Best Frog Rods For Bass Fishing (Reviews and Buyers Guide for [year])

Top Pick

In this post, we’re going to be talking about the best frog rods for fishing hollow body frogs. I love fishing these topwater frogs and it takes a specific kind of rod and reel setup to be successful at it.

The Best frog rod Reviews And Buyers Guide

In this post we’re going to talk about the best frog rods for topwater bass fishing. Fishing for bass with frogs requires a specific type of rod because you won’t only be fighting large bass, but you’ll be fighting weeds too. 

Let’s dive right in!

The Best Frog Fishing Rods (Reviews)

1. Dobyns Rods Fury Series FR 735C  (Top Pick)

On the top of my list of the best frogging rods for bass fishing is the Dobyns Fury Series 735C casting rod.

The reason I have the Dobyns Fury 735C as my top choice is because you just can’t ignore the quality and experience you get with the frog rod at such an affordable price. The Fury rods by Dobyn are designed and built for serious topwater frog anglers. This rod delivers the goods when it comes to looking for a frogging rod that is technique specific to topwater frogging.

At 7’3”, the 735C is a fast action rod with a solid back bone that’s ideal for tossing frogs and pulling monster largemouth bass up out of the weeds. 

​​​​Once the bass strikes your frog, you won’t have any problems burying those hooks deep into that fish’s face. That’s what’s perfect about this rod.

This frog rod feels and behaves like the $300 ultra nice frogging rods you’ve dreamed about, but available at just a fraction of the price. Powerful, sensitive and perfectly built is how this frog rod is described.

The quality you get with this bass rod compared to other rods within the same price range is unparalleled. If you look closely, many other brands of frog rods in this price range will skimp on quality, especially in areas of the rod like the reel seat, guides and wrappings.  It’s in these small, and sometimes overlooked areas, where this rod takes the lead.

For a magnum heavy fast action Rod this run has a lot of sensitivity and a sweet tip action

Sensitivity

The Dobyns 735C has a surprising amount of sensitivity for a frogging rod.  But why would sensitivity matter for a frog rod when your watching for strikes and not feeling for them?  It’s important because it makes it a more versatile bass rod. The increased sensivity on this rod makes it a great bass rod for pitching senko baits as well.  

Tip Action

The Dobyns 735C has the fast action tip you want in a good quality frog rod.  With the fast springy tip that the 735C has, this rod also works well for pitching and flipping jigs. But when it comes to frogging, you’ll find that walking those frogs across the weeds will be a piece of cake.

Features:

• Heavy rod with extra fast action
• High modulus graphite blanks that are performance balanced to ensure maximum sensitivity.
• High quality guides secured with Kevlar wrapping
• Premium Fuji reel seats
• AA-grade high-density cork grips complete with high-density Hypalon butts

Pros:

• Ideal backbone and fast tip action you want in a quality frog rod
• High quality construction combined with affordability
• Excellent sensitivity making it a versatile bass rod

Cons:

• It’s a stiff rod, so don’t expect to cast light weight lures extremely far.  But keep in mind that stiffness will come in handy when pulling bass out of the weeds.

Bottom Line:

Recommended by many bass anglers, the Dobyns Fury 735C easily comes in as the front runner as the best frog fishing rod. Simply put, with this rod you get the performance and quality of a $300 bass rod for just a little over $100. I really like the sensitivity of this rod because it means I can pitch senko’s and actually feel the subtle bites, making it a versatile frog rod. This is something that is striking, especially when you consider the backbone that this rod has.

2. Duckett Micro Magic ProCast

Comfort, durability and great customer service. That’s just a few of the reasons the Ducket Micro Magic ProCast made my list of the best frog rods.

To be totally honest, the Duckett Micro Magic is a very close second to the top pick. And the fact is, you wouldn’t go wrong with this pick either when selecting your frogging rod.

Available in 7’, 7’6 and 7’10” there’s a length that will suit just about everyone.  Although I definitely prefer the 7’ rod over any other length, since these rods are all one piece and cannot be broken down.

