Best Topwater Frog Setup (Explained)

UPDATED 20 NOVEMBER 2022

by Bill Laney

Frog fishing is one of the well-nigh enjoyable ways to take hold of bass in the summertime, equally at that place is nothing quite like witnessing a bass blow up on your lure, then feel it curve your rod as it dives for cover after you set up the hook.

But in order to be successful with this tactic, information technology'due south really important to have the correct gear, since it's easy to end up losing a lot of adept fish if you don't. So what is the all-time setup for topwater frog line-fishing?

Here's the quick answer

  • Rod: 7'3" heavy ability fast action baitcasting rod
  • Reel: 8.0:1 gear ratio high speed baitcasting reel
  • Line: 65 lb test braided line

At present let's swoop into the details, to get the full picture.

See besides: Best frog rod reviewed

All-time rod setup for frog fishing

The rod is i of the most important components of your setup. This is considering frog lures come with two large hooks, and information technology takes a lot of force to drive the points of the hooks habitation into the difficult rima oris of a bass. This is particularly truthful if y'all're making long casts, and you get a bite xxx or xl feet away from you. So y'all'll demand sufficient backbone to gear up that hook at a distance.

In addition, this tactic is unremarkably used in or around heavy comprehend, and if y'all hook a large fish in these kinds of settings, you'll need plenty of power to strength that fish away from all opportunities of entanglement. That'south why lightweight finesse rods really have no place for this tactic.

What blazon of rod should you utilise for frog angling?

The best blazon of rod for frog fishing is a baitcasting rod. Baitcasting poles have significantly higher casting accuracy compared to spinning poles, and this is extremely useful if you are trying to place your lure in a very specific spot virtually to embrace. This could be a log in the water, a lily pad, or any other kind of structure that attracts bass. Only the key hither is that you need extremely high casting accuracy to hit those spots.

In add-on to accuracy, casting poles too have greater casting distance, which gives you some other big advantage if y'all're throwing your lure in big shallow lakes that have large grass flats or extensve fields of lily pads.

Run into also: What rod type should you use for topwater angling?

What action rod is all-time for frog fishing?

The all-time activity for frog rods is fast action. A fast action rod has a soft tip with a stiff backbone, and y'all demand that soft tip for walking and popping your frog on the water surface. When you get really good at this technique, y'all tin can twitch your lure back and along in ane spot, without actually retrieving it, which is great for staying inside the strike zone as long equally possible.

Simply while you do demand that soft tip for the all-time lure action, y'all besides desire the residuum of the pole to exist every bit stiff every bit possible, since you need to set up those big hooks in a hard bass mouth (and sometimes at a great distance). That's why yous shouldn't choose a moderate action rod, since rods with this action curve all the way down to the centre.

Run into also: Topwater rod and reel setup explained

What rod power is best for frog line-fishing?

The all-time power for frog rods is heavy ability, since you need a very strong backbone to ready those big hooks, and to keep big fish pinned down before they manage to dive into the comprehend they came out of to grab your lure. Also, if the fish does go entangled, a heavy power rod can help you lot to extract it together with a whole bunch of plants wrapped around information technology. It'south quite mutual to land a iv or v pound bass together with x pounds of weeds.

Meet too: What kind of rod do you apply for glide baits?

Best frog rod length

The best length for frog rods is 7'ane" to vii'v". Information technology's necessary to have a rod that's longer than average, since that gives you lot more leverage when you need to set that claw at 30 or 40 feet distance, and it also comes in handy for forcing a big bass away from cover as fast as possible. Also, a longer pole tin cast further, which is helpful if yous're casting in large grass flats. Depending on your height, you may want to choose a slightly shorter or longer length.

See likewise: What color frog is best for bass line-fishing?

All-time reel setup for frog fishing

The correct selection of reel is besides critical for your frog fishing setup. As mentioned above, you need lots of ability for this tactic, and that's where baitcasting reels actually excel, since they perform very well with thick, heavy braided lines, and can cast big lures without problems. This is exactly what you need for this type of line-fishing, where you're normally throwing 1/2 oz lures on 50 or 65 lb exam braid.

When you choose your baitcasting reel, make sure y'all get one that's made predominantly of aluminum parts. Ideally it should have an aluminum frame and aluminum side plates. This is because this method requires setting the hook with extreme strength to drive home the big hooks, and graphite reels can get warped past this pressure, while aluminum doesn't.

See too: When should you lot throw a topwater frog for bass?

Tin can yous fish a frog on a spinning reel?

Yes you tin fish a frog with a spinning reel setup, but go along in heed that this doesn't give you lot the same caste of power that a baitcasting rod and reel setup would. And you'll actually need a frog fishing setup with sufficient power to haul large bass out of heavy comprehend. Spinning reels are best used for finesse applications, which just doesn't employ when you're throwing frogs.

What gear ratio is best for frog line-fishing?

The best gear ratio for frog fishing is 7.5:ane to 8.0:1. It's of import to get a reel with a high speed retrieve charge per unit, since you demand to selection upwardly your slack as fast as possible when a bass grabs your lure, so y'all tin can set the hook. A loftier speed reel volition help you to do this fast enough to set the hook finer.

A loftier speed reel also allows you to burn your lure back to the boat so you can make another bandage every bit fast equally possible. This is very helpful when you go a brusk strike thirty or 40 feet away from the boat, and want to throw your lure back into the same spot correct abroad, to target that same fish.

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What line should you utilize for frog fishing?

Braided line is the best choice for frog fishing. The main reason for this is that it floats on the water, and this is exactly what you demand for this topwater tactic. Also, braid doesn't have any stretch, which is extremely helpful for setting the claw when a bass grabs your lure a long distance abroad from the boat, or you need to haul it abroad from lily pads or other cover.

If you're fishing in very clear water, and think that braid might exist too visible for the fish, you can also necktie a monofilament leader to your complect main line. Merely this is very rarely necessary – almost anglers just tie the braid directly to the frog, and catch enough of fish that way.

See also: How to set upwardly a jig fishing rod for bass

What size line is best for frog fishing?

The all-time size line for frog angling is a 65 lb test braided line, which  is platonic when yous're fishing in heavy cover. On the other hand, if you're fishing in fairly open water with sparse cover, a 50 lb test braid is potent enough, and this also has better casting properties than the 65 lb test.

E'er proceed in mind that this tactic was designed for angling in locations with lots of vegetation, and when y'all claw a large bass in these settings, it will ever endeavor to swoop into the thickest part of that growth. So that ways your setup must be strong plenty to bring in that fish with an additional ten or 20 pounds of constitute material wrapped around information technology.

Run across also: How to set up a spinning rod for bass