Needing a frog rod.

[new2BC4bass]

Original dedicated frog rod was stolen.  r83srock in a recent thread said the Falcon EVO 7’3” Heavy is a great frog rod, so if I have to buy a new rod, this is the one I will go with.

 

However, I hope an existing rod I own will suffice.  Obviously I will need to try them before making a decision.  Normally I would use a HF, but I've read the Tharp Money Maker fishes a bit heavy.  Has anyone used hollow bodied frogs on this rod?

 

With one exception, my HF rods are less than 7' long.  I'm strictly a shore fisherman.  I get good distance with a Tour Edition 6'10" HF with a 1/2 oz. jig plus trailer and an old Trion with 17# mono.  BUT...the few frogs I've weighed were all under the listed weight.  Don't know what distance a 1/2 oz. frog will get.  Reel will be a Curado 201E with 60# braid.  Doubt many here have used this rod.

 

At this time of year I will be preparing a combo for warmer weather.

[MyKeyBe]

I doubt you "need" a new frog rod. Don't you have a small tackle shop of rods already? 😂 I believe at least at some point you did.  I know you moved and some of your rods got stolen so maybe not anymore. If you "want" a new frog rod, I'm sure a $70.00 Amistad from Walmart would be a very good choice.

 

A 1/2 ounce frog is an easy lure to cast. Most rods will cast one no problem. The trick will be finding one of your existing rods that has the power you need and a tip action you like. I'd definitely give the money maker a shot. As far as length goes, you don't have to have a long rod and a 7' or 6'10 can work. I used to use a Head Turner before I bought a dedicated frog rod and my frog rod now is a 7'. A stout MH could work especially if your not in super thick stuff. Try a few you already have, you might find something you like. If not, Walmart shouldn't be very far away, go get that Evo!

[new2BC4bass]

I see you've read a post or two of mine.    I had about 7 rods stolen that I kept in Florida.  Apparently no Amistad in any Walmart near me.  Send me a link if you know of a place where that rod is available for $70 near Deland.

 

I haven't sold any rod or reel purchased since getting back into fishing in 2009 so, yeah, I could get a small tackle store started.  LOL.

 

Two of my options are too versatile to dedicate as a frog rod.  Another is an excellent bottom contact rod.  I also have an old Zillion 7'6" HF that was considered a flip and pitch rod.  Since I fish from shore, I am considering using it for exactly that to drop a jig into open spots.

 

And as many know, 'need' doesn't come into play very often.  

[r83srock]

I have an old St Croix premier 6’10” heavy moderate fast (softer end of a heavy) that I used to use for jigs/swim jigs/frogs about 20 years ago. I dusted it off last summer and threw a Curado 200b on it and used it for frogging the bank. Caught some nice ones in it and it casts great. I’ve also used 7’ mh rods a lot in the past. These rods work great for open water sparse cover, but in heavy slop you will be in trouble. It would be my first choice if I only fished a frog in sparse cover. 
 

The evo should be available to order from Walmart, it’s also on Falcons website.

 

It’s 5.4 oz on my scale, so not a featherweight by today’s standards, probably due to a full cork handle. It’s got nice Fuji guides that are small enough to shed braided line on a windy day but not so small that they get filled with gunk from slop fishing. It’s crazy that it has a Fuji Ecs reel seat and Fuji guides, full cork handle at $80. I put U40 cork seal on the handle of mine and it looks new yet. I also think a full size reel makes it balance perfect. It will throw a scum frog launch, spro 65 or a pad crasher 50-60 yards with a curado dc and seaguar smack down 50lb braid. 
 

🐒 

[MyKeyBe]

44 minutes ago, r83srock said:

 

The evo should be available to order from Walmart, it’s also on Falcons website.

🐒

There you go. One of the Walmart's in my area carries the Evo's. 7'3 heavy fast Falcon = Amistad. 7'3 Amistad from Walmart = Walstad??? 😆 I may have been $10.00 off on the price. Now that I think of it I believe they are $79.95 in store. I fondled a couple in store when they first started carrying them. When my eyes glazed over and I started drooling, my wife yelled at me and we got the hell out of the fishing isle before I did something stupid. 😂 They seem really nice for the money.

 

It looks like Walmart's site is showing out of stock but is showing them locally at the store I knew about and a store not to far away that I had no idea carried them. Walmart's site is also giving me this for in stock:

 

Debary Neighborhood Market

185 N Charles Richard Beall Blvd, Debary, FL 32713

[FishTax]

Abu sale going right now, they have a veritas frog rod that comes out to $55 after coupons... I can't imagine a better deal than that. 

[Maverick2017]

Alpha Angler rods just released a dedicated, heavy slop frog rod. The Elite Spec Pro. It’s a 7’4” heavy designed for fishing in the slop. 

 

Great company, great rods!

[Brian11719]

IMO frogging is not something you need a top end rod for. I personally use a lew's tp1 black that I got on sale last year that I like but if I were to get one right now the Dobyns Fury 735c would probably be my choice and you can probably just wait for the next time ALF has them discounted and pick one of those up for around $100 and get a lifetime warranty with it...I also own a couple of Kadens and really like that series and imagine the similar model in that line would do nicely.

[AvoidingYardWork]

Second the Dobyns Fury 735C.  Use that as my main frog rod as well.  Dobyns always overstates their power ratings so its not quite a pool que and is light enough to walk the dog all day.  I used it primarily from the bank without issue, depending on your height you can bounce down a step to the 705 without losing much casting distance.   I threw whatever cheaper reel I had laying around on it, this case a Tatula CT, and was in business.