Frog Fishing Line Choices.. Braid, Braid or Braid?

When it comes to throwing frogs (hollow body of soft plastic) you really only have three line options to choose from.. Braid, Braid or Braid?... I dont know about you, but Im going with Braid!

Yes, I may be slightly sarcastic in that opening paragraph, but really, is there any other line option out there that excels in all areas of frog fishing as much as braided line? What other lines on the market offer you superior strength and small line diameters? if you are stumped, dont worry, we all are.

I dont really want to get into a debate here on what brand of line is the best, because as in all things fishing, we all have a personally preference.. Me I have been using PowerPro for years, but that has not stopped me from trying nearly every new braided Line that hits the market. Last year it was the rise of Suffix 832.. followed quickly by the fall of Suffix 832. This year I have my eye on three new braided Lines, and Im going to spend a moment giving you the low down on each.

Daiwa Samurai

this is a line I have been avoiding for a bit, as the price tag is higher on average then what I like to spend on a spool of braid. Coming in at around $27 this line can really make you flinch. That being said, once you get it on a spool, you quickly see what all the hype is about. 

Without a doubt Samurai is the smoothest line I have even put my hands on, it honestly feels like a very smooth silky piece of thread, and it moves like one too. Even at the 30lb mark this line falls like a limp noodle yet feels strong.  

I could spend the next three paragraphs repeating all the perks and claims that Daiwa has been promoting, but all you need to know is that this is a "super braid" an ultra thin, ultra strong line that will allow you to launch frogs a mile, and still pull hawgs out of thick cover.. any questions?

For frog fisherman this line is available in 30,40,55 and 70lb weights, you could get away with as low as 30 when throwing soft plastic swim frogs, but I would recommend the 40 and probably even the 50lb line when throwing hollow bodies. 

SunLine FX2

What? a line actually designed for frog fishing? You know a trend has hit its peek when rod, reel and line companies start to develop product specifically for that technique... watch for Berkley's new Umbrella Rig line, coming soon to a dealer near you!.. But in all seriousness, SunLine is a brand that has been slowly building a nice little following, and with the launch of their FX2 line back in 2011,  (backed by Dean Rojas) there is no where to go but up.

So, what makes FX2 the best line for frog fishing? Durability, castability and strength.. that was the focus. And I think they have achieved what they set out to accomplish. No FX2 does not have the silky smooth softness of Daiwa Samurai or Power Pro Super 8 Slick, honestly this line is more "rope" like then "thread" like, but I think that was part of the plan. This line instills confidence when used for power techniques, it looks, feels and acts tuff. Yet, due to it's tight weave and round shape, this line casts fairly well. 

Is this line perfect for all frog applications..No.. for me personally FX2 is a hollow body frog line. I bought two spools to test out this season, and was going to rig up both my hollow body rod as well as my swim  frog rod, but as soon as I felt the line, I knew it was not what I wanted when throwing swim/buzz frogs, I need a bit softer of a line, as these are the "finesse" baits in a frog fisherman's world

SunLine FX2 is a power line, and is only available in 50lb and 60lb weights. It is not readily available in all markets but I expect to see that change over the next couple seasons. If you have not yet had the change to give SunLine FX2 a try, I recommend you do

Power Pro Super 8 Slick

Now on to old faithful. Yes, like all lines Power Pro has it's supporters and those that despise it, but to this day I have not yet found a braid I was more happy with in various applications then Power Pro. They seem to have found the perfect balance between strength and softness. And with the launch of Super 8 Slick, they have taken it to the next level.

Although not as soft as Daiwa Samuarai, there is a noticeable difference between the S8S and standard Power Pro line. It has a softer silkier feel, yet still has the strength that Power Pro is known for. For frog fishing applications S8S is available in 30-65lb weights, and I think this line would excel for both hollow body and swim frogs, but If I was asked to choose one application, I believe this line would be best suited for swim/buzz frogs. 

A Pet Peeve of mine, is the constant change to color options, this  gets on my nerves a bit, as with most anglers, when I find something I like, i want to stick with it. Power Pro likes to add and remove colors on a fairly constant basis, and the introduction of S8S is no different, gone is the standard Green that Power Pro and lets face it, every-other Braid company is known for, in it's place a high vis green, along with the timber brown, a color similar to one that was discontinued a few years back. I would expect to see some changes to this but the 2013 season, as the standard green option will be missed.

The Break Down

So there you have it, three new(er) braids that you really need to check out... When my season kicks off  this year, I will be rigged up with (40lb) Power Pro Super Slick 8 on my swim & buzz frog rods, and with (50lb) SunLine FX2 on my hollow body rod... lets see if they are still there by seasons end!

