I set the hook...   and as for wind,if it's blowing so hard I can't do it this way, I'm finding fish aren't really chasing the buzzing frog...

[Baron49]

I stopped using the bead with Horny toads altogether now.  The Ribbit still gets the bead and have not decided what to use with the Rage toad as I have yet to catch a fish on one of them.