Frog fishing with a spinning rod?

[SirSnookalot]

I only use spinning except for some pelagic species.

I use a piece of crap outfit for tossing frogs and it works fantastic. 6'6  med 8/14 rod, cardinal 101 reel with 10# braid, 20# leader.

For the life of me I can't understand why heavier gear is used.

[Fishing Rhino]

I guess I need some reassurance that my man card won't be revoked for using spinning tackle. I mean, it's already in jeopardy for using a net. ;D

Heretic!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  You should be burned at the stake.

I scoff at the notion that nets are somehow unsporting, while all sorts of electronic gizmos and gadgets are used to locate fish.  Pursuing them with 300 hp on the stern of a fiberglass tornado is somehow sporting?

Real purists would go after their quarry with their bare hands.  Anything "tool" is unnatural, including a pointed stick.

This may offend some, but looking down upon others for using nets while using every latest gadget, gizmo and technology to catch a fish is more than a bit odd.

[CODbasser]

use what you feel comfortable with...there is no reason you couldnt fish a frog on a spinning set up...just keep an eye on your drag...and if im in a tournament i always use a net, even on small 1.5- 2lb fish, no reason not to use it if it increases the odds of getting the fish in the boat...

[Alex Cirabisi]

I seem to spend most of my frog fishing time picking backlashes out. I put some 20# Sufix braid on a spinning reel and mounted it on a 7' medium heavy Falcon Original spinning rod. I am anxious to see if I can handle a fish in the lily pads with this outfit.

Does anyone else frog fish with a spinning outfit?

wow thats some big line! i use a 6' rod with 10# flouro and it works great with my spro poppers and bronzeye juniors. never even considered there was a type of rod for frog fishing.....

[dolomieu]

A couple years ago my brother and I went up to the Adirondacks in search of some smallies. Well, long story short, we ended up throwing frogs and toads of all kinds catching around 50 largemouth up to 4.5 lbs and small pike on spinning gear (6’6” MH rod) and 6# FLOURO. We had two or three breaks in 3 days from pike. We were wishing we had our big sticks with us the whole time, but we were able to get the job done.

[shootermcbob]

I too use spinning gear w/ the "buzzfrogs"...stanley ribbits mostly. I also use spinning gear with rage toads. I use the st. croix mojo bass tube/grub spinning rod. I also use this same rod for casting topwaters in the dark.

Works very well and have had no problems landing bass with any of these baits.

However, I have not had to drag a fish thru lily pods or much more than a little grass, but don't think it would be a problem. I use yo-zuri hybrid ultrasoft #6 for my line...again, no real slop to consider.

Not really worried about the man card, as with the rest of you fellows, I had to turn it in when I got married and had kids.

[7mm-08]

I love spinning rods and I love using them for frogs. I tend to use the lighter frogs such as scumfrogs so I can cast them much better with a spinning outfit. Get a rod with a decent backbone and spool up some premium, low-stretch line and go have a blast. It may not fit in with some of the elitest opinions around here (JK), but I've found a cheap ol' Lightning Rod works very well for frogging. I've moved on to more expensive stuff for my other styles of fishing, but for frogging I keep going back to the 6'6" Lightning Rod. I'd be willing to put my hookup % on frogs up against most people's.

The aforementioned may not apply if you are catching 8+ pound sows with regularity, but it definitely will put nice size fish in the boat with no problems.

[ChiCityBasser]

I have used a 6'6" XML and spinning rod a caught my personal best on a frog with 6# Cajun line after much playing the fish. It's the fish in my signature and since then have switched over to 30# Cajun braid.

[Hamby]

I personally have no accuracy with spinning gear so i stay away from it as often as possible. Last season, the only thing on a spinning rod was an unweighted senko for skipping. I can't even come close to skipping with a baitcaster.

I'm even going to bring along another baitcaster this year specifically for those bluegill i see chilling in the shade. I should be able to pitch a slip bobber and jig quite accurately.

Besides the backlashing, i feel a lot more confident in my abilities to place a lure with a baitcaster than with a spinning reel.

[bocabasser]

I seem to spend most of my frog fishing time picking backlashes out.  I put some 20# Sufix braid on a spinning reel and mounted it on a 7' medium heavy Falcon Original spinning rod.  I am anxious to see if I can handle a fish in the lily pads with this outfit.

