Frogging Mats on Lake Guntersville
by Mike Gerry
As frog bite season approaches, Lake Guntersville is full of miles of good-looking grass. The challenge is deciding which mats are worth your time. When everything looks good, something has to stand out.
The first thing I look for is grass that has a burnt, cheesy look.
If your frog leaves a trail as it moves across the mat, that is usually a good sign.
Then, let your ears help guide you.
Grass gnats can be a pain, but when you hear bluegill popping at them around the mat, you have found a promising area.
Holes in the grass are also important.
Bass use those openings to ambush bait, and they can make a frog bite much more productive.
Once you find grass with the right look, sound and openings, start narrowing it down even more.
Current is another major factor.
Whether it is created by wind or dam movement, current around a mat can make it much better.
Grass that forms points, outside bends or inside bends gives bass natural feeding spots and makes those areas more likely to hold fish.
There are also visual clues.
Blow holes in the mat show where bass have already exploded through the grass.
Sometimes you can even see drag marks where another angler has pulled a fish out, which is a good indication the area is being fished for a reason.
Finally, I prefer scattered grass over the extremely thick mats.
When the grass has that foamy, cheesy look but still has some scattered openings, bass can better identify what is moving above them.
Those are the areas that often produce the best frog bites on Lake Guntersville.
Captain Mike
