My favorite frog is the pad crasher jr in bluegill pattern…I’d say I throw it 80% of the time I’m throwing a frog. It just works in my area.

 

It’s a tough bait to throw because its hook is somewhat stoutish but it’s incredibly lightweight. On top of that, I toss it in the usual froggy areas where you need to pump em out quickly. All of this adds up to a bait that you want to throw on a heavy rod…but it’s just been exceedingly difficult to achieve the accuracy/consistency I’m looking for with my heavy 7’2” zodias (current light frog rod). 
 

Does anyone else throw this bait or a similarly lightweight frog? My rod locker is entirely loomis and st croix but I’m wondering if I might have to branch out to find a more specialized rod for this application…heavy but capable of throwing a 1/4oz frog with authority. Any brand is fine…all I ever really care about is performance. Any suggestions would be a killer help.

Kind of an antique, but I could fish that light frog nicely (from kayak) on my Falcon Glass FCG-6-158. 

It's about 6' and rated 1/4-1/2 oz, and fast for glass. 

Narrow lure weight rating indicates a para-taper rod, which will have a faster tip, with flex distributed along more of the rod blank. 

That's basically the taper you should be looking for, narrow lure weight range, with your target weight at the bottom end. 

 

I use my Head turner and 30 lb braid for what you describe.  I have some lighter frogs and weedless spoons in the 1/4-5/16 range that need to come across thick stuff and especially pads.  You need a lighter tip but get quickly into the backbone.  A 1/4-3/4 rod with a pretty light but fast tip if what I found best.  For me, that's the falcon 6'10" heavy/fast and 30 lb 832.

 

Add a trailer hook and you'll get just a speck more weight.  You can also put a couple pieces of plastic worm (ideally floating) inside the frog to add some weight without sinking it. 

8 hours ago, casts_by_fly said:

You need a lighter tip but get quickly into the backbone. 

 

You can also put a couple pieces of plastic worm (ideally floating) inside the frog to add some weight without sinking it. 

Yes, precisely…that’s why you need anecdotal experience with rod recommendations sometimes. Most manufacturers don’t really give you the “light tip but gets into the backbone quickly” as part of their specs/descriptions. 
 

I have actually considered adding some floating weight…for whatever reason, I just haven’t gone down that road yet. 

Why not the 7'2" medium zodias?

2 hours ago, Manifestgtr said:

Yes, precisely…that’s why you need anecdotal experience with rod recommendations sometimes. Most manufacturers don’t really give you the “light tip but gets into the backbone quickly” as part of their specs/descriptions. 
 

I have actually considered adding some floating weight…for whatever reason, I just haven’t gone down that road yet. 

i just fished the bucoo version tonight with a frog. I was using new 50 lb braid (so not broken in yet) but still getting 35-40 yard casts out with a half ounce frog. The lighter frog was 25-30 yards accurately. No issues with hooksets. Both hit it after the first couple turns of the reel. 

The Pad Crasher Jr weighs 1/4 oz, which should be plenty heavy enough to really sling with a heavy rod. Pad Crasher Jrs are my number one frog, and I fish them on a Dobyns Fury Mag-Heavy with either a Lews Mach Crush or a Pflueger Supreme & 50lb braid. When I cast, my backswing is slower to give the heavy rod time load up under the weight of the frog. When you cast, pay attention to your backswing and see if your rod is loading up. I wouldn’t sacrifice stoutness in the rod for further casts when frog fishing, and you shouldn’t have to. Your set up should be fine, you may just need to tweak your reel settings or casting form. 

13 hours ago, Tatulatard said:

Why not the 7'2" medium zodias?

This could possibly work with lighter #40 lb. braid with a 7:1 reel I'd probably go a lighter MH rod like a Dobyns Sierra 734c.  For a Pad Crasher/ Popper Jr. **What other Jr. size frogs are folks throwing for bass ?

None lighter than the original Sum frog. 
For those and others I use a Dobyns Kaden 715 mag heavy, 50# original Power Pro

 

 

 

 

Mike

I use a megabass perfect pitch gen 1 for the spro baby poppin frog 50 on Guntersville paired with a metanium. It's a tad stiff for working 1/4 frogs but definitely doable with lighter twitches. It has a good tip to launch the frog and has plenty of backbone to set the hook hard. Plus I can step up to the larger size frogs if I want and can handle a wide range of techniques 

I'm in the same boat.  My 7'10" 904 works for anything bigger than that, but casting accuracy and distance goes way down with a pad crasher jr.  Can't say I like the SC LE MHF much better.

 

I will add that extra length on a frog rod is huge.  Easier to pick up line on the hookset, casts further, and is better for "lobbing" the baits.  Frogs are the one technique I almost always overhead cast.  Not sure what your frog rod budget is, but getting something longer is a help IMO.

21 hours ago, Deephaven said:

 Not sure what your frog rod budget is, but getting something longer is a help IMO.

My budget’s pretty flexible…I mostly throw Conquests, NRXs, etc. but I love my St Croix Victory and Mojo stuff, too. If a $50 rod will throw comfortably for 8 hours at a clip, I’ll use that. Performance, repeatability and reliability are all I really care about. 

I'd personally contemplate a blank and building it out longer.  It really helps cast the lightweight stuff further.  As for what blank, I am going to start shopping for the same about now as well.