Frog Fishing Reel

[L Dub]

Thinking about getting a Curado 200 series for my frog rod and I can't decide if I want a left or right handed reel. I'm used to using leftys for flipping and pitching and most of the time I use a righty for casting. I want the lefty so I don't have to switch hands after casting but at the same point I feel like I have less control with playing the fish if I use the lefty. I've been using an old curado 200B lately but it seems like the fish swim right at the boat after the hookset and I'm having a hard time keeping tension on the line.

Any thoughts on any of this? Is it because my gear ratio is too slow or am I missing something?

What do you guys use in terms of left or right reels and why?

Thanks in advance.

Tight lines,

L

[Doug Warren]

You could have a slow ratio maybe a 5:1 . I like a 6.2:1 ratio in the Curado and always a left hand retrieve. I think you hit the nail on the head because you don't have to switch hands. I think once you really get used to it you'll like it. If I was you I wouldn't be switching hands to reel. Pick the side that works best for you and go for it.

[ASD]

I run leftys on all my rods even though I am right handed. I think you real with your week hand as you have better control of the rod with your strong hand/arm. As for what reel. I use a ABU 51 http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/store ... 0-1-1frogs and fliping as it's not the 5# fish that you have to get to the boat it's the 20#'s of grass/mat that they are stuck in.

[Jim Moulton]

I'm right handed and I use a right handed reel as I feel more comfortable with that set up however right or left is your choice everone is different. I wouldn't make my mind up on what other pepole say I would do what makes you feel comfortable.
I do like a 7 to 1 reel for frog fishing as I can take up more line in a hurry. My reel choice is the Diawa Zillion. Jim

[Steve Perkins]

I dont like the drag system on the new curado 200E. The old green curados have a much better drag for frog fishing in heavy cover.

What I noticed on the new curados is the drag pressure gets lighter as more line spools out. I dont mind that for reaction bait rods like rip baits or cranks.

I guess you could crank it all the way down and it might work fine. I had 5 of them and the drag was the same. Other than that I liked the reel.

For my frog rod I use either the Ardent XS1000 or an old green curado, a 6.2 gear ratio is fine.

.

[Jeff Miller]

dub,
I agree with both ASD & Jim Moulton on this one......choose whatever side feels comfortable to you ! I, like Scott am right handed but prefer to reel with my left hand.....drives Moulton crazy !...... (which is fun any day of the week !!! )

A high gear ratio is critical for catching up to them and a great reel for froggin is an Abu Garcia Revo STX ! One of the best drag systems on the market ( 22lbs ) so that you can lock the drag down and just winch 'em out of the slop. Couple that with some 50 or 65lb Power Pro braid, a Dobyns 735 and you have one lean, mean froggin' machine !!!

Just my opinion....but hope it helps !

[ash]

I use the Old Curado mean Green Super Free machine with 65lb power pro and a locked up drag...I can sling that froggy across a big ole mat and pitch it and skipit, and sling it and flip it. Get a reel that is comfortable, I find myself pitchin and skippin the frog as much as I do casting it. So if you pitch lefty, then you may want to do lefty....what hand do you zara spook with?

[acm95301]

I'm not an expert frog fishermen, but with my experiences so far I'd saya super fast retrieve 7:1 or higher is a bonus. As with pitching jigs and punching if you can get used to lefty I can see the advantage, but most people will just adjust to what feels right for them.

[j10b]

I dont like the drag system on the new curado 200E. The old green curados have a much better drag for frog fishing in heavy cover.

What I noticed on the new curados is the drag pressure gets lighter as more line spools out. I dont mind that for reaction bait rods like rip baits or cranks.

I guess you could crank it all the way down and it might work fine. I had 5 of them and the drag was the same. Other than that I liked the reel.

For my frog rod I use either the Ardent XS1000 or an old green curado, a 6.2 gear ratio is fine.

.

Ok i have to ask. Do you really think that less than an OUNCE of line will cause the drag to fall off? Seeing generally speaking drag INCREASES at the end of the spool. There is less line on the spool.

Do you think your line could be slipping? Do you tie straight braid?

I like ardent but off all drags to bring up..........

[DanIsaac]

I dont like the drag system on the new curado 200E. The old green curados have a much better drag for frog fishing in heavy cover.

What I noticed on the new curados is the drag pressure gets lighter as more line spools out. I dont mind that for reaction bait rods like rip baits or cranks.

I guess you could crank it all the way down and it might work fine. I had 5 of them and the drag was the same. Other than that I liked the reel.

For my frog rod I use either the Ardent XS1000 or an old green curado, a 6.2 gear ratio is fine.

.

Actually, this isn't anything we've seen, and for the record, as good as the older curados are, they in no way can compare to the new E series, especially for frog fishing, operationally or mechanically.

With the oversized gearing, oversized drags and bearing supported pinion gear, they are twice the reel B series was. Fading drags is NOT something we've seen or heard about, and we service a mess of these reels each year, and 7:1 is definately the gear ratio you want for frogging.

Dan

[j10b]

Dan I am thinking that E series bash was more of a sponsor plug....

[DanIsaac]

u said it,,,,not me!

[Steve Perkins]

I dont like the drag system on the new curado 200E. The old green curados have a much better drag for frog fishing in heavy cover.

What I noticed on the new curados is the drag pressure gets lighter as more line spools out. I dont mind that for reaction bait rods like rip baits or cranks.

I guess you could crank it all the way down and it might work fine. I had 5 of them and the drag was the same. Other than that I liked the reel.

For my frog rod I use either the Ardent XS1000 or an old green curado, a 6.2 gear ratio is fine.

.

Ok i have to ask. Do you really think that less than an OUNCE of line will cause the drag to fall off? Seeing generally speaking drag INCREASES at the end of the spool. There is less line on the spool.

Do you think your line could be slipping? Do you tie straight braid?

I like ardent but off all drags to bring up..........

The 200E is a great reel, like I said I had 5 of them and I loved them for reaction bait rods. They are smooth, cast great and are consistent in cold or hot weather.

The drag on the reels I used did change on a hard hook set or when the fish made a hard run. This was not a problem for reaction baits like cranks and rip baits but on the Jig rods I had to crank the drag down more than I like.

The line was not slipping on the spool, I was using mono or fluorocarbon.

If no one else has had this experience than I would say its just me...lol, Or maybe I had the drag set to light initially.

I'm not bashing shimano, this is just my observation

.

[j10b]

steve not trying to call you out.... but that exact thing you are talking about is one of the big benefits of an Ardent reel. Or that is what they are selling it as

Its built to let the drag slip then catch up so you dont break off. So while its a personal preference, if your curado is doing it, its supposedly a selling point of your sponsor Ardent.

[FishFearMe]

Ive used frogs for years on the weedy lakes of Wisc for bass,muