Frogs and Frog rods

Since I have invested additonal time/equipment into Bass fishing lately, I have rediscovered the fun and effectiveness of fishing frogs…
I did quite a bit of research and read a lot of differing views.
Dean Rojas (the Frog master) signature Quantum rod is a 7′ Med Fast action graphite.
Kevin Van Dam prefers a 7’2″ M/Hvy/Xfast and so on…

I finally decided on a 7’3″ Hvy/fast Dobyns Savvy… I didn’t believe the guys here talking about using 50# braid… BUT I DO NOW!!!

Saturday I had a 45″+ Musky blow up my Black Scum Frog in the middle of a think grass/pad patch…Well I had a spool of 20″ Power Pro and thought…”heck, what bass is gonna break this?
That Musky tore through those pads like a lawnmower on a dry day…came completely airborn and…SNAP… went the 20 Power Pro…
I ordered a spool of 50# Ultra Cast Spider wire…

How are you guys set up for frogs?

I have also gotten into the frogs the past few years but realized I need to upgrade my equipment too. I have not invested there yet but hope to do so soon. I did switch to a med heavy rod and some 65# power pro that has helped. You really need to crank down the drag to get the hooks into em though.

Dave

Don’t worry Tom, those toothy Muskies burn through 50lb Power Pro too. Found that out on Mille Lacs…never did find my big Saltwater Chug Bug… Although that fish was big enough to swallow that big bait whole and pass it without so much as getting scratched by a hook.

My setup is a St. Croix Legend Elite Big Gulp – Yup, 7-11, 7′-11″ that is coupled with a 7:1 GR baitcaster, currently the Curado D, and 60-65# Braid. I tried 50# braid but it buries in the spool too easily and handles better in my opinion.

For hooks I like the Mustad Power Loc Plus weighted to keep the frog upright or Fin-Tech’s Title Shot jig, the 1/8 oz 5/0 version for heavy cover like reeds and thick pads. Protects the frog’s nose from the vegetation.

As for Frogs, I used to use Zoom Horny Toads exclusively but now use Strike King’s Rage Tail Frog and Shad, nooiseiest frogs on the market IMO. Can’t stand the footed frogs.

7’6″ Custom built M/H Fast Action w/a Pflueger President reel spooled w/50#SpiderWire.

When fishing in area known/experienced to have Pike & Muskies, I’ll use a 6″-9″ Steel Leader with my Frogs.

The little Pike/Hammer Handles will come thru the pads and clip off a frog faster than the bigger sister. In my experience in thick pads the little guys could twist and turn while their 20″-30″ sisters did not twist. Then again the older sisters just come thru and make salad out of anything in their way.

I started using the leaders w/Frogs after losing a 40″+ Pike a couple years ago similar to your Musky.

I was using a 7′ med heavy fast st.croix triumph this weekend with a revo stx high speed reel. Spooled with 30lb. power pro I never broke off, but the pike sure nip through that stuff like nothing. I was throwing horny toads with gama superline 4/0 hooks. I could sure throw the things way back in the pads with that reel, but if you didn’t get the bass’s heads up and coming towards the boat, you were screwed. It seemed like most of the fish bit way out on the end up the cast and if they got their head down for a second, they would be wrapped up and you would have to run the boat in there to get your bait and they almost always got off.
I’m thinking maybe a longer rod, and a reel that picks up even more line per turn would help.

I use a 7ft med. heavy spinning rod with a Quantum 30 series reel and 50# power pro line, I feel I can cast farther (especially into the wind) than most baitcasters, and the reel underneath gives me much better leverage and power. What do you think?

I’ve got a couple of different setups I’ve used for frogs. I’ve recently been using a Curado 200 E5 (5:1) on a Mojo Crankbait rod. (7′ MH/Mod) with 50# Power Pro. I’ve also used my Curado 100 (7:1) on a G-Loomis Med/Fast 7′ rod with 10# P-Line. Believe it or not, I’ve not lost many fish with that 10# setup, although I don’t have muskies or pike flying up to munch my frogs very often.

I’m personally torn because if the fish gets deep or dives in the weeds you need to have some power to get them out and some strong line. But the 7:1 gets the line up quick and helps you get them out of the cabbage or pads pretty darn quick but gives up the power the 5:1 reels give you. I also seem to get a little better action with the lighter gear but a fast tip on the heavy rods seems to work well too, I just don’t have a heavy/fast setup.