P.S Although I like what I saw from the Samurai braid I found it to be the less useful of the three when it comes to frog fishing. If you are dead set on using Samurai I believe it would be of more use pitching t-rig baits or flipping tubes around docks. 

The Ish Frog by Snag Proof.. Are You High ?

I must admit, when I first started to look at the Ish series frog by Snag Proof, I got a bit of a kick out of his naming choices, but then it started me to wondering? how many companies would let a high profile sponsored angler name a bunch of their products after the various types or street names for marijuana? .. not many I would guess.

well Snag Proof is showing that they are hip, cool and down with the times (insert sarcastic tone here), by letting their top tier pro angler Ish Monroe name his series of frogs whatever he likes.. even if those names can be directly linked to common drug references.. so if you have ever wondered about some of the crazy names for the frogs in the Ish signature series,, here is the low down.. with a little help from the "Urban Dictionary" and MarijuanaStrain.com

Chronic: 

1. Very potent, high-grade marijuana. Typically categorized by it's lack of seeds (sensimilia) and high concentrations of white or opaque crystals (trichromes)

Sticky Green: 

Another word for weed. Sticky Green is used by Biggie Smalls (in one of his songs, Going Back to Cali), Devin the Dude, The Smugglaz, and other hood rats

Purple Kush: 

Purple Kush is one of the 10 most powerful ganja strains in the world. It originated on the Northwest coast region of the U.S. Mainly in Humboldt county. California and Portland, Oregon. And up until the last 3 years it could mainly only be found in the region covering the southern cal up through Oregon,washington, and B.C.

Crystyl (or Crystal)

Crystal Marijuana is White widow crossed with Northern lights. You get a bushy plant with large sticky buds. The Crystal bud smell is a candy sweet aroma which adds to the good cerebral high. As the name suggests the buds are covered in THC glands. This gives an unusually clear buzz and a slightly delayed effect

Please dont get me wrong I'm not trying to start a battle or heated discussion about the use of drugs references in products, Im just having a little fun. I recently purchased an Ish Signature series frog and the names brought a smile to my face and made me laugh a bit.. ahh.. old high school memories. Overall I was just surprised that Snagg Proof approved the names, or maybe they just didnt catch on, or clue into some of the double or triple meanings. When all is said and done all that really matters is that this is a quality frog bait, and the names are not really hurting anyone... I just wouldn't recommend trying to smoke one of these frogs, plastic does not go down well at all 

P.S: and in case you still dont get that Im just joking around here, here is a disclaimer.. Not all Frogs in the Ish series are named after types of marijuana, some are named after terms that simply mean "getting drunk" or to be "flush with money, fame, power or girls, and some are just random song lyrics that mean little to nothing ( I dont know if this is helping or not).. but if you get a moment of free time, have some fun and play the "Ish Name game" and see if you can find the double and triple meanings behind some of these frogs names.. I bet Snag Proof couldnt

Turning 1 today.. Thanx for Reading

Yep, thats right it has been 1 year already, and I wanted to take this opportunity to thank you all for checking in from time to time to see what's on my mind.. in this short 1 year span I have written close to 170 articles, and well over 20,000 of you have checked in to read them.

Wether you agree or disagree with what I have to say, I appreciate you all giving me the opportunity to say it. I have lots planed for year #2, with some great new product reviews and of course another season of "fear & loathing on the Tournament Trail".

In case you missed it, I did start up a second blog called the "frog pond" this one is solely dedicated to Frog Fishing product reviews, it is still new so bare with me, but I hope it will take off soon.

Special thanx to my sponsors, they sure make life easier on the water.. if you have not checked them out as of yet, but sure to give them some FaceBook love


Eikon Device

Dobyns Rods

El Grande Lures

Numa Optics

The Rod Glove

Optimum Baits

IMA Lures

thanx

BassJunky

IMA..Walk tall & cast a Big Stik

I don't care who you are, there is just something exciting about tossing around large baits in search of  even bigger fish, and recently I could not pass up the opportunity to add a IMA "Big Stik" to my top water arsenal.

There is absolutely nothing small about this popper/stick bait. A 7 inch beast, that tips the scales at 1.75oz and is loaded with two 1/0 Owner SST trebles... you may be in search of largemouth bass, but don't be surprised if some local Musky or Pike come calling. and if they do, just know that this bait can handle them.

You have to give IMA some serious props here, they did not come to the table with just some big clunky bait, they made this baby right.. perfectly balanced with 8 internal chambers, each containing "loud as hell" ball bearings.. they advertise this as the loudest bait you have ever seen, and really I think anyone would have a hard time proving them wrong.

