Riazuli

That was in the running, but the Okuma won out, mainly because it's a comparable rod that I was able to get for around 50 less than MSRP of $150 and I liked how it looked better than the others too.

Awesome, reading it now! Thank you Edit: Great article!!

I did go with 7'3" as that was directly recommended for frogging by Okuma and the lure weight and line weight range is much wider than the 7'. I'll surely report back!! I've actually never used a heavy rod and I've muscled (and lost) some decent fish out of slop where I fish. Most of them were lost as they got stuck in weeds, so I'm looking forward to the added backbone for muscling them out of there.

Thanks everyone, so I went ahead and purchased the TCS The looks of the cork accent also won me over, along with the price tag - I ordered with Walmart pickup and got the rod for around $105. With a Walmart across the street from me, I can make sure the rod is in good condition while I'm there and if there are any freak breakages, I know Walmart has a really good return /exchange policy. I may go ahead and add the protection plan at that price just to secure any concerns I might have. Thanks again all!

I'm a techy nerd in general, and it's hard not to appreciate the fine work that goes into a nice reel. I hear what you're saying about performance being a key factor, but cork has a feel to it that I've just grown accustomed to. That being said, the Okuma doesn't have a ton of cork on it, so it is somewhat of a look thing for me too. The Dobyn's has more cork where I would be gripping the most, so that's where I'm kinda stuck now - It's most likely going to stay a battle between the Okuma and the Dobyns Oh, also, I just noticed you were talking about the Helios by Okuma for the second listing you were talking about - I am looking at the Okuma Helios TCS, which is what I thought you were referring to - were you?

I noticed that post, but had specific length requirements for mine. Thanks for pointing it out. I considered the Okuma rods, but I've read some reviews of the rod snapping in half on a few people - I actually had considered that one first. I'm going to give it another look - maybe those were freak occurrences. Seeing as I'm going with a tatula reel now, I would actually prefer a tatula rod, but no cork is a deal breaker for me. Edit: I actually like the look of the Okuma way better, and now I don't know again! Lol

I think I'll be getting a Tatula SV TW and thought of pairing it with a Tatula frogging rod, but I'm a sucker for cork handles, so I'm pretty sure Dobyn's is the way I'm gonna go on this one, the 735C. Thank you all for your suggestions!

Thank you for commenting - I noticed your post and thought to make a separate one due to wanting some length limitations - I am also narrowed down to the Dobyn's and maybe the Mojo - the Inferno looks nice but maybe a bit too flashy for me. Like you, the warranty was a big factor, but the shipping fees have to be taken into consideration with that too. The most reasonable way to do it would be to just take it to a dealer and pay them the $50 if it becomes an issue so there's no hassle with shipping and then having to pay for return shipping.

I've heard a lot of good things about Dobyn's rods, and like the look of that rod. Plus would be more comfortable with Dobyn's or St. Croix due to warranty handling - read of instances of the Okuma rods snapping too easily and people having to pay almost as much as they paid for the rods to complete a claim.

Thanks, guys. I'm somewhat flexible here but definitely putting my cap on 7'4". Looks like I've got a few to check out! I appreciate the suggestions.

Looking into it, thank you!

Edited - please delete

I actually like the design of the Okuma you pointed out. Looking more into those, and gonna weigh between the 7' and 7'3" Edit: I noticed the Okuma 7'3" H has a much wider spec range than the 7' H for line weight and lure weight, so I may go with that if I don't come across anything else. @BigBass'n_Harrison

Yeah, I know. Was part of reason I made the specific size requirement. I'm currently eyeing the St. Croix Mojo Bass Slop n' Frog Road at 7'4" that is $140. I definitely don't want to go longer than that. I'm more interesting in froggin than punching, so the rod specs really need to just revolve around that. Thank you! I am looking into that now Couple questions, I've heard horror stories about Amazon's rod packaging - how was your packaging? It's great that yours arrived in good condition. Also, what difference would you say there would be between the 7' Heavy they have and the 7'3 Heavy?

Had to get rid of that "what-if", @keltonz

Hey all, as the title says, I'm looking for a good frog rod and for punching under $150 (price is flexible and looking for heavy power only as I've got a couple MH already) that is around 7'2" and under as I don't want to much higher than my current longest setup. Do you all have any suggestions?

That looks like a work of art...nicely done! It also looks like an excuse for me to maybe buy another setup

All my kayak fishing up until this point has been with a sit-in kayak. I was not fond of keeping a setup between my legs and only ran with two due to lack of rod holders. I did plan on using a crate with rod holders, but that's what led me to just upgrading altogether as I wasn't comfortable adding a crate with new setups on a curved surface. Once I began thinking about the extra freedom for casting and everything else with a sit on, it was a done deal. I didn't even consider being able to stand until doing my research, and there was no turning back after that. I'm not too keen on winter kayak fishing as it is; although, that might change next winter. Have you considered adding a crate system so you don't have to keep a setup between your legs?

It looks light it might be shipping already in Germany... https://www.koeder-laden.de/en/Kayaks-and-Boats/Fishing-Kayaks/FeelFree-Kayak-Dragon-14.html The picture looks like a different yak in that product page though - seems like to me the Wahoo is the Euro version of the dragon based on a little research... http://feelfreekayak.eu/news/item/100-wahoo-new-fishing-kayak-from-feelfree

You're right, it would definitely vary by individual. I figured by making a post like this I could at least get people's ideas on what they thought was the best to help me narrow down my choices. I'm very happy with my decision, and although I had some mixed feelings about choosing this over the bonafide ss127, I am glad I went with the Feel free as it has more deck space with it being wider. I ordered the rudder already so the tracking complaint is a non-issue at this point for me.

Me too, can't wait to get on the water again! Good luck out there

Looks like a nice, straight to the point rig. I like how it has more deck space than a lot of kayaks by removing the front dry storage. I'm happy to have chosen the Feel free lure 11.5 for it's added stability, chair, and other features, but that nucanoe definitely has it's pluses. Glad you're happy with it!

I can relate to this... Yes, I try to find the best deals and I always try to use coupons, but between black Friday this year and winter/spring sales when I knew I was getting the lowest price for something, I would buy in bulk. Got a great deal on fish finder during that time, a hundred dollars less than it usually (and currently) is. Now, apart from replacing one particular lure that I use a lot and lose a lot, I probably have a lifetime's worth of tackle stored up. I bought a few setups during the bps spring sale, along with lots of lures that I use (and lose) a lot that were on sale, and easily saved hundreds of dollars after all was said and done. I just call that smart buying.

For me, having a good selection of tackle and being able to use different presentations is part of what makes fishing enjoyable for me. I'd be bored if I was slinging the same drop shot all day just because it's a good way to catch fish. I like to visualize and feel a lipless running through the water, imagine and feel the wobble of a squarebill, feel the chatterbait vibrate and roll against the bottom, imagine a jig N craw crawling through the mud...I spend more time doing those things than catching fish so I might as well have fun while I'm doing it! Also, as the saying goes, better to have too much and not need it than not enough when you need it.

Thank you! I felt it was a good middle ground too - I prefer having added stability over maneuverability as I'm not kayaking very long distances and my main factor was standing and general space/comfort. Can't wait to take it out when it gets here!