Building a frog setup...

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by P.J. Koshi on June 30, 2011 at 12:16pm

I am going to frog with a couple different setups this year.  

For traditional hollow frogs and poping frogs: 7ft Carrot Stix Micro Elite rod Extra Heavy Pwr Fast action with a Daiwa Exceler 6.3:1 gear ratio.  Spooled with 50lb PowerPro in Green. This is what I am going to use to throw my frog into the ugliest junk I can find at Potholes.

 

For Plastic Buzz type frogs: Dobyns 704DX with a Daiwa Exceler 6.3:1 gear ratio.  Spooled with 30lb Fireline Tracer Braid. This is a good deal around brush and in pads or over water with submerged vegetation.

 

A side note I know a lot of guys will say 65lb is the only way to go for frogging... I have to disagree.  I have frogged in some ugly stuff at Potholes and all I used last year was 30lb Tracer braid and I never felt like I was under powered and I never broke off.  This year I am going to 50lb but I feel like with frogs a long cast is crucial so you need to be able to put enough line on your reel.  A lot of times I think fish know that frog is there from when it hits the water and they track it a while before they crush it. Having a long ways for them to see it moving around like its alive makes for a more realistic presentation IMO. I don't think line color matters much how are they going to see that thin little line on top of all those weeds and junk?  Congrats on the first Loomis rod it won't be your last!   

Permalink Reply by Jordan Doucet on June 30, 2011 at 8:31pm

That Loomis frog rod is the best frog rod I've run so far, you made a good choice there.

 

The 7:1 curado is a great match for that. I usually run 50-65lb braid, which that reel should hold plenty of. One thing to make sure to do is run a little bit of mono backer on that braid so the braid doesn't slip on the spool. As for the yellow braid, I would tend to agree with you on that yellow stuff not being a great idea. I'm not sure how much of a difference it would make, but if it gets you an extra bite or two with green line I would lean that way.  

 

A few other things I would advise:

• Learn how to skip the frog
• Vary your retrieve until you figure out what they want
• Tie a double polomar knot
• Watch for frays in your line if fishing around alot of wood

Good luck! 

Permalink Reply by Daniel Bavery on June 30, 2011 at 9:47pm

The Powell Frog Rod is the best Ive used, havent used the Dobyns yet, but Im sure there is a reason they are always out of stock and are backordered...

 

Anywho, I use a 6.3 ratio reel only cuz my high speed took a dump. For both hollow and buzz frogs i use the exact same thing, Sufix Braid in at least 50, a quality reel and a quality rod, brand doesnt really matter that much, and unless you are smashing down your drag to its fullest, the drag poundage has never been an issue for me. Oh, i use to use PP, but i switched to Sufix cuz when you hook into a hog with a few pounds of extra slop with it, braid NOT digging into the spool is def a good thing.

Permalink Reply by Logan Little on July 1, 2011 at 7:32am

Probably a dumb question but having never fished frogs, do you tie any kind of leader on the braid or do you tie it directly on the frog?

Permalink Reply by Daniel Bavery on July 1, 2011 at 9:00pm

Straight to the frog, but be sure to color the line black.

Permalink Reply by Chris Blandi on July 1, 2011 at 9:40pm

I have a Powell frog rod and throw frogs to 8" punkers with it, works great.  One thing I should be doing is coloring my line, my Power Pro is getting pretty old.

Permalink Reply by Tag Watson on July 3, 2011 at 6:39am

Matthew, sounds like a great setup.  I personally love the hi-vis line for frogging.  I like to be able to see where my line is at all times because I often mend my line around cover and likely ambush points.  My eyesight isn't the best anymore.  Also, when a bass eats a natural colored frog at the end of a long cast, I can look directly down at my line and confirm whether the fish has the frog in it's mouth.  Sometimes the green line is tough for me to pick up with my eyes if I'm in vegetation.  I do like to use a black sharpie on several feet to 20+ feet (depending on water clarity) of the terminal end.  While I agree with PJ that the line color is often trivial most of the time, it is a confidence thing for me as I walk the frog in open water often. 

I just returned from a few days on the Eastside and caught literally dozens of frog fish.  I was using 50 lb. TUF-Line XP Indicator Braid which changes from yellow, green to red every 10 feet.  I was also punching with 65# TUF-Line XP Green.  This is the best handling braid I have used.  It is supple but not too limp.  Casts a mile.  No rod tip wraps.  It packs beautifully on the reel and doesn't dig into the spool when you land a big fish.  I was very impressed with this line. 

 

There are two schools of thought when it comes to gear ratio for a frogging reel:  Faster gear ratio for line recovery or a lower gear ratio reel for winching power.  I have used both and I would suggest experimenting with the two to see which you prefer. 

 

Regarding the line capacity issue, switch to 50 lb. braid.  The smaller diameter will allow you to get more line on the spool and 50 lb. test is plenty strong for any situations you will encounter. 

 

Good luck!