Is there a baitcasting setup that is useful for casting lightweight top water lures like hollow frogs or unweighted floating worms, or is this strictly spinning reel territory? I’m thinking a really whippy 7 footer might let me get some distance without backlashing on every cast, but I figure that as popular as frogs seem to be that somebody else has already figured this out. I have a new Diana Tatula that I’m planning on dedicating to the task because it is very low friction and has the T wing.

 

Or should I just give up and learn to be better with a spinning reel?

The standard hollow body frog weighs 1/2 oz so should have no issues there, majority of guys are actually throwing them on heavy action rods to combat the vegetation once hooked up.

 

As for throwing weightless floating worms it can done but will be much easier for spinning gear. I throw trick worms with a panel nail in the tail on a baitcaster but don't expect much distance.

I would recommend a MH fast with a really soft tip.  To me that is what makes the biggest difference is having that soft tip to launch them out there.  The other thing that took me a long time to realize was that frogs are effected by wind quite a pit on the cast. So try not to cast super high into the wind and stuff and that should help out.  

 

For weightless worms I will use spinning unless I am fishing them t-riged over vegetation. Then I use the same setup as for frogs and I will drag them over the top and drop them into holes in the vegetation.  

 

Good Luck!

You should be able to fish a frog with no issues using that reel and a MH rod. It’s how I do all my frog fishing. Unweighted floating worms get thrown on my ML spinning outfit. 

Like everyone has mentioned, two different techniques that are best suited to two different rods. 

A 6'0"-7'0" Heavy action rod with a reel that has reliable smooth drag when the drag is set at 10-15 pounds should be more than enough for most frog fishing. The reels I use are size 4000 Penn or Shimano spinning reels ( the same reels I use for inshore fishing for big snook, juvenile tarpon, and fish that are far more powerful than any largemouth bass). You can get a longer rod, a typical bass baitcaster reel,etc if it makes you feel more comfortable frog fishing with it. I will stick to my frog combo since I have ripped plenty of +8 pound bass out of heavy aquatic vegetation and will continue to do so with my spinning combos.

I use a H/Fast rod for frogs, a MH/Fast for worms. 

 

The heavy for the frogs is mainly because I need to set the hook in some very heavy slop where I fish not for casting purposes.