Frog rods: long or short? 2024

jbassdan reply :

It’s time I need to buy myself a dedicated frog set up, but I’m debating whether to get a 6’6 or a 7’6 heavy rod, what’s the advantages or disadvantages to them?

bagofdonuts reply :

I use a 6’10” heavy action rod. For me its a good compromise between long enough to pick up lots of line on a hook set and not being too long for working a walking action.

PaFrogThrower9 reply :

I'm anywhere between 7' and 7'6". Prefer a 7'-7'2" though.

Smokinal reply :

Some factors would be where you find yourself throwing a frog the most.

If you like to beat the banks, throw to laydowns, skip under branches, shoreline cover etc... a shorter rod will give you better accuracy and be easier to walk a bait.

If you find yourself always in fields of grass and pads, I'd go with a longer rod to take up slack faster on a long cast. In fields like that, accuracy usually isn't required as you are typically fan casting anyway.

Glaucus reply :

6'6" for almost everything, 6'8", 6'9", 6'10" and 7' when I have to. Typically throw a frog on a 6'6". I don't like to walk anything on a longer rod. Others will say you need the longer rod. Comes down to what feels good in your hands and what you can best work with. It's all preference.

BoatSquirrel reply :

7 foot, heavy action seems to be a good length for being able to cast accurately and still haul a fatty out of the slop.

GreenPig reply :

7'6" to 8' for my frogging. I fish big swimbaits on my 8' rods alot so I'm accustomed to the longer rods.

Junger reply :

Walking a frog with a long rod can be cumbersome and can wear you out. I use a 7'3 MagH rod for my frogging (walking and popping), but my next one will be 7'.

Boomstick reply :

I have used a 6'10" rod for the past two years, and that was about perfect. I would think 6'8 - 6'10" is the happy medium range depending on the height of the person using it. I would imagine most people aren't making their longest casts when fishing a frog as well, so the only downside of the shorter rod is you'll have to work harder to pull a big fish out of the weeds.

I purchased a 7'1" H/F rod for jigs and frogs for this year, but haven't got to use it yet -- the water's too cold.

Robert Stahl reply :

I use a 7' but it's what I'm comfortable with that matters.

Matt_3479 reply :

Unfortunately I think it all depends on the user, and the ponds/lakes you fish. Everyone has a preference. I use to fish frog on a shorter rod and worked fine. I now use a 7’4” rod and prefer it. I spend a decent penny on it so the balance is good, weight hasn’t been an issue and I can bomb a frog twice as far as I use to be able too, hook sets are stronger, land ratio has been better! You can really move the fish with a longer rod.

BassWhole! reply :

I've settled on a 7' for frogging. A 6'10" or 7'2" would work well too.

Ksam1234 reply :

On 4/19/2019 at 5:40 AM, jbassdan said:

It’s time I need to buy myself a dedicated frog set up, but I’m debating whether to get a 6’6 or a 7’6 heavy rod, what’s the advantages or disadvantages to them?

I would go with the longer rod. I would look at the IROD GENESIS 2, I was hesitant at first bc I always worry the rod won’t be what I want. But I promise that thing is a beast! I hauled a 7 pounder out with like10 pounds of slop no problem. It is also very light and won’t wear you out. I have fished it for 2-5 hours with jsut frogging

johnD. reply :

One of each , I use a 7'3 heavy for long cast , and a 6'11 heavy for close quarters.

Kinda been eyeballing that 6'5 heavy muse rod , also.

GeekFisher reply :

I just replaced my Quantum Team KVD 6'10" HF for a Shimano SLX 7'2" HF. We'll see if that 4" of lenght will actually make that much of a difference

zell_pop1 reply :

6'10" H St Croix Premier for me.

NathanDLTH reply :

7-7’4 HF, that is my preference. It’s what I’m comfortable with as I’m a bank angler and taller at 6’4. However I don’t like rods longer than 7’6. They feel awkward to me.

clemsondds reply :

Any other thoughts on this? I fish in NC and the lakes I fish on don’t have a great deal of grass/Lily pad fields...so it’s more docks and cover work. That’s why I’m thinking a 6’6 heavy rod. Thoughts?

LionHeart reply :

A longer rod will be heavier at the tip which will wear you flat out while walking a frog. I use a 7'4" Zolo Dragger which I had built as a jig rod. As such, the extra handle length is cumbersome to work around, and the over all length of the rod just makes the experience take more effort and resolve than I'd prefer.

To me, a 7 footer would be just right.

Tizi reply :

For several years I used a Shimano Exage 7’2” Heavy/Fast. In 2020 I’m going with a 7’4” Daiwa Tatula Frog rod. I like the longer rod for distance, hook sets, and leverage. It’s got a nice tip for walking.

A-Jay reply :

Don't do a ton of 'frogging' but when I do . . .

For close in target casting work - I like a 6'9" Heavy dock skipping rod.

For fields of slop, where I want to reach out and touch someone - 7'6" H.

:smiley:

A-Jay

btw - the op lasted 3 whole days . .

Bird reply :

I use a 7'3 HF, but you need to pair it with a high speed reel in pads and cattails. IMO

MN Fisher reply :

My frogging rod is the same one I use for flipping/pitching - 7'0" H/F.

