Ish, Ike and the Phat Frog

If you were watching the reports from last week's Bassmaster Northern Open finale you probably saw that Ish Monroe took care of business with his Snag Proof Phat Frog.  I've been a believer of the Phat Frog since it came out, but I thought it was really cool how Iaconelli also credited the "unsinkable frog" with his Top 10 finish.  It's really rare that an angler of his caliber would talk about a bait in detail when he is not sponsored by the company.  I heard him talking about it on stage and heard about it in the news reports afterwards.  Today I was reading his blog on Bassmaster.com titled "Oneida was awesome".  He credits Ish, as well as the Snag Proof Ish's Phat Frog with his 6th Place finish.  Again, he is not sponsored by them.  I also like how Ike showed he is human and admits that frog fishing is(was) not his strong suit.  Here is what Ike had to say in his blog:

By Wednesday I was beginning to develop a pattern and some confidence. That’s no small thing for me and a frog. I know how to fish one but I’m by no means an expert, and it wasn’t one of my confidence baits, at least not at the time. That’s why this tournament is such a big deal to me.

I’ve finally developed a new technique. I say finally because at this stage of my career I simply don’t have the time it takes to learn a new technique and get good enough at it to believe in myself when I’m using it. I did it this week, though. And now I’m ready to reach for a frog when the fish are shallow and the going gets tough.

This article goes to show that no matter who you are in fishing, there is always room to learn a new technique and gain confidence in something you don't normally use.  Congrats Ike, Ish and Snag Proof for a great showing in New York.