Jaderose

Yep......Just had mine out for the first time today. The only thing better than this is that I inexplicably had a $20 off coupon from ebay so I got mine for $90. LOVE this rod.

Yep...and before you ask, Pflueger President for the reel. Get another of those Carbonlite (Medium Light will work just fine)rods that happen to be on sale right at the moment and you are set.

Wish I could get there. I just have NO confidence in the jig. I KNOW it works.....just not for me.......yet.

And this is why the Shishamo is the world's best reel. Pretty sure they just glued bearings to the handles and all over the place. (bassgirl's statement is NOT always true.)

I have said before that I am NOT a fan of the Yum Dingers...but that is just me. They have a good following here and I'm sure for good reason. Stik-o's are the closest I've found o getting that shimmy you get from a Senko.

I second the Tatula Rod.

...and there is your answer...lol

Wow.....beautiful work, fellas

Yep...it happens and I always feel bad. I released a bleeder a couple of years ago and it swam away. Half hour later, I saw it dying in an area that I could not get access to so I couldn't get it. Felt bad. Still feel bad. You do what you can do. Treat them as good as you can and respect the home they live. You'll help more than you hurt. ps...I've also released fish that were fouled in abandoned line as I'm sure others have. You do what you can.

My ONLY spinning reel is a President. Not a fan of spinning reels in general but when I need to do some finesse fishing, my Pres does the job every time and I like using it. Its hauled in some hogs and is a pleasure to use. Can't go wrong with it.

The best $100 reel? Probably not. I have 4 of them and have paid either 79 or 49 for them. Now..is it the best 79 or 49 dollar reel? I think so......I love mine.

$9 for a trap? I would stop supporting that store

Welcome to the best managed Conservation Dept in the entire country. I moved here from Illinois 10 years ago and holy cow. Fishing heaven.

This. I have an old school 5'6" pistol grip with a PQ on it that is my topwater rod. Perfect for it

If you take nothing away else away from this thread, take this.....Frogging is just like any other technique. It requires adaptability. If you applied the techniques I describe to a small lily patch or some submerged grass, it would be like bringing a cannon to a knife fight. It wouldn't really work. A lot of contradictory info up there but none of it is wrong. It is based on conditions and the person's individual preferences based on years of experience. Myself included. I don't think I caught a fish the first year I tried frogging. But the blow ups!! Oh man...I knew I had to keep going and now it's my favorite technique. Nothing else is even close and it has opened up a very productive parts of a lake that are closed to others that don't have it in their arsenal. Good luck!! Here is another pretty good video from the Bamabass folks. They are frogging lovers, too and have a TON of great and fun videos like the one Choporoz posted above.

Just found a brand new with warranty Tatula TAT741HFB Frog rod on the bay for $96 shipped. Times is PHAT!

I have a Carbonlite and and Extreme. I like them both. The only problem I have the Carbonlite is that I get line wrap around the tip a lot. Not sure why. I love my Extreme and was sad to see them go. Built like a log and not the most subtle piece of gear I own but it has taken a beating and just keeps on going.

After I've searched to see if anyone is home, then I will start targeting. Stumps.....laydowns......overhanging brush. If the middle of the day, I will cast into shaded areas. Anything that looks "bassy". When you get good at it you can call your shots. Land your frog on the bank and work it into the water. Land it on top of laydowns and jump into the water. Anything to cause a frog like commotion. When you DO get a blowup, your immediate instinct is to set the hook. You will lose that fish. I won't give you an exact pause time because it changes every time but when you feel weight, set the hook UP. If you hook it, use that stout rod and fast reel to get that fish out of there FAST. You do not want it going down. If you miss the fish...STOP! If your frog is still in the general vicinity let it sit there and start working it again. That fish is still there and she's already taken one shot at it. She'll take another. If you pulled the frog out of the area, regroup and cast back into the area and give her another shot at it. Frogging is deceptively simple. It's a very easy technique to learn but requires hard dedication to master or really even get good at. I'm good at it. I am NOT a master. It is also not a "numbers" technique. It's a "big game" technique that happens to be amazingly fun and can also make you think about quitting fishing all together, at times. Try it! Don't let it get you down and keep chucking that frog. The first time you put it all together and you pull a 6 lber outta there, you'll be way more hooked than that bass. One other thing....I use 40 lb braid but I also use Norman Speed clips. Why? I cast into some GNARLY places and get hung up. 99% of the time I can get it free but that 1% that I lose the frog I do not want to also leave 20 or 30 yards of braid behind as well. I try to respect the water I am on and the fish and other creatures that live there. I can break that clip before I break that braid.

Ok.....when I talk froggin, I'm talking about what Massbassin said above...Combat Fishing. Tight quarters and throwing into HEAVY cover. That thick matted snotty algae that people that DON'T frog would look at and keep on moving. As most have said above me, you need a stout rod of your preferred length...(I've used everything from 6'6" to 7'4). I like around 7....and a fast reel with good drag. I'm considering one of the new Kastking Speed Demons but they are hard to find and are not Aluminum framed so I don't know. The kind of frogging I do is HARD on equipment so I'm a little shy about buying one. My frog of choice is Scumfrog Trophy Series 5/8 oz. I don't think color matter that much in this kind of fishing BUT I seem to do best on this one.....Natural Black and Green. This has the added bonus of being one of the cheaper frogs you can buy. I also have plenty of Pad Crashers, Live Targets, etc., but I always come back to these. The Scum Frog lands on that matted stuff with a very distinct *plop* that is unlike any other frog. I use them as is straight out of the package. No need to trim as I am not walking them and I don't really want the hooks sticking up higher as that makes them more prone to snags and picking up debris. The added weight also means you can bomb them out there with pinpoint accuracy. I don't work for Scumfrog, btw. If I'm just searching, I'll cast out over the mat and let it land with it's plop and...do nothing. It might get hit immediately but most likely won't. It has, however, gotten the bass' attention, they just don't know where it is yet. Then I give it a pop and start working it back. Slowly. with plenty of starts and stops and all while shaking my rod tip to create as much commotion as possible. I've had friends tell me that I look like I have Parkinson's disease while working a frog but it's controlled. I'll pause it in any openings but continue the shake. As I get close to the boat, I'll speed up a bit until I get to the edge. There, I will stop and slowly work the frog off the edge. Get a lot of blowups there. I don't stop working the frog until I pick it up for another cast. *continue in next post*

Hey BD...let us know how you like that PQ2 after you've used it a bit, please.

I throw this exact same trap A LOT

Yep.....lost what I know would have been my first double digit bass a couple of years ago. Brought me to my knees. Couldn't believe it....BUT...that is why I keep going back. If it was easy, it would bore me

I need a good froggin rod.....send it to me!

I'm not that far from you.....I gotta start stalking you and figure out where you're finding all this stuff!

A little too late now, I guess but why would you take a $700 phone in a kayak? I have a 20 dollar flip phone and it stays in the truck