Hollow Body Frog Fishing on Lake Kissimmee
Lake Kissimmee · Florida · Southeast
Lake Kissimmee anchors the southern end of the Kissimmee Chain of Lakes in Osceola County, covering nearly 35,000 acres of shallow, fertile water that rarely exceeds 12 feet. The bottom is primarily sand and muck with extensive submerged grass beds — hydrilla, eelgrass, and peppergrass — flanked by emergent bulrush and cattail lines along the shoreline. Largemouth bass are the dominant gamefish, and the forage base of shad, shiners, and bluegill keeps the population growing into genuine trophy class.
A soft, hollow body with two upturned hooks that rides over surface vegetation completely weedless. Work it across mats, let it fall into pockets, and work it around pad edges. When a bass grabs it from below, the soft body collapses and the hooks drive home. Big-fish technique — frog fishing consistently produces 4+ pound fish.
Hollow Body Frog Setup for Lake Kissimmee
| Rod | 7'3"–7'6" heavy casting rod, fast action |
| Reel | 7.1:1–8.1:1 baitcaster |
| Line | 50–65 lb braid (no stretch, cuts through grass, positive hooksets) |
| Weight | 1/2–5/8 oz (BOOYAH Pad Crasher, Livetarget Frog, Spro Bronze Eye) |
Seasonal Tactics on Lake Kissimmee
Lake: January through March is peak trophy season — fish move shallow into the bulrush and pepper grass edges to spawn, and 8-plus-pound fish are a realistic target during full-moon cycles in February and March. Wild shiners freelined over grass beds in 4–8 ft produce the biggest fish this time of year.
Hollow Body Frog: Fish the edges of sparse early grass and around pads as water warms above 60°F.
Lake: Post-spawn fish scatter into deeper grass lines and submerged hydrilla in 8–12 ft, where they suspend and feed on schooling shad. Morning topwater on the open grass flats transitions to deeper presentations — swim jigs and flutter spoons — as surface temps push into the low 90s by mid-morning.
Hollow Body Frog: Prime season. Work across matted grass and punch into pockets. Midday bite can be excellent under mats.
Lake: September through November sees water temps moderate and bass push back onto mid-depth grass edges in 5–9 ft. Bluegill are still active, making a big swimjig or a Keitech Fat Swing Impact on a light swimbait head effective across flat transitions.
Hollow Body Frog: Fish open pockets in dying grass. Work slowly as fish become less aggressive.
Lake: December and January can deliver the best big-fish action of the year on Kissimmee, particularly on warming afternoons when black bass stack on the south-facing bulrush banks that soak up sun. Slower presentations — wacky-rigged Senkos, slow-rolled swimbaits — outperform faster moving reaction baits when overnight temps drop into the 50s.
Hollow Body Frog: Not applicable — bass leave shallow vegetation in cold water.
Best Conditions
Thick grass mats, lily pads, surface vegetation, shallow water in summer, post-spawn through fall, morning and evening
Wait on the hookset. After the explosion, lower the rod tip slightly and wait until you feel pressure before sweeping hard. Premature hooksets cost half your fish.
More Techniques for Lake Kissimmee
Ready to fish Lake Kissimmee?
Ask Hank about current conditions, water temp, and exactly what to throw today.
Ask Hank →