Froggin’ is Rivet’s strong suit in June

Scum Frog in black or white is Rivet’s No. 1 bait in June

A Cajun Country angler loves to do some froggin’, and he gets excited about it when he does.

Tyler Rivet’s froggin’ success story isn’t about grabbing or sticking the tasty, four-legged amphibians and putting them in the ice chest, although he’s probably pretty good at that. It’s all about tying on a plastic frog and setting the hook on heart-stopping bites when he’s bass-fishing, especially in June.

(Photo courtesy americanbaitworks.com)

Rivet, a Bassmaster Elite Series pro from Raceland said, “I do it all year-round in Louisiana. They hit it in January.” 

But June is when bass really love to eat the bogus frogs, which explains why they are his top choice this time of year. Rivet, however, hedged his pick ever so slightly.

“Yeah, it’s like my No. 1 thing about this time of year. If I ain’t punchin’, I’m froggin’. That frog fishing’s my favorite. Well, it’s about 50-50,” he said.

Rivet is very serious about his penchant and passion for catching bass on plastic frogs, namely Scum Frog Pro Series models. 

Rivet’s fast retrieve

A former collegiate bass angler at Nicholls State, Rivet, 25, works the bait quickly and effectively with his 7-foot-6 Laken Sixgill Rod, Sixgill Wraith baitcasting reel and 65-pound Power Pro braid.

“Everybody says, ‘Why do you always work the frog so fast?’ A lot of people go slow. I do it fast. It’s a reaction bite. I like to cover water. It’s all about the bite,” he said.

(Photo courtesy americanbaitworks.com)

Occasionally a bass might miss when he’s retrieving the bait with a “walking” cadence, “but most of the time they destroy it.”

Bass in his home waters of Bayou Black, Lake Boeuf and Des Allemands have seen plenty of the Scum Frog.

“I just like it. What they have is a No. 4 Owner frog hook on there. That’s like win/win right there,” Rivet said. “I stick to just two colors: black or white. Normally, I have both of them tied on.”

A Scum Frog helped Rivet win the Louisiana B.A.S.S. Nation state tournament with partner Jared Bascle on Bayou Signette. Rivet got a big bass to blast and miss his frog. His follow-up cast, with a Senko, produced a 6-pound fish that anchor a 19.2-pound limit.

“That’s another thing. If they miss it, throw a Senko. (About) 60, 65% of the time, they’ll get it. You want to get it in there as soon as possible, before the ripples go away,” he said.

About Don Shoopman 553 Articles
Don Shoopman fishes for freshwater and saltwater species mostly in and around the Atchafalaya Basin and Vermilion Bay. He moved to the Sportsman’s Paradise in 1976, and he and his wife June live in New Iberia. They have two grown sons.