Interestingly enough, KVD just did a segment on Bass Pro’s about fishing frogs and the setups he likes. Edwin Evers did a segment a couple weeks ago and liked completely different rigs, so I guess it’s all personal preference. If you get their head up and get em out fast they won’t get in the weeds. If you use the slower reels and heavy rods, they might get down but you’ll probably get them out. We fished plastics and frogs this weekend and used all different setups. The only fish that got off wasn’t a break off but managed to spit it once he buried himself in the weeds. That was on 14# mono.

If you fish spots where big muskies are known to hangout, I would go with the heavier gear and lower gear ratios. That way you can get their heads turned and not lose a monster!

My distance with comparable line/lure weight/etc is much farther with a baitcaster than a spinning rod…especially into the wind (like we’ve had for a week )
I had a Smallmouth Bass trip Monday with two gentlemen that were using my AVS68MXF spin rods, 10# mono, Shimano 2500 Symetere reels… I was using a LTBS70MXF casting rod, Quantum EX600 reel with 14/4 Fireline Crystal…we were all throwing 3/8 oz Pop-Rs and they were mind boggled by my distance over theirs Of course I never quit using baitcasters since I was about 7 yrs old…57 years ago

7’10” Falcon Cara Frog Rod,Shimano Chronarch Super Free Spooled with 50lb Suffix. This has proved itself to be one sweet set up

I use a 7-6 falcon cara 8 power. I like 30lb spiderwire stealth and a diawa capricorn 6.3 to 1 reel.
Spro frogs are pretty hot I always seem to trim them up a bit but a good old scum frog is always my go to frog
It’s frog time in Nebraska the weeds are tall and the fish are under them.

I have the Powell 765 MH flipping rod for frogs with is 7’6″ that is a 5 power. That is paired with a quantum tour edition 7:1 gear ratio(old model because it has a big spool, i love casting my frogs a mile ) Honestly i dont think you could have a better frog rod, perfect tip for walking the dog with ur frog and the backbone on this rod is insane. The most important part of a frog setup is the line, you have to have braid. I use 65 lb power pro but i know guys that use 80, like a lot of guys already said tho im sure 50 would work ok. Even in open water you should use braid just for hookset ability on long casts, and visability of the line to the fish isnt much of a factor since its on top. As for frogs, i like a spro frog but ive been using a rage tail shad lately and have been doing well

7 foot heavy action Cabelas XML…XFast…
Curado E7
30# Suffix Braid…

5/0 mustad mega bite EWG hook with a glass bead on the line ahead of the frog (really helps it shed vegetation)…

PM me for more details if desired…I fish the Horny toad exclusively (in terms of the ‘buzz’ frogs) and then either ScumFrogs or SPRO Bronzeyes…

This is a magical time of the season!

Powell 765 Flippin’ Rod is ideal for throwing kermy. I pair that with a Quantum Tour PT and 65# power pro. SPROs are usually the frog of choice. Put all these things together and they might as well jump in your boat.

I use a St Croix Legend Tournament Slop-n-Frog Rod (7’0″) paired with a Calcutta TE 250. I’m hoping to change reels soon because that’s a slow reel, but I’m extremely happy with the Rod and power of that baitcaster. I’ve cranked in pretty easily 20-25lbs of weeds with a few fish and it didn’t phase that setup, not to mention I think every frog rod should be Heavy action.
I’ve got 65lb Power Pro on that rod and I dont’ think I’d ever go lighter. I snapped it for the first time ever, just this week, but it appeared as though the line was pretty frayed where it broke.

Well for me, I have 2 frog set ups,

The first one is a guide series flipping stick, MH, with a quantum ac500xm reel with 30# stealth for throwing snag proof plastic frogs and also swim frogs with a 5/0 wide gapped hook, I like the rage tails but found them to be expensive for practicing so I also use the gander brand swim frogs for prefishing, found that white has been my best color.

My second set up is a 7’3″ quantum tour heavy action set up with the same reel and 50# stealth. I use that for heavy vegitation like a foil flat or heavy pads. I can horse just about anything out with that rig.

Then not to far out of reach is a MH spining rod with 30# stealth braid and a whacky style worm for the blow ups that miss a few times, a nice one-two- punch.