Like @Birdsaid - if you're tossing in the cabbage, a high-speed reel is almost a must.

scbassin reply :

A longer will give you better control of the fish after hook up. I am now using a Dobyns Champion XP DC 736C F/H with a Bantam MGL on it. This is the best Frog set up I have ever used.

Hammer 4 reply :

I fish from shore a lot, vs from a boat, I also use 7'4" rod. What all of us use really isn't important, it's what You are comfy using. Distance, go long, you want pinpoint accuracy go shorter..

NittyGrittyBoy reply :

I fish rivers with lots of overhanging limbs and tiny targets to hit. Side arm casting is a must. 6'6 MH/F for me.

If I fished lakes more I would throw 7'3

Jermination reply :

i used to use a 7'9 omen black moderate action and would pin chik fish like nobody's business. Had an unfortunate incident while flying and it was snapped so now i throw one on 7'4 13 fate black h/f. half the lakes in this area the only use for a frog is to throw in the trees and shake the mayflies in summer

stratoliner92 reply :

Personally I fish a 7'1" Heavy. Never cared for anything longer. If I was younger that would probably be different ????

J-rod reply :

On 1/23/2020 at 11:27 AM, A-Jay said:

Don't do a ton of 'frogging' but when I do . . .

For close in target casting work - I like a 6'9" Heavy dock skipping rod.

For fields of slop, where I want to reach out and touch someone - 7'6" H.

A-Jay

btw - the op lasted 3 whole days . .

I'm glad I ran across this comment. I just picked up a Daiwa Tatula Elite 6'9" H skipping rod in the hopes that it will double as a good close-quarters frog rod. I'm usually in a kayak or shore fishing around cover, so I had to gamble on something shorter.

I'm only 5'6, so walking a frog on a longer rod is a pain for me. If I need to fling for distance, I have a Clam Jason Mitchell Elite 7'1" MH that will get the job done if I need it to.

WRB reply :

You can cast a 1/2oz frog with nearly any bass rod more accurately using a shorter rod then a longer rod. It depends how and where you fish frogs. For example I bought a IRG 754 F frog rod for Clear Lake* in NorCal because it's over 43,000 surface acres about 1/2 being weed mats where frog fishing is outstanding. Fishing from a boat making longer casts to cover water a 7'5" frog rod with heavy braid is ideal. I use the IRG 754F for lots of other presentations like smaller swimbaits and big deep diving crankbaits, it's a good long ultilty rod. The longer rod helps to keep the bass up near the surface and control them better.

Before buying a frog rod I used my standard 6'10" MHF casting rod with mono line to cast around docks, smaller weed mats cover edges, brush etc for decades.

Tom

*Clear Lake is one of the oldest natural lakes in the country at nearly 1/2 million years.

Hammer 4 reply :

Being that I fish from shore often, I use a 7'4" for froggin to reach the areas I feel will hold the best fish. I do have a 7 footer, for when I need to be super accurate, or have limited space to cast.

Born 2 fish reply :

I use a Diawia tatula 7’4” frog rod and really like it I used to use a 7’ but prefer the 7’4

FryDog62 reply :

I like the Zolo Toadface at 7’2” and with a MH tip to work the frog, and a Heavy butt section to get fish out of cover. Went back to my 7’4” Heavy rod for awhile last year and realized how much better the Toadface was at least for me..

fishwizzard reply :

I have two, one that is 7’5” and one that is 6’3”. The main advantage to the longer one is line pick up, the short rod is make challenging to get good hooksets on.

clemsondds reply :

On 3/1/2020 at 5:55 AM, J-rod said:

I'm glad I ran across this comment. I just picked up a Daiwa Tatula Elite 6'9" H skipping rod in the hopes that it will double as a good close-quarters frog rod. I'm usually in a kayak or shore fishing around cover, so I had to gamble on something shorter.

I'm only 5'6, so walking a frog on a longer rod is a pain for me. If I need to fling for distance, I have a Clam Jason Mitchell Elite 7'1" MH that will get the job done if I need it to.

This is what i am going with as well. Getting ready to order one. I am mostly throwing into wooded cover and need more precision, and so I’m hoping the shorter rod will help. Also it will make it easier to walk the dog. And as an added bonus, I can use it for skipping jigs. Guess we will see

OnthePotomac reply :

I am still using a really old KVD 7' MH and it is still working well for me on the Potomac beds. With that Lake Fork frog tail hook there is no big hurry to "get'um up and out" because they are not going anywhere.

bunz559 reply :

Great topic. I was just recently searching for opinions on this as well. I usually frog with a 7'3 or 7'4. I started looking at the Expride 7'3 XH and the Megabass Valdivia (7'6). First time I've ever seen someone use a long rod frogging was last year when my nephew flew in from MN and picked up my punching rod (Dobyn's 805) and started frogging with it. Seemed to do him really well. I tried after and it was way too long for my liking. Also too heavy for the wrist. I've just decided to go with the 7'3 Expride. Fingers crossed that I didn't make the wrong decision.

Bankbeater reply :

I'll be using a 6'6" mh/f rod if I'm fishing from the bank, and a 7'0" mh/f rod if I'm in the middle of coontail casting out 360 degrees.

3296

Frog rods: long or short? 2024

related Fishing Rods Reels Line Knots topic

previous topic

next topic

most viewed Fishing Rods Reels Line Knots topic