3 Topwater Frog Colors That Work Here, There, And Everywhere

Written By: John Neporadny

Trying to find the right best colored topwater frog can be a challenge when you mull over the myriad of choices available at the tackle shop but you can simplify the choices by selecting a few basic colors. One of the easiest ways to pick frog colors is to follow the basic rule of color choices many bass anglers rely on for all topwater lures: bright hues for dingy or murky water and darker or subtle colors for clear water. Green is the most natural color for hollow-body plastic frogs, but lure manufacturers offer these topwater lures in a variety of hues.

However, there are exceptions to this rule. I fished with one pro angler who favored frogs in black or dark hues for fishing in muddy water and for sunny days in clear water; his favorite colors in clear or stained water with overcast skies were chartreuse and white. He would fish his frogs through lily pads and in the open water next to the vegetation.

Major League Fishing pro-Dean Rojas lets water clarity determine his frog colors when he is fishing in open water. The renowned hollow-belly frog specialist opts for frogs in light shades of brown, green or shad patterns for clear water and black, white or bright, bold hues for dirty water.

Color choices can also be based on the type of bass forage you are trying to imitate. Besides imitating an amphibian, plastic frogs can also be effectively used as baitfish or bluegill imitators. I have never seen an albino frog, but a white or chartreuse plastic frog serves as a great imitation of an injured shad when popped along the surface.

Best Topwater Frog Colors: White

The fish can only see the bottom of your frog, so it doesn't matter what's on top. However, giving the fish a subtle reminder never hurt anything.

White or chartreuse frogs are great any time bass are feeding heavily on shad along the surface. One of the prime times to throw these bright-colored frogs is early in the morning during the shad spawn. I have also caught bass on a light gray frog in open water during lowlight conditions.

Best Topwater Frog Colors: Black

Trimming the skirt of a topwater frog creates a compact profile, and if you cut one leg longer than the other, your topwater frog will "walk the dog" much easier.

A black frog is ideal for skimming over shallow vegetation mats because it closely resembles the color of bluegill. Bass and bluegill alike tend to turn almost black when they live under a massive vegetation canopy so a black or dark brown frog best imitates the sunfish that hang around the weed mats.

Best Topwater Frog Colors: Bluegill Or Baitfish

Skimming your frog over lilly pads and then briefly pausing the bait in the open water patches is an easy way to get a bite when you're fishing in the pads.

When bass are spawning, I have used plastic frogs behind docks because the weedless lures allow me to throw over or skip under dock cables. Bigger bass usually nest in these hard-to-reach areas and the frog is the best topwater option to throw in this situation. Bluegill are the number one nemesis of spawning bass so a frog in bluegill-mimicking colors such as green pumpkin or dark brown are the best choices for your faux frog.

Starting your frog collection with these simple color choices will help you catch more bass and spend less cash at the tackle shop.