Frog Rods

[Weeds]

I just got into throwing topwaters for bass this season; actually I spent most of the season throwing Senkos and discovered how cool frogs were about the same time the weather turned cold. But, as there's always next year and I happened to have a few "spare" dollars burning a hole in my pocket I splurged and picked up a used Quantum Signature Series Dean Rojas Frog Rod. Now, I have not actually caught anything on it yet but it seems to be a pretty slick stick. There seems to be quite a broad range of so called frog rods, ranging from Medium actions to heavy and I believe I've even seen extra heavy. I imagine the heavier action rods might excel at hauling fish out of the thickest slop but I can't imagine they'd be particularly effective at actually casting fairly light frogs (say a scum frog). I'm guessing a good flipping stick could do double duty working frogs in thick weeds and pads (so I picked up a used Quantum 7'6 Tommy Biffle Heavy flipping stick for good measure just in case the frog rod left me feeling under powered). Anyways, love the frog rod but can't flip worth a Damn. So...anybody got a favourite frog stick?

[JPD]

Weeds, there usually is two types of Frog rods out there... the short and the long. Sorter like 6'9" to 7'2" are more for working open water especially with the newer frogs that have keel designs. They can walk like a Spook pretty good. In those rods I like a Medium Heavy Power with Fast action. For the Pads and stuff a 7'2" to 7'11" Medium Heavy to Heavy with Fast or Extra Fast action will work really well. The thicker the cover the heavier the rod power should be. I know from experience that the longer rods will also cast further and pick up more line on the hook set not to mention the leverage you have to get their heads out of the junk and moving towards the boat.

 

Baits like Scum Frogs don't hold a candle to the newer generation frogs that have the keel systems, rattles and are tail weighted to stay belly down and cast further... one of my very favorites is the Snag Proof Bobby's Perfect Frog but also really like the Spro Bronzeye 65 and Tru-Tungsten Mad Maxx.

 

JP

[BUSTER]

From the guy, who just did a show about frog fishing!! 7'11 mh fast,65lb braid,7:! reel

[Rizzo]

how cool frogs were about the same time the weather turned cold

 

being cold-blooded, I'd say these cool frogs were as cold as the air around them. Personally, never tried to catch one on rod/reel though so can't help you with a frog rod

[vinnimon]

my st croix 9.5ft med fast action seems to cover everything I need.whether it is bottom bouncing for trout, jigging or trolling for piks, flippin for bass,flat lining for musky or pike.I even used it for float fishing(very hard to do since its a bait casting rod but ive done it succesfully)cheers

[Weeds]

Thanks JP, wish I'd seen the show, sounds like it would have been a good one. I'd like to pick up a few different frogs and see what I like best but I'll probably wait till next season. At 4.99 the Strike King King Rat seems alright for a cheapie, although not technically a frog I guess.

I was actually using spinning tackle for the scum frogs, them being so light, a 7 foot medium light St. Croix but it did't have enough backbone for any kind of vegetation. It was probably the closest thing I've ever used to a really good all around rod; I loved it but my son snapped the tip off it a couple weeks back.

 

Rizzo, you pulling my leg, right?

Edited October 15, 2009 by Weeds

[kickingfrog]

being cold-blooded, I'd say these cool frogs were as cold as the air around them. Personally, never tried to catch one on rod/reel though so can't help you with a frog rod

 

When me and my brother were kids we used to use small trout flies or just a small hook and a worm to catch all manner of frog back in the day. Don't know much about those rods but they were probably fiberglass matched with spinning reels and 8lb mono.

[uglyfish]

Rite now I use a 7' heavy with a fast tip st croix. Just got in with a new rod sponsor though and I'm having a custom rod done at 7'10" for the casting distance and leverage and a heavy action fast tip on it. As JP said, high speed reel is a must, heavy braid line. I like the spro bronzeye frogs, snag proof bobbys perfect frog too. Lookin forward tpo tryin the new tru tungstun mad maxx frog.

[Fang]

Been using the same Fenwick Eagle Flippin stick and 50 lb braid since mid nineties. The old rod really creaks and cracks now when you set the hook but she's still going

 

Length is key. I prefer the longer rods after trying a 7 footer a few times last few years. A softer slower action is best to. The hardest thing to ever learn is to wait thast 1-2 seconds before setting the hook. the slow action rod helps with that

 

Watched JPD's show the other night. Didn't see the all time best frog though. Scum Frogs are No 1 in my book. Love the Bigfoot model but you have to glue in the legs as they get ripped out to easily

[BassAsin]

i was using a 6 10 heavy rod with a 20 lb braid and a biatcaster with a 7:1 gear ratio worked fine and a trick for scum frogs or bronzeyes or w/e is stuffing them with pieces of foam earplugs it adds weight for casting, buoyancy and it gives scent something to "stick" too

[basskicker09]

i use a seven foot medium heavy st. croix triumph great rod and it will only run you 85 bucks

[Rizzo]

Rizzo, you pulling my leg, right?

 

guilty

[BIG FISH]

daiwa light and tough frog rod one of the best in my mind. i use it for flipping to. the handle fits nice in your hand and its light and has the power to handle swimbaits (use it for that to sometimes)

[charlesn]

i was using a 6 10 heavy rod with a 20 lb braid and a biatcaster with a 7:1 gear ratio worked fine and a trick for scum frogs or bronzeyes or w/e is stuffing them with pieces of foam earplugs it adds weight for casting, buoyancy and it gives scent something to "stick" too

 

Stuffing a hollow frog with anything is risky as you affect the ability of the frog to compress and thus the amount of gap availability at the hook set.

 

I find downsizing to a reel like the MG 50 and using "light" line such as 50 lb braid works good for smaller frogs. I use a 7'4" Quantum PT Tour and love it and frog fishing is what I enjoy the most.

 

I used scum frogs, tourney pro, bobby's, spro and others and personally prefer the old style snag proof white with chartreuse and black dots frog with the green and chartreuse and yellow legs. They don't make that colour in the Bobby's, I just swap out the cheap hooks with the 4/0 Gamakatsu double hooks.

 

I'd say 9 times out of 10 a toad bait (kicking legs) is better for the open water than the frog. It creates a bigger commotion and because of the straight movement, the bass never miss it. Pike seem to miss it by a mile tho.

[JPD]

I actually started fishing Scum Frogs years ago but quickly realized that the Snag Proof frog is a better mouse trap. Scum Frogs have a sub par hook with horrible steel that is loaded with imperfections. The frog also weighs less thus casting less than the newer counterparts. The only positive thing I liked about the Scum Frog was the softer landing and subtlety of the bait for certain conditions. When things are tough I go to the Snag Proof 1/4 oz bait and have for years now.

 

There's no doubt they work but will get beat almost every day by a better performing weighted version. The other problem I had with them is that they tear very easily and fill with water!

[fishindude]

Is there a reason why a lot of people are using such "heavy" braid, I'm talking 50lb+ braid

I use 30lb braid and it seems to get the job done perfectly fine when I'm fishing frogs, am I missing something here?

 

Thanks,

fishindude

[bigugli]

i use the heavy braid just incase i hook into a pike while using the frogs but usually when you hook in to a pike your frog is as good as garbage after you land it and get the frog out its mouth but its all personal preferance to a degree i wouldnt use frogs on line less the 20lb test but thats just me

 

sorry this is posted by Rob D forgot to sign out of my fathers account

Edited October 16, 2009 by bigugli

[mojobass]

Stuffing a hollow frog with anything is risky as you affect the ability of the frog to compress and thus the amount of gap availability at the hook set.

 

Ditto! I haven't had luck with scum frogs but did own one and find it too light as what JP said.

I tend to like the Bobby's perfect frog because of the lead weight in the back.

The new Tru Tungsten and Spro frogs have a nice finish but hear the body is a little hard.

I bought Zoom Horny Toads, I have seen many pro anglers using it in tourney, could help but to try some soon.

I bought a 7' Heavy power St. Croix Mojo Bass Rod with a Curado. Didn't get the chance to use it.

As for line I spooled on 30lb braid that was left over, didn't see the point spooling new 65lb line at the end of August.