Duckett’s Micro Magic Pro Casting Rod uses high-quality multimodulus Sensi-Touch blanks for unparalleled lightweight performance and long-lasting reliability.

The integrated microguides are designed to increase casting distance and provide exceptional accuracy. And even though you might be afraid that fishing line holding any memory will slow down through the microguides…fear not.  Even line with memory slides silky smooth through these guides. And the double-foot elevated stripper guide adds even more strength when you’re setting that hook deep into the bass’ face.

Features:

• Carbon fiber scrim for added durability
• Micro-guides provide increased casting distance and unparalleled accuracy
• Increased line-to-guide contact for enhanced sensitivity
• Comfort grip Fuji reel seats and cork grips

Pros:

• The feel of a $300 rod for half the cost
• Great for flipping and pitching frogs and large swim baits.
• Line kept close to the rod for increased sensitivity
• Extremely well balanced

Cons:

• 5 year warranty. While this may seem good, other brands offer a lifetime warranty on their fishing rods.

Bottom Line:

As I mentioned, this casting rod comes in as a close second in my book as the best frogging rod. Quality, sensitivity, balance and strength…and under $150?  What else is there to say? The other thing that stands out about this fishing rod is the company that stands behind it, Duckett. Even though the warranty is only for the first 5 years, the customer service is excellent.

3. Lew’s Speed Stick TP-1 IM8 Casting Rod 

Lew’s TP-1 series of fishing rods are known for their increased cast control, accuracy as well as excellent hand control, and makes another great option for a frogging rod.

The other most popular thing that the TP-1 frogging rod is known for is its handle section. The Lew’s TP-1 rod comes with an integrated Winn Grip technology as opposed to a cork handle. If you’ve ever held a golf club, then you’ve probably felt this kind of grip.

The handle grip on this rod is ideal for both dry and wet conditions. In the rain, the handle becomes a bit tacky, whereas a cork handle might slip just a little. Add a little fish slime on it, and your grip remains just as tight.

Below the handle is a rounded butt end that increases comfort when digging in on those massive largemouth bass that dive deep into the weeds.

Constructed from premium IM8 graphite blanks, this rod delivers incredible sensitivity and the backbone you need to make solid hook sets and maintain control both before and during the fight.

This particular rod is a 7 foot length rod, as that’s the length that I prefer. Although it is available in longer lengths of 7’3” and 7’6”.  

Sensitivity

The combination of the IM8 graphite blanks and the premium American Tackle Microwave Guides used to build these frogging rods provides excellent sensitivity.  So much so that I would be comfortable using this rod for senko baits and jigs.

Tip Action

This rod is equipped with a fast action tip combined with a solid backbone for casting heavier baits and lures and cranking largemouth and smallmouth bass up out of the weeds. Users of this rod have commented on it’s action and accuracy, but have also warned that casting light lures is next to impossible with this frogging rod.  

Features:

• Medium/Heavy Power and Fast Action Tip
• Premium IM8 graphite one-piece blanks
• American tackle microwave guide System
• Lew’s exclusive skeletal graphite reel seats
• Winn Grip Technology

Pros:

• Best frog rod under $100
• Fast tip with a massive backbone
• Lightweight and very great quality for the price

Cons:

• The extra small eyelets can be difficult to thread in windy conditions

Bottom Line:

The Lews TP-1 IM8 is an excellent bass casting rod.  And with the quality that’s in this rod combined with the price point, I’ve piced the Lews Speed Stick as the best frog rod under $100. In addition, the fast action tip combined with the solid backbone will leave you wanting for nothing. Not to mention the awesome Winn Grip technology featured on these rods.  Slippery bass rods are a thing of the past with the Lews Speed Stick.

What Makes A Good frog rod

Now here are the top 3 things you want to take into consideration when selecting a good frog fishing rod.  It’s definitely true that you can use the rod you currently have to toss and retrieve topwater hollowbody frogs.  But if you decide that you love frog fishing, you’re definitely going to want to have a designated frog fishing rod on hand.

Here are a few of the most important things to look for: 

Rod Tip

Fishing rod tips can be described as slow action, fast action or extra fast action. And the type of tip you have is going to make a huge difference in your frog fishing performance. Of course, as with anything, this is my recommendation. What you finally decide will ultimately be based off of your preference.

Without a doubt, I like to use a fast action rod tip for frogging. Even though an extra fast action rod is probably the most popular for this style of bass fishing, I still prefer fast action when possible. The reason is because I can use the rod for more styles of fishing, like pitching Senkos, etc.  In addition to this, the fast action tip is more forgiving, which is perfect for those of us that tend to set the hook too soon.

With that said, many people prefer extra fast action rod tips on their dedicated frogging rods.  The advantage of using an extra fast tip is you are able to set the hook quickly, driving those hooks nice and deep, and begin to quickly bring that bass up out of the cover of the weeds.  This is critical when the vegetation is super thick.

Rod Action

The type of rod action I prefer on my frog rod is medium/heavy.  Again, it might not be what all the pros are doing, but for me it works. And here’s why.

Catching bass with frog lures depends on a few things.  

1. Casting Distance
2. Casting Accuracy
3. Frog Control On Retrieval

Many people prefer to use a heavy action rod with this style of fishing because they can set the hook and crank that bass up out of the weeds without hesitation. It’s that solid backbone that they really want to have.

The problem with this, however, is that you sacrifice casting accuracy with the heavier the rod you have. That’s why I go with the medium/heavy frog rods.

With a medium heavy frog rod I can still cast clear out to the far side of the lilly pads, and I can still pitch the frog under the dock or under a branch near by with great accuracy.  And I still have the power that’s required to lift that fish up out of the weeds when I slam that frog into his face.

Rod Length

The length of a frog rod is another really important characteristic to consider. Typically speaking, a longer frog rod can help during a hook set which can be a huge advantage.

A good frog rod should be no shorter than 7’ and can be as long as 7’10”.  My personal preference is a rod that’s 7’ long. That’s mostly because when I fish frogs, I tend to fish with the rod pointed toward the water.  And with a longer rod, the tip of the rod could potentially hit the water.

The length of the rod you select is definitely a personal preference.  From what I’ve seen, it seems that 7’3” is probably the most popular length for a frogging rod.  

Best Reel For Frog Fishing

Below is the reel that I typically recommend to folks who are looking for a high quality fishing reel to go along with their new frog fishing rod. I really like the Daiwa Tatula Baitcaster reels. You can check it out below. If you’d like to read more about this reel, and other frog reels I recommend, check out my article about the Best Baitcaster Reels For Frog Fishing here.

 

Best Fishing Line For Frog Fishing

Finally, you’re going to need a high quality braided fishing line to spool your new frog reel with. I recommend the P-Line TCB 8 Carrier braided line for frog fishing. 

If you’re new to braid, you’ll quickly find out that not all brands are created equal. And one of the most obvious signs of this being true is the noise that different braided lines create. 

But with P-line TCB 8 you’ll not only have a strong, durable braid, but you’ll also have one of the quietest braided lines on the market. The reason they’re able to make this braid so quiet as it slips through your rods guides is because it is coated with DuPont’s Teflon Surface Protector. The result? One of the quietest, strongest, abrasion resistant and longest casting braided lines on the market. With its smooth, round design, this braid casts extremely far, making it an excellent choice as a line for frog fishing.

Final Thoughts

So that pretty much covers everything you should need to know in order to set yourself up with a good dedicated frog rod. And I’m confident that any one of these three rods would more than make you happy. However, if you could choose only one, I would go with the Dobyn’s Fury casting rod.

Related Posts:

1. Bass Fishing Frogs: How To Fish Frog Lures To Catch More Bass

2. 3 Killer senko WORM Rigs And How To Fish Them (Step By Step Guide)

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