If the size and sound of the big stik doesn't have your attention yet, then you must be a "sight" guy. so for you... The Big Stik was designed for both salt and freshwater alike, and has a pretty impressive collection of colors (13 in all). I fell in love with the BlueGill color aright off the bat and may also add a clear version some time in the near future, both colors I feel will be largemouth slayers.

If you are still not sold, there is only one last thing to discuss, and that is motion in the water. This big mouth plug spits water with the best of them, and walks the dog better then Cesar Millan. The Big Stik's large body sways incredibly well in the water, and when paused the tail end of the baits hangs slightly below the surface of the water, giving fish a great look at the feathered back hook, and giving you a great hook-up ratio.

The guys at Tackle Tour did one of their famous "autopsies" on the big stick, if your not queazy check out a dismembered bait and see what these beasts are made of.

Tackle Tour Autopsy

Great Finds @ the BPS, Gagnons & Sail

Im on the road allot, traveling for fun, fishing and work, so I get to spend time visiting sports stores all over Ontario as well as a few other provinces. I think it is only fair that I share my finds with you, not all of these finds will be "rare" or "unusual" but they all will be cool baits that should help you chase down Bass of all sizes


Find #1: Trokar Tube Hooks


We all know about Lazer Trokar hooks, and love or hate'em we all seem to have an opinion. Personally Im still on the fence, my tournament partner he loves them and uses them almost exclusively, me, I weave a couple in here and there.

This season one Lazer Trokar product I will be adding to my arsenal is the new Tube hook




This is not your average tube hook, built with the same surgically sharp hook point  as all other Trokar products, the Tube hook also takes on some of the characteristics of the popular Trokar flipping hook (another product I use). This strange looking wide gap hook has an advanced bait keeper that holds the head of the tube perfectly in place and ensures it stays there.



Not to be confused with standard Tube jig heads, this is a flipping tube hook, and there is where it will excell. If you are use to fishing tubes a bit heavy, there is some room to add insert weihts (or scent). These hooks can be bought at most major retailers, i picked mine up at the Bass Pro Shop

Great find #2 on this trip through the Durham and GTA region is a very cool worm from Sebile Lures. The A.T worm (A.T stands for All-Terrain)  actually made me stop dead in my tracks, this very unique finesse worm is available in both sinking and floating models (so read the packs) and has a vey cool design that is 100% Sebile.

With a hollow V-shaped body cavity and a hollow split tail, this worm looks cool in the water and can be fished in many ways, including Texas rigged, carolina rigged and even on a swimbait hook. It is also deisgned to be fished in open water and cover, the worms body glides on the drop and would also be a great dock fishing worm. Pre-rigged with hook slots this bait is a complete no-brainer, and can be easily rigged properly by amature and pro alike.

This photo does not do this worm justice, be sure to check out the pics and illustraitions on the Sebile website found HERE

Again this was the first and only time I have laid eyes on the this worm (although I now know you can get it at a few of the big boy on-line retailers). If you are in the Oshawa area be sure to stop by Gagnons sports to check out this worm, you will be glad you did.

Find #3: PowerPro Super 8 Slick

Over the course of the past 6+ years, i have got my hands on a pretty extensive collection of braided lines, ive tried everything including FireLine, Suffix, SpiderWire, Spider Thread, Stren and more, but I always come back to PowerPro, to this day I have yet to find a stronger yet smoother line.

This year  PowerPro introduced Super 8 Slick, a softer rounded version of  traditional PowerPro line. You will notice the difference immediatly, this line truly feels like silk, yet has that same old powerpro strenght that we have grown to love... not avilable in the standard Moss green this new version comes in a great down and a higher vis green. (not sold on the green, but love the brown)

One thing to remember.. when you ask for silk, you pay for silk, and Super 8 Slick comes  with a hefty price increase (about $3 a spool more then the original Power Pro). I was lucky enought to come across it at the Sail Store in Oshawa and they had a great sale price of $19.99. (sorry guys I dont believe this is still the case)

Find #5 is a frog that I had never seen before, and better yet, I have never heard of it. So this is where you can really see my addiction/compulsion to frog fishing really kick in... nothing about this frog really grabbed me.. but I had never seen it before.. nothing about this frog made me think, "Oh, i know a great spot to throw this".. but I had never seen it before.. nothing about this frog made me say "wow thats a unique concept, or "thats a interesting color".. but again, I had never seen it before.. So I bought it.

