Looking for a dedicated frog and pitching rod

[jbo225]

I fish alot of lake that have common frogbit in it in shallow spots next to banks and shallow coves which produces insane frog bites and pitching for me. I'm in search for a dedicated frog/pitching rod specifically for those frogbit and around laydowns. My question is should I go for a heavy or MH and fast or moderate fast rod? The frogbit is thick but not crazy thick not like these floating mats in Florida stuff. Im in VA so most of y'all Virginia folks know what I'm talking about.

[Jmoney402]

MH vs H is gonna depend on the brand, I use St Croix LTB rods and was using a 7' H and found it to be too stiff for me because like you I dont usually fish super heavy stuff. I am looking at the LTB 7'5" MH extra fast tip. For frogging I want a rod with a soft tip to work the frog that transitions to backbone far up in the blank.

I would recommend buying a rod you can get your hands on to test out the tip and backbone.

EDIT: If you are going to use the rod for pitching as well the tip section is going to be more preference. Some people like pitching with a slower action while others want a faster tip.

[bwjay]

I would tend toward a Heavy power rod rated for up to 1.5oz lures. Even if you are not pulling fish through heavy vegetation, extra stiffness will help with a good hookset. Keep in mind that SC "under-rates" their rod powers by a bit. Their 7'MHF Premier has the same amount of backbone as my 7'HXF Helium3 (but the Premier has a faster action/stiffer tip). I didn't like the Premier for frogging though, pretty heavy for its size which wore out my wrist after a few hours. I'd suggest spending the money on a lightweight rod because frogging and flipping are two physically demanding tasks when you do them for hours at a time. Frogging and flipping is my bread and butter in the summer so I dropped the coin on an Expride 7'3XH which is my longest but, counter-intuitively, also best balanced rod. I can't wait to give it a shot this year.

[FishTank]

I use a G. Loomis 844C IMX for frogs and it will pitch a 1/2oz jig just fine.  

[jbrew73]

I like frog and pitching rods in 6’10” to 7’.  Something in the Falcon 6 power is my preference.   I don’t want a broomstick for either technique.

[Columbia Craw]

Dobyns 735C.  You pick the series based on your budget but 735C is the length and power that covers BOTH your applications equally well.

[scbassin]

I like a Heavy Action for a Frog Rod. I also like a full handle so I use a Dobyns 736C. I have both the 735 C & 736 C in the Champion XP series. When I was looking for a Frog rod I called Dobyns Rods & ask for a recommendation for a frog rod & was told the 736C. The person that told me that was Gary Dobyns. This rod is a beast, it has the power to drive those frog hooks home. I went with the Champion XP series because I like a full handle rod. I use the 735C for the Zoom Horney Toad style baits & Crigs Rigs. Both these rods have extra fast tips & do well pitching. They are the same price so pick your series & choose Which you prefer M/H or Heavy.

[jbo225]

Would a fast or moderate fast better suite me? Also!!! What other applications could be used on this set up????

[Junger]

48 minutes ago, jbo225 said:

Would a fast or moderate fast better suite me? Also!!! What other applications could be used on this set up????

That would be based on your preference. I don't like broomsticks, so I prefer mod/fast heavy or a xf heavy with a soft tip. You could use it for carolina rigs too.

[NittyGrittyBoy]

I'm a little different, I dont like frog fishing with a broomstick either.

 

Most if not all of my frog fishing is done using a zoom horny toad. I still do, but rarely do I throw a hollow body frog much anymore. And for that i prefer a 6'6 MH/F Dobyns. I value accuracy over distance and I prefer that fast tip to really impart more action thru cover and feel that it has plenty of backbone to hoss fish out of thick jungle weeds. I also use 30lb power pro with that setup.

 

You mentioned versatility,  with that rod I fish weightless t-rig senkos, weightless flukes, and horny toads. It stays rigged with a 4/0 offset VMC worm hook. All year. 

 

[deadadrift89]

Another to consider is 2018 model Diawa Tatula. I use the 7'1" Heavy/fast as my primary frog rod throwing 1/2oz hollow bodies. I will also use it with 1/2oz jigs plus trailer and 11" worms trig in heavy cover. 

[bwjay]

1 hour ago, jbo225 said:

Would a fast or moderate fast better suite me? Also!!! What other applications could be used on this set up????

I'd go for fast with a preference on the slower side, but not too slow since you want to hit the backbone fairly soon to drive big hooks without having to swing for the fences every single time (not always possible on the bank or on a kayak/canoe for example). That faster taper will help work frogs with less effort as well.

 

Depending on the rod you get, you could potentially do a couple other things. Carolina rigs for sure, also big worms. If the rod has a slower taper, like a Mod-Fast, you could probably throw ~1oz swimbaits on it too. You just don't want too fast of a taper for swimbaits which is why it depends on the rod. If it is a broomstick (H-XH with XF taper and stiff tip) then it's basically going to be a dedicated frog and pitching rod, but I wouldn't ever go for such a rod. My Expride 73XH has seemingly just a slow enough taper and soft enough tip that I might be able to use it for swimbaits, but its primary use will be for frogging and pitching. Rods with too fast of a taper/too stiff of a tip don't appeal me; I feel like I'd lose more fish due to the rod unloading, or missing hooksets because the fish didn't quite have the whole bait and I ripped it out of their mouth. 

[5by3]

Alx toadface. It’s a medium heavy + so it has a medium heavy tip for accurate casts and working the frog, but heavy backbone for getting the fish out of cover. Very versatile rod.

 

Dobyns 735 is another good choice that I fished for a long time.

[Tizi]

I really like my Tatula 7'4" frog rod.  It is fantastic.  I use it for pitching sometimes, but I have a dedicated rod for that technique.