BassinLou

I have dealt with St. Croix a couple of times, I have no complaints. Received replacement rods, no questions asked. Upgraded on one. Deal I couldn't refuse.

Sounds like a mechanical issue to be if you cannot get distance on a hollow body frog. Those things fly a country mile.

Awesome fish!! Did you also use megastrike??

Depending on your budget, if you are open to $11 a frog will tell you livetarget frogs they are great. If you are on a budget, booya sells frogs for $6. Others have mentioned other frogs that will suit you just fine. I fish them anytime. As far as colors, I stick with earth tones.

That's awesome!! Keep learning and keep fishing.

Does it effect your ability to cast and/or retrieve? Are there any knicks that you feel? If the answer is no, keep fishing. Make sure all the guides are free from debris.

Spray the night before you go.

What you experienced is common characteristic when fishing soft plastics. Regardless of the type of company you use. Yes, some brands say they last longer and are more durable however, sometimes a bass strikes with some gusto and a good hook set to match and its bye bye soft plastic.

On my b/c's I use braid for my frogging and swimbait applications and fluorocarbon on everything else. Although, as of late I have changed to Yozuri hybrid with no complaints. The braid stays on the frogging rod though.

I use a St Croix Legend Tournament, measuring 7ft. Great rod for spinnerbaits and several other applications.

I own both St Croix's and Carbonlites. The carbonlite, will be at the lower end of your budget. They are light, durable, and they get the job done. If you happen to brake it within the year you bought it, simply return back to BPS no questions asked. You will be surprised how good these rods are. St. Croixs are also great rods. For the budget you mentioned my only experience is the premier model. Good rod. It's a workhorse, however the carbonlite in this case is a lot lighter and as strong.

^^ What he said ^^

Run a rattle trap type/crank bait parallel to the hydrilla line. If you are fishing from a boat that is. If you have a heavy rod with #50 braid or higher fish a hollow body frog through the pockets or the lightly covered areas and hold on!!.

I carry the pliers from Browning. Its spring action, durable, have had it for years. Also it has a cutter built in for braid and mono that is built in the spring action mechanism. It runs about $50 but its worth it.

Straight fishing line? Yozuri hybrid. 8-10 lbs. Combo line that's very manageable, #20 PP with 10lb yozuri leader.

Bass thumb is awesome. Proof you slayed them. Whenever someone you know say they caught a lot of bass, check their thumbs.

Frog Toggs has my vote.

Awesome tips, thanks for sharing.

MCS, congrats!! Number 4!! Good for you guys. Best of luck on the induction. Don't worry, we will keep fishing for you.

I wrapped up my fishing day and was heading back to the dock one day. As I was positioning the boat to the dock I stood up and reached up prematurely causing me to lose my balance. As I fell forward I luckily reached the dock with the tip of my fingers and the tip of my feet on the edge of the gunnels. Luckily I was strong enough to pull the boat back to the side of the dock and get my footing. I looked like a Tom and Jerry cartoon character completely spread out with my arms extended, my feet out and my body outstretched feet above the water. LOL. I wonder what yoga move that will be called?

You have to give it a shot for a while and then report back. I personally use a leader. I fish old limestone lakes that are crystal clear and the fish are very cautious. If something is off forget about it. Now when I fish in the everglades and visibility is so so I will go straight braid.

Sweet fish dude,.... and you got paid. LOL. Did they ask to you to demonstrate for the third time? LOL.

The point that I think we are all trying to reach is we want to minimize the stress of the fish so they can live to fight another day. The hold your breath tip was not meant to be literal. Yes, they are just a fish. However, I see it more than that and I respect that creature. So if I can release it unharmed the better I feel.

There was a thread on this topic at least two weeks ago. Do a quick search and your question will definitely be answered.

I have the 3rd Gen STX and I really enjoy it. You can tune just right with cent/mag brakes. Very light but at the same time a very strong reel. My frogging reel is a Gen 2 SX reel. It's a work horse for that application. Its a magnetic braking system and once you dial it in right you will have no problems throwing frogs and worrying about backlashes. Now if you are interested in the Gen 3 SX, its 25% lighter than the Gen 2's and still has the same muscle. I would lean towards the SX if you are going to use it for just frogging. Besides it's a little cheaper than the STX.