Yep, thats how the mind works some times, and this little frog found its way into my arsenal, and will probably see very little water after it's initial use.. but you never know, and thats why I just had to have it, you dont know until you tired it.. maybe this frog has a super power Im not aware of yet

All in all my last trip thru Durahm and the GTA was loaded with some great finds, as I tell my wife, true fisherman can always find something they need to try or test out, that new product that may give them the edge over their buddies, so if you are in the area and have some time to kill, be sure to make the Gagnons, SAIL and Bass Pro Shop run, between the three,  you can find all you need.

P.S I didn't event touch on the reel pictured at the top of this post, that my friends is a Daiwa Advantage reel and it is quickly becoming one if not my favorite baitcasting reel. This little guy is built slightly larger then other low profile reels, but fits incredibly well in your hands, and still gives you the confidence of a much larger reel. Super smooth drag and some nice cranking power, make this reel a great all around baitcaster.. not to mention this baby comes in under $200... I bought mine at Gagnons, they were offering 20% off reel in Feb so I snapped up a couple for about $150.. thats a steal

Dobyns Coaltion Weapon.. Pretty in Camo

You dont know how long I have been waiting to get my hands on this Dobyns Coalition rod. Since they are not currently being carried by any of the Canadian retailers (come on guys!),  I had to order this baby direct from Dobyns. But let me tell you, It was worth the wait, as I can quickly see this becoming a new favorite.

One look, and you can see that a lot of thought went into these bad boys, they truly are a thing of beauty from top to bottom, so why not treat them like the super model they are and do a little cat walk photo-shoot for you guys, check it out

The Dobyns Coalition Weapon seen here is sporting this Springs hottest look.. a  light camo pattern perfect for the dessert, forrest and lake alike, this repeating pattern looks stunning and will be the talk of the boys at the boat ramp.

Available in 8 sizes/configurations, you are sure to find the perfect fit.. the rod seen here is a 735c, a rod any angler can use a couple of.

If it is "bling" your after look no further then then these stunning Kigan rod guides, wrapped to perfection they are the perfect compliment to this (and any) rod deign.

Just like shoes cap off any good outfit, the butt of this rod ties in the whole Camo/Military concept with a great army green cap with the designers signature logo.. "DR", beware of knock-offs that are stamped with "RD" (Thats just Richard wanting to branch off on his own)


But in all seriousness, the Dobyns Coalition Weapon rod is a very cool addition to the Dobyns line up of Rods, it has all the characteristics that make a Dobyns Rod great... and it's camo. If you are sick of seeing bright Orange, Yellow and Purple rods on the water, head into action with a Dobyns Coalition, and those other guys wont even see ya coming.

PS: Dobyns Rods is a proud sponsor of the ABA (Army Bass Anglers) and the Coalition Weapons were design to help support them and their mission of "Support, Defend, Fish"

Spro Baby Popper Frog.. small but mean!

Spro Baby Bronzeye Popper Frog

There has been some serious hype, and a lot of chatter surrounding this, the newest addition to the Spro frog family, and after getting an up close and personal look, I can see why... it may be small.. but don't let the size fool ya, this is one mean frog.

Coming in at only 2inches in length the SBP is not your average popper frog. In typical Spro fashion the Baby Popper has a slim or narrow flat back profile, that allows it to sit well in the water.  I find this body type along with the proper weighting makes it harder for fish to knock over, or roll this frog. This means the body and more importantly the hooks are always in a good position, increasing your hook-up ratio.. and  speaking of hooks this baby is equipped with 1/0 gammakatsu's, so yeah this little frog packs a punch.

Spro is known for some great high quality color options, and this frog is no different. I love the Tropical white as it gives both fish an angler a good view of the frog from above and below.. Also in typical Spro fashion this little guy is angry, and even the most aggressive of bass can and will loose a staring contest.

    

(The money shot.. Spro's typical "angry eyes") 

As your reading this, you probably cant tell that Im not a huge fan of popper frogs, but it;s true, I rarely reach for one, and that is mainly due to my perception of how they move in the water.. typically a popper retrieve is slower then that of standard hollow body, but what I like about what I have seen from the Baby popper, is that the smaller mouth, although still a popper, can be fished faster then baits with larger or deeper mouths. This allows you to still walk and chug the frog at a decent pace. 

I really like to keep my frogs moving, whether that means small twitches or burning it home, it is important to me that I can move the frog at various speeds.. this is the case with the baby popper

(Aww how cute)

If I had only got my mitts on this frog a month or so back, I would have added it to my article on "Froglets" this even furthers the notion that there is a trend occuring and guys are looking to get an edge in any way they can, and sometime to get that edge you need to downsize.. the term "size does matter" does not always imply bigger is better.