Shane

hey tom, I just put 2 weekends of frog fishing together and figured I’d chime in…
I have 2 identical frog set ups… daiwa viento reel(with the twitchin bar) these are put on Daiwa Light and tough frog rods… these telescopic rods work great, throw them a mile and pull them outa anything. nice price too. telescopic makes it easy to store. twitchin bar comes in handy for working frogs slow. both are loaded with 50# braid. I’ll keep floating frog on one and a ribbit on the other.
frog of choice is trophy scum frog. big owner hook and good price.
I’m making a change this weekend though… just for ribbits in open water… gonna rig up a lighter action rod with 12-15# mono and use a lighter wire hook in the ribbit. had some blow ups this weekend that the big rod and braid may have pulled the lure away from the fish. gonna see if the lighter action rod and line help the bass take the bait better. my hook is the Owner twist lock lightweight model in 4/0…
FYI… here in the northeast on the hudson river is a small group of guys who throw frogs on saltwater spinning gear… 30-50# braid…

I’ll look forward to your report on the impact of mono…I’ll say that I’m of the strong opinion that there’s too much stretch in mono to get good hook sets…

gonna suck if I’m wrong…

let me know…

well kurt, like to say I’m coming up with something original but I’m not. My girlfriend throws a ribbit on a spinning rod with 8# and a 2/0 ewg. she has no concept of setting the hook and she catchs bass like crazy on that thing… hoping the lighter hook will set itself some…
we’ll see…

perhaps it’s all about letting the fish hook itself? good point…

If I ever buy another Frog Rod it will be either a Powell 725 or 735. Too many people swear by those rods for frogs for them not to be considered the best frog rods on the market.

Currently I have 2 telescoping St. Croix Avid 7’3″ Medium Heavy’s that I use. They are really much closer to being a Heavy rod than a medium. They don’t make this blank in the Avid anymore but I think the Croix Legend Tournament Bass Carolina Rig Rod is basically the same rod, only lighter.

I throw both buzz frogs and hollow bodies on these and can throw them a mile, especially 1/2oz or greater hollow bodies.

For reels I use a Team Daiwa X-103 for hollow bodies and a Daiwa Fuego for buzz frogs.

I think hook setting with frogs is an art. Some days I suck and some days I get it right. I found that it really helps when big fish are just choking the frog, it’s hard to go wrong when that is the case when you have the right equipment.

For hollow bodies I only really don’t care for the cheap one’s, which are usually too light. I don’t really use the smaller sized premium frogs. I have done well with Snagproof and Spro’s and I really liked the River2Sea BullyWa’s but they have gone up in price a couple of bucks. Never tried the TT Mad Max, Ish’s Phat Frog, or the Swamp Donkey.

For buzz toads I mostly throw Zoom Horny Toads but that is because I bought up a ton of them for a really good price. My biggest buzz frog fish actually came on a Sizmic Toad. That fish just lightly sucked it in, absolutely no indication it was a 21 inch brute.

Can someone explain “frogging”? I can’t envision why you’d need a whole extra rig just for casting plastic frogs.

Then again my general home forum is the catfish forum and we don’t have much call for all these different rigs.

I’ll be honest, reading these posts and I think most of you are under powered… Give me a Dobyns 7’9 Flippin Stick or an 8′ Swimbait Rod and my comfort level goes up over a @7’3″ twig. 65lb Power Pro is a must.

For the most part if you’re fishing under “close” quarters you could get by w/the smaller rods perhaps, but when you’re covering water and getting strikes on a frog at 50 yards out, you need that major power and line leverage that a longer beefed up rod gives…

Jared – weeds are sometimes as strong as rope, and if you’re not prepared to battle through that rope and the POUNDS of weeds that sometimes tag along with a bass on the way in, you may hook them up, but you’ll never get them in. Much like keeping a flathead from running into a log jam, we want the up and sliding across the weeds like a kid skipping rocks….The true definition of “Power Fishing”!!

Interesting… thanks! I totally get the comparison to keeping a flattie out of the wood, but no matter how much power gear you’ve got, you’re not gonna _make_ a 40# flathead do anything. The best you can hope for is to steer him. I’m guessing that with enough juice in your gear there’s really no bass can can boss you around, am I right?

So is the purpose of having 9 different rigs ready to go so you can change up your presentation on the fly without having to tie up a new rig every time?

I have a buddy who’s on the semipro bass circuit in Texas (that’s him holding up an 8.23# bucketmouth here and he goes out with 9 combos all rigged and ready to go… I’ve just never understood the purpose. Then again, I have 2 rods other than my big game gear and they’re an ultralight and a medium-light spinning rig… so I usually have a snap swivel or just retie when I change tactics.

