3 Best Popping Frogs in 2025
The hollow body frog is one of the most popular, fun, and effective lure to catch bass in and around vegetation.
You really can’t fish the summer months without one. And popping frogs provide a lot of benefits to help you catch more bass.
Let’s look at the 3 best popping frogs for this year.
Also Read Popping Frogs vs Walking Frogs
Top 3 Performing Popping Frogs
Pretty much every lure company makes a hollow body popping frog.
So if can be very daunting when trying to figure out which one to buy.
So to keep it simple, we’ve gathered together the top 3 options that are available, and affordable, this year.
1. Strike King Popping Perch
Price: $9.99
Let’s be honest, hollow body frogs aren’t usually imitating an actual frog.
Although bass do eat frogs, bass usually thing that these lures are a shad, bluegill, baby bass, or a random type of forage.
The Strike King KVD Popping Perch, designed and tested by the Strike King team including Kevin VanDam, is a top-tier hollow body popping lure.
Its concave mouth creates an attention-grabbing splash, while the lifelike body, complete with big eyes and baitfish-shaped fins, ensures realistic action.
Featuring a 4/0 hook and a small air-release hole for better collapsibility, it’s versatile enough to walk quickly or crawl slowly, enticing both aggressive and lethargic predators.
Developed by industry experts, it sets a new standard for topwater baits.
2. 6th Sense Vega Frog
Price: $9.99
Personally, I think the Vega frog is the most cool looking frog on the market.
And as the saying goes, “You look good, you play good”.
The long-awaited 6th Sense Vega Hollow Body Frog is here, perfect for matted vegetation and open water.
Its slender, keeled shape ensures easy walking, enticing big bass to strike.
The cupped mouth adds spitting action, mimicking fleeing prey.
Equipped with a premium black nickel hook, lifelike paint schemes, and 3-D eyes, it fools even the wariest bass.
Finished with a trimmed rubber skirt, it’s designed to provoke big blow-ups.
The 19 unique paint jobs are absolutely incredible. And although you don’t need a large variety of frog colors, than can give you some extra confidence when fishing.
3. Gambler Lures Popping Frog
Price: $12.99
A true standout in the realm of topwater lures, the Gambler Popping Frog is expertly designed to provoke explosive strikes from trophy bass.
This innovative frog combines ideal weight, sound, flash, and rugged construction to deliver maximum topwater impact. These make the Gambler frog a bit different from everything else which can help a lot in pressured waters.
Its hollow body features an internal rattle chamber and a precisely shaped concave mouth, creating irresistible noise and splash to lure in even the most cautious fish.
Built for snag-free performance, it glides effortlessly through thick cover and structure, making it perfect for everything from expansive lakes and flowing rivers to quiet, lily-covered ponds.
Tie on the Gambler Popping Frog and get ready for heart-pounding surface strikes from heavyweight bass.
When to Fish a Frog
Fishing with frog lures for bass is ideal from mid-April when water temperatures reach 60°F, continuing through the summer into early fall.
Early morning, late afternoon, and shaded areas during midday are best for using frogs.
Calm, warm, and windless days provide optimal conditions. Frogs work well in shallow waters, especially around dense vegetation like lily pads and reeds.
They can also be effective in shallow open waters. Mastery involves understanding the right timing, conditions, and locations for using these lures effectively.
Read Our Full Breakdown of When to Fish a Frog.
Gear for Frog Fishing
Gear is absolutely critical when fishing a frog. And this is a heavy duty technique that requires heavy duty gear.
I like either a 7’+ medium heavy power or ideally, a heavy power baitcasting rod. You probably already new this, but a baitcaster setup is a requirement.
Spinning rods simply do not have the strength or stiffness to both retrieve the frog properly as well as set the hook properly.
And then for the line, I like 30-40 lb braided line if I am fishing the frog in more open water and 60 lb braided line if I am fishing in very thick cover or matted vegetation.
Reeling this In
The hollow body frog is a must-have lure for bass fishing, particularly in the summer months around vegetation.
Among the top-performing popping frogs this year are the Strike King Popping Perch, 6th Sense Vega Frog, and Jackall Gavacho, each offering unique features to enhance your fishing success.
Timing, water conditions, and vegetation are key to effectively using these lures, making them versatile and essential tools for any angler.
