Frog Rod Setup — How to Get Started

One of the most exciting methods to fish for bass is frog fishing. Getting your frog rod setup right from the start is one of the most important aspects to catching more fish.

The majority of frog fishing will be done in summer months when frogs are most active.

Bass will be naturally hunting out frogs and other small mammals as a food source. They will tend to lie in cover such as shallow weed beds and underneath large water lilies.

Because of where the bass are lying you frog tackle will need to be able to handle being worked through vegetation.

Not all fishing gear will be able for this. For example an ultralight spinning rod will not have either the power or the backbone to be able to handle this kind of water.

For more tips check out our other article Bass Fishing Tips

Frog Rod Setup

When choosing a setup for frog fishing you need a rod that can handle a heavy braided line and still have a decent casting performance and accuracy.

Your goal will be to place the frog lure as accurately as possible and then work it back through the cover.

The preferred setup for frog fishing will be a casting rod , baitcasting reel and braided fishing line.

You will rarely if ever see anyone fishing with a different rod and reel combo.

Frog Rod

The best frog rods will have the following characteristics:

• Length: 7 to 8 feet long
• Action: fast to extra fast
• Power: heavy

You will definitely need a rod of at least 7 feet in length even as long as 8 feet. A longer frog rod giving you a much larger lever to work with.

Longer rods can cast heavier lures longer distances. And also can help with steering a fish away from any underwater snags or cover that they may wish to run to once hooked.

Lighter rods with a lesser backbone just won’t have the power to handle this style of fishing.

You’ll be using fairly heavily rated braided fishing line anyway and matching a light rod to that kind of line will just not work out very well.

The kind of action that is best suited to a frog fishing rod is a fast or even an extra fast action.

Having this kind of tip sensitivity will greatly improve you casting accuracy and your striking ability.

Frog Reel

Fishing for bass with frogs requires a reel that can cast with perfect accuracy and have a quick enough retrieval rate so you can skim the lure over vegetation.

The most popular choice of frog reel will always be a baitcaster.

A spinning reel will not have the same control that a baitcaster will give you.

Casting a big spinning reel all day will result in a very tired arm. When you use a baitcasting reel you have the ability to cast with one arm and you also get to control when exactly the lure stops with your thumb.

This thumb control is crucial to ensure that you can place your frog lure precisely where you want it.

Look for a baitcaster that has a high gear ratio. Having that extra power means you can control the bass much easier.

It also means you can make the lure start and stop in quick burst just like a real frog would in the water.

Best Line for Frog Fishing?

Without doubt the number one choice for line when fishing for bass with frog lures is braided fishing line.

But why?

Monofilament fishing line has way too much built in stretch.

When a bass bites down on your lure you will need to be able to set the hook quickly when you strike.

Braid has a very low stretch and any kind of line that stretch will dull the speed and power at which you can set the hook.

Braid also have a massive advantage over either monofilament of flourocarbon in that for the same breaking strain rating it is almost half the diameter.

Being that much thinner means it can slice through heavy weeds much easier than a thicker line.

You will need some fairly beefy line when fishing with frogs look to use at least 50 lb braid as your main line.

You may run a lighter leader if you wish but I always stick to heavy braid right to the lure.