Y’all bass guys have all the nifty toys… and the cool boats!

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So is the purpose of having 9 different rigs ready to go so you can change up your presentation on the fly without having to tie up a new rig every time?

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Yes, and another 10 on stand-by in the rod locker

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So is the purpose of having 9 different rigs ready to go so you can change up your presentation on the fly without having to tie up a new rig every time?

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Yes, and another 10 on stand-by in the rod locker

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Roger that, I can see how if you were running a trolling motor and moving constantly from, say, lilies to millfoil, while you’re under pressure fishing a tournament especially, would require the ability to drop one rod and pick another one up. Especially since, if for example you change from a topwater frog to a bullet sinker on a worm, so many things have to change… casting distances, casting styles, yadda.

It’s starting to make sense. Thanks.

I could pull Shaver out of a slopfield with my 7’3″ “twig” and 65 pound braid, don’t let him tell you different. Plenty of power and leverage in a 7’3″ frog rod.

I have a powell 735 frog rod and it is hands down the best frog rod I ever owned. It is super light with unbelievable back bone. I have used this rod all day and didnt suffer any fatigue. I fish in some super nasty and the best the river can throw at you weeds. The line pick up and hook setting ability is awesome. A flick of the wrist and the hook is buried. I would highly recommend this rod and it is relatively inexpensive. Dan

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I think hook setting with frogs is an art. Some days I suck and some days I get it right. I found that it really helps when big fish are just choking the frog, it’s hard to go wrong when that is the case when you have the right equipment…

…My biggest buzz frog fish actually came on a Sizmic Toad. That fish just lightly sucked it in, absolutely no indication it was a 21 inch brute.

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okay, here’s a way to make this ‘science’ (and I throw HT’s exclusively…because they just work better, get more bites and are a heck of a lot more versatile FOR ME…)

First things first, my strike to hook up ratio for HT’s is as good as, or better than, my t-rigged plastic worms/tubes. No exageration here AT ALL…

Just last Saturday I had 10 hits…all but one hooked/landed. the one that i ‘missed’ came two feet out of the water on the ‘hit’ and knocked the frog4 feet in the air…(this is why I love buzz froggin’)…

Keys to rigging:

1. Hook: and ewg superline hook…in 5/0 or 6/0…I prefer strongly the Mustad EWG MegaBite 5/0…it’s all I use.

2. Line: braid. If it stretches, hooking percentages go way down…

3. round, smooth glass bead: when on the line ahead of the frog it sheds weeds/moss like no body’s business…try it…I also think it helps ‘move’ the bait in the bass mouth after the hit…allowing a better hook ‘grab’

4. Rigging: t-rigged and the hook point/bend brought up BETWEEN the legs (not through the body) and the point lightly skin hooked…

Here’s the images of how I rig this…

the stuff…

finished rig…note that the hook point comes ‘out’ of the plastic about where the hook slot starts…by putting it this deep into the head, it helps position the bend to ride between the legs better…and believe it or not…seems to keep the head from tearing as easily…

where you will tear up frogs mainly is when you get the fish to the side of the boat…they’ll start head-shaking on taught line and slinging that frog back/forth…and the braid just does the rest…

favorite colors?

Junebug chartreuse

Bama Bug

black

white

watermelon candy

Try it this way BP…I think you’ll find it works quite well.

and my hook sets are ‘quick’ (for me)…on the explosion I’m reeling up until the rod starts to load…(at about 2 o;clock) and then setting straight up with the rod…

I have also started fishing this rig instead of floating frogs over solid mats…as frankly, the hook up ratios are quite a bit better than the floating frogs like spro/scum et al…

by the way, since you’ll be seeing more ‘beasts’..here’s a great piece of info from my friends at Texas…

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I have a powell 735 frog rod and it is hands down the best frog rod I ever owned. It is super light with unbelievable back bone. I have used this rod all day and didnt suffer any fatigue. I fish in some super nasty and the best the river can throw at you weeds. The line pick up and hook setting ability is awesome. A flick of the wrist and the hook is buried. I would highly recommend this rod and it is relatively inexpensive. Dan

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Dobyns makes basically the same rod as well. I find the Dobyns rods to be lighter in a given application than the Powell’s, but slightly more expensive as well.