One Fish On The Frog

Only managed to get one bass to hit the frog yesterday, and luckily I hooked it. Actually been having better luck on the new swimbait which I didn’t expect at all. Caught a small bass on it yesterday, too. I’ll be doing a review of the swimbait also, so be on the lookout for that. Still no slob this season but I’m staying on the hunt.

Frog Setup: Spinning vs. Baitcast

One of the main debates in bass fishing is the never-ending debate about spinning reels vs. baitcast reels. Let’s focus on how this debate plays out when you’re fishing a frog. I’m going to focus and bullet a couple of things that play a big role in choosing a reel for your frog setup. I’ve actually heard a couple of people say that using a spinning reel for frogging actually makes them slow down and fish a frog slower. Pretty interesting, lets take a look.

• Line Capacity/Retrieve/Size- While a baitcast reel has a greater line capacity, believe it or not there are some spinning reels that take in more line per crank that the highest gear ratio of baitcast reels. Braid of any lb. test can be used on both spinning and baitcast setups.

• Drag- Spinning reels are a little more lacking in this category compared to baitcast reels. Baitcast will give you more pulling power when fighting a fish. For those of you looking for more of a fight and challenge though, a spinning reel may be the way to go.

• Ease of Use- When many people think baitcast reels they think backlash. The truth is though that spinning reels can be just as much a pain as a baitcast. Line coming off a stationary spool at a faster rate can cause just as much of a mess as backlash. Casting lighter lures is also much more feasible with a spinning reel than a baitcast.

• Rod- What many people don’t think about when deciding whether to use a baitcast or spinning reel is the availability of heavier rods. While this isn’t a problem for some people, it is certainly a problem for anyone who wants to fish a frog with a spinning reel. Finding a rod with a good backbone can be a little difficult for a spinning setup.

• Casting Accuracy/Distance- This section comes down to the skills of the user. It all comes down to who is using the reel and what they are most comfortable with.

What you are most comfortable with is really what it comes down to in the end. Bottom line is that whether you use a spinning or baitcast reel it’s all about your personal preference.

This guy looks like he’s doing ok with a spinning reel-

Frog Fishing: Reel Types

The most important part of your frog setup, after your rod of course, is your reel. When choosing a reel you’re going to want to keep a couple of things in mind.

Gear Ratio: The main aspect of any good frogging reel is the gear ratio.  6.3:1 and 7.0:1 are two of the most popular gear ratios out there for frog reels.

6.3:1– Is popular almost by default as this is the most ratio that most reels come in.Good versatile reel for throwing just about any lure. Takes in about 26-28 inches of line per crank. Good for frog fisherman who want to only carry one or two rods and don’t want to throw a frog all day.

7.0:1– Faster gear ratio than 6.3:1. Retrieves about 31+ inches of line per crank. Perfect for burning frogs across the top of the water in search of those aggressive fish. Also good for flipping and pitching. Bottom line is that this reel will get you more casts throughout the day. One downside is that it lacks the power that some of the lower gear ratios have. This isn’t a big deal if you’re using this reel how it’s supposed to be used and getting those fish in quick. 

Drag: The second most important part of your reel is going to be your drag. For frog fishing your going to want a drag on the high side, close to the 20’s or higher. The new Revo  actually has 24 lbs. of drag. I personally have my drag cranked up just about as high as it can go. Just my personal preference really. I tend to set the hook extremely hard and have found that if I don’t have the drag up high enough then I don’t get a solid hook set. If anything it helps you concentrate on your frog hook sets.

Line: If you’ve read my past posts on fishing line then you know I prefer braid but think that the 85 lb line that some guys run on their setups is absolutely ridiculous. If 85 lb braid works for you though then by all means use it. I tend to stick around the 30lb area up to about 40 lb. If you’re fishing super heavy cover then you can up it to 50 lb. braid. It also depends on what area of the U.S. you’re fishing in also. Higher lb line is also going to limit your casting distance also.

Reasoning: I know that the lb test of braid for frog fishing is a big deal to some people so let me explain my reasoning behind using a lower # braid. I stick to lower lb test braid because in my experience bass tend to hit a frog at the edge of slop or in an open water spot in the slop. If you’re using your high-speed reel the right way you should be able to get a bass along the surface and over all the slop with no problems. Odds are that if you feel like you need to use 85 # braid then you’re going to break your line sooner or later anyway. I’d rather be a little more careful and be able to cast a little farther than have to put on line double the strength of what I need just because I’m afraid it’s going to break. I’ve broken off tree branches the diameter of a dime using 30 lb braid. If anything your rod or reel is going to give in and break before you break braid that has not already been compromised. I don’t want to get into Actual Breaking Strength but for many braids it is at least 10 lbs more than rated. If your line is weak in a spot it’s not going to matter if you have 30 or 100 lb braid, it’s still going to break.

Right Hand vs. Left Hand Retrieve: This is 100% about feeling comfortable. I personally switch hands after I cast. Reeling with my left hand feels unnatural and just wrong. I also feel that I get better action and hook sets when using a right hand retrieve which is weird because I’m right-handed. People often ask if I’m afraid of losing a fish while I’m switching hands. I haven’t yet encountered that problem but I don’t really think it’s that big of a deal. The switch is pretty much second nature now and takes only a second. If anything it would only mean that I give the fish a second or two more to get the frog in its mouth for a good hook set. Do whatever you feel comfortable with.

What reels do you guys prefer? Leave a comment so we can get a discussion going.

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