This time, we would like to introduce a frog fishing story from Kazuyuki Yabuta.

Kazuyuki Yabuta is a Lake Biwa fishing guide supported by IMAKATSU. He developed his frog fishing skills at Hachirogata in Akita, which is one of Japan’s most famous shallow-water bass fishing fields.

Yabuta is known as one of the most passionate frog anglers in Japan. He loves frog fishing so much that he often casts frogs even during JB TOP50 tournaments.

He also developed the IMAKATSU Boota Frog.
https://www2.imakatsu.co.jp/products/lure/pro_a271.html

Recently, Yabuta was fishing shallow water after the water level had risen.

At first, he tried to attack the area with big baits and pitching techniques. However, compared to the previous day, the water temperature did not rise enough. The water quality was also not good, and the fishing became difficult.

In that kind of situation, Yabuta reached for his confidence bait.

The IMAKATSU Boota Frog.

https://www2.imakatsu.co.jp/products/lure/pro_a271.html

For many anglers, frog fishing may be strongly connected with summer, vegetation, mats, and aggressive surface strikes.

But for Yabuta, frog fishing has a deeper meaning.

The reason he became obsessed with frog fishing was an experience after cold rain dropped the water temperature.

On that day, nothing worked.

Pitching did not work.

Moving baits did not work.

But only the frog produced explosive bites.

That experience became the beginning of Yabuta’s frog fishing style.

After that, he studied frog fishing in his own way for many years. One of the answers he reached was the Boota Frog.

In Japan today, hollow-body frog fishing may not be the strongest trend. It may even feel like a slightly old-school style compared to newer techniques.

However, Yabuta believes there are still situations where only a frog can make bass bite.

This is the most important point of his message.

A frog is not just a lure for easy summer surface bites.

It can be a special tool for difficult shallow-water situations, especially when the water is high, dirty, cold, or unstable, and other presentations do not work.

That is why Yabuta continues to trust frog fishing.

For anglers outside Japan, this is an interesting example of how Japanese pros think about frog fishing not only as a power technique, but also as a confidence technique for difficult conditions.

Angler: Kazuyuki Yabuta
Instagram: @kazuyuki_yabuta
Lure: IMAKATSU Boota Frog
Field background: Hachirogata shallow game / Lake Biwa guide

This is a real Japanese frog game from one of Japan’s top frog anglers.