Does anyone else frog fish with a spinning outfit?

my biggest sack ever in a tourny was 34.15 pounds and i caught EVERY fish on spinning gear. i was swimming a lizard through the pads in the everglades and i was using 20# power pro. if you are comfortable using it then by all means go for it. don't be discouraged by some of the "half empty" comments. go with with what you want.

[Hyrule Bass]

ive caught frog fish on a zebco 33 combo. technique specific rods are often unneccesary and just another way for companies to make more money from people who think they need it.....

[.ghoti.]

check this out.

that fish was landed on a spinning rod. The idea that "only" a baitcaster has enough power to land a bass is ludicrous.

If you hitched a 10lb cobia to a 10lb bass, where would they go?

Answer: anywhere the cob wanted to go.

Olebiker, the setup you proposed will do the job, no problem.

[SirSnookalot]

Well said .ghoti, personally I wouldn't even own a B/C, for me there is no reason to, I can do anything with spinning gear.

The list of people is endless just on this forum alone of people that have caught most types of fish using spinning gear. The only merit I see to using b/c gear for bass is fighting the vegetation, not the fish, but the same can be accomplished using 10/20 spinning rod.

[piscicidal]

Personally, I use baitcasting gear for frog fishing but it's mostly about casting accuracy for me.

If you can cast a spinning rig accurately then no reason not to use it, IMO.

[KC Bass Fanatic]

I didn't know people still used spinning gear for anything other than crappie?!

[SirSnookalot]

I didn't know people still used spinning gear for anything other than crappie?!

Look at some of Fish Chris pics, my aren't shabby either,all caught on spinning. nuff said !

[Chaz Hickcox]

I seem to spend most of my frog fishing time picking backlashes out.  I put some 20# Sufix braid on a spinning reel and mounted it on a 7' medium heavy Falcon Original spinning rod.  I am anxious to see if I can handle a fish in the lily pads with this outfit.

Does anyone else frog fish with a spinning outfit?

I've done it, but I prefer baitcasters. They seem to winch them out of the cover better and more efficiently, IMO.

[Punkinseedfyretailz]

I throw the Scumfrog PaddleFoot frog, which is an excellent bait but very light, on a 7' MH rod, 4000 series Spirex reel, and 30 lb. Power Pro braid. Works for me. You probably see alot of the guys don't approve of spinning gear but remember-

you're the one using it. Go with what works for you.

absolutely, well said..

[Punkinseedfyretailz]

i fished with #8 trilene and an ugly stik with a culprit worm in the lilly's, had to row the boat into the thick to get them out but was fun as crap,

FYI a money minnow in the pads are deadly, on spinning or baitcasting gear, keep it high or fish it slow... but shhhhh its a secret

[RoLo]

Frog fishing with a spinning rod?

So you're saying there's another option out there?

Kidding aside, I do everything with spinning gear including frogging & swimbaiting :

(6'6" - Med-Hvy - Fast - 10 to 20-lb - 1/4oz to 1oz)

Though 50-lb braid is probably ideal for frogging, I use 30-lb Fireline Braid for everything.

Roger

[Jamers]

i would use my Baitcaster for the frog i just got in the MTB but sadly i dont have a baitcaster lol im a 14 year old so i live off of changing the cat litter for 20$ a month and thatl take a while to earn enough for a baitcaster

[J Francho]

I've set up plenty of people with spinning gear for frogging.  You're looking for a Heavy/Fast rated rod, 7 to 7-6", whatever your preference.  You might find what you want looking at "inshore" rods, instead of "bass" rods.  Fish don't bite based on the labels on the rods.  Add a 5000 series spinning reel loaded with 40-50# braid, and get froggy.

[d-camarena]

any abu garcia medium heavy will frog well

[Subaqua Adinterim]

I have a first generation Veritas 6'9" medium rod paired with a Mitchell Pro 300 spinning reel ( which has quite a stout drag) with 30# test braid.  This works great for frog fishing out of my kayak.  You don't need a sensitive, high priced rod and reel for frog fishing.

You will be fine with a spinning outfit until you graduate from your monthly allowance job to something that pays a little more and then you can afford to go with the casting set up that you are considering. You may even decide to stick with a spinning outfit.

Get your education and have fun fishing and welcome to this site; you will learn a lot here as there are many members that have much more experience and expertise than I do and are very helpful.  Looking forward to hearing about your fishing adventures.  Wishing you good luck.