Hopefully next season I get the chance to break it in and see how well the rod stands

[charlesn]

Is there a reason why a lot of people are using such "heavy" braid, I'm talking 50lb+ braid

I use 30lb braid and it seems to get the job done perfectly fine when I'm fishing frogs, am I missing something here?

 

Sometimes despite all the best efforts, the fish will get buried in the thick stuff. With 30 lb, you have to hope the line slices through it, with 65+ you can yank on it and try to bring the fish AND the stuff to you. I'm sure you've seen uprooted lily pad stems. They have a pineapple skin like surface and go deep and are brutally tough. I've seen anchors that couldn't hold a candle to a pad root. The proliferation of zebes on the stems of all vegetation types also calls for a more resilient line. If you let the fish get buried, they can also sometimes get off as you are unable to keep pressure on the fish and they can back themselves off the hook. Finally, with the heavier line you can set the hook harder. With toads I use a 6/0 EWG heavy duty hook and so the hook set has to be pretty aggressive (aka psycho), and the lighter line does not stand up to repeated herculean hooksets as well as the heavier line.

 

Nothing is more disappointing than finally dragging in a 30 lb wad of weeds/roots/slop, netting it on to the deck of your boat and sifting through it to find out she's not there anymore but you still have 30 lbs of junk to clear off your deck. lol

[Harrison]

Nothing is more disappointing than finally dragging in a 30 lb wad of weeds/roots/slop, netting it on to the deck of your boat and sifting through it to find out she's not there anymore but you still have 30 lbs of junk to clear off your deck. lol

 

HAHA Charles, been there, done that.

 

Solid advice on frog fishing in this thread, especially from a couple gents I personally know are exceptional at it ( JP and Nahmer).

 

Talk about knocking the learning curve down for newbies.

Edited October 16, 2009 by Harrison

[fishindude]

Good information! I just started fishing the thick stuff this year and have yet to lose a fish in it *knocks on wood*, but the slop has really been proving itself seeing how it really does hold big fish, and that in order to fish it properly, you must have a certain level of equipment to be able to fish it successfully. Looks like I'll be looking into a "broom stick" and some "rope" this Christmas

 

Cheers guys, and tight lines!

-fishindude

[ecmilley]

as mentioned by jp and charles i have two rods one for open water, that one is a mh 7'2" rapala type r with 30 lb power pro on a curado e7 works good and casts well, for the heavier stuff 50lb braid on a 7' 6" quantum pro tour with a chronarch again works quite well, as for the choice of frogs right now i prefer the nories frogs have great hook ups and are doubly weighted cast a mile on either rod but at $17 bux or so you don't want to be losing to many

[mbac31]

I use G Loomis frog rods. I now have the 2 new designed frog rods released this year @ Icast and let me tell you they are amazing. They only have 2 so far plus the older Green one. I have been using the livin Kello frog as well as the Diving frog from OSP and there is another very nice frog that imitates the reel thing which is called BASIRISKY HARD BELLY 60. These are impossible to tear up. The newer Spro frogs have went up in price and went down in quality. The lead will come off very easily and they will last for a few fish till they start to swallow water so to speak. I have found a very nice trick to keep them lasting longer. Use a gel based fish scent and cover the bait with it. This tends to make the bait slide over structure and the bass tend to hold on longer as well. Stay away from the Tru Tungsten frogs, complete junk. Eyes will fall off and fall apart very quick. You still have my number. We will go out next season for some good frog action. I have a spot that will blow your mind when it comes to frogs. I actually use them late in the fall in the back bays for Walleye. Deadly bait for walleye in the dark and very late in the evenings.

Edited October 17, 2009 by smalliefisher

[Weeds]

Wow, loads of good information and differing opinions. I'll have to google half the baits mentioned. Smalliefisher, that sounds great; looking forward to it. I almost bought one of the Airrus Rods you were selling a while back.

[mbac31]

There is another trick to use while runnin braided line. Run the braid through candle wax or surf board wax. It makes the braid slide instead stickin to the pads and stops it from sinking while working the frogs slow. You can also use the dry fly spray found in most fly shops as well. I melt the candle wax and run it from an old baitcaster and them dry it and spool the nwer rel otherwise it will be messy as hell.