i have several new bags of stanley ribbit frogs. the packages say,

"THE BEAD IN THIS BAG IMPROVES THE PERFORMANCE OF THE RIBBIT. rig it in-line above the nose of the frog. if you lose the bead, any glass bead from a carolina rig will do."

my questions are:

1) bead...what bead? none of my bags of ribbit came with a bead inside them. did yours?

2) what does that bead do exactly? in other words, how does it improve the performance?

I never use a bead.  But I image it might make a noise, as well as making the rig a little more weedless.  Sometimes my toads pick up gunk around the hook eye as I'm working them through slop.

Every bag of ribbits I've ever bought came with a bead.  They definitely make the rig more weedless and are worth putting in front of the toad.

The stanley ribbit is pretty much the only soft plasic frog I use and I never use it with the bead it comes with. Never had any problems, but reading the responses it sounds like it makes it more weedproof, maybe I'll give it a shot next time, I definetly don't think its required though, as I have used them for awhile now without any bead with great results.

MAN, am I glad you posted this! I thought the folks at Stanley just took an instant dislike to me or something ;D. I got a bag of them late last year that didn't have a bead. Didn't give the bait a real chance last year, need to this year...

                             As Ever,

                              skillet

I dont like the bead. It is supposed to keep the nose clear and plow through weeds better. I have had problems with it swinging around and catching cover,cattails,brush etc.

 If I want to have this effect on my frog a 1/32 screw in or 1/16(heavy slop). Also another good product for this is the reaction innovation screwd up bullet weight.This is a screw in bullet made of plastic and doesnt add any weight.It does do what it is supposed to.

1) bead...what bead? none of my bags of ribbit came with a bead inside them. did yours?

I have a lot of bags of ribbits, and only ever got two or three beads.  I always wonder if it might be some guy at the store taking all the beads for his own bag...

Bead.....bead.....you don't need no stinking bead ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

How have you guys been rigging this frog????  I take a 30 degree bend hook (that I use to make jigs with) and put a screw hitch hiker through the eye of the hook. Screw the hitch hiker into the nose and rig the hook through the frogs back. I have a much better hook rate with these then with any other combo I have tried and it doesn't tear up the front of the bait when you catch a fish. but like the rest of you know the rest of the bait is usually destroyed anyway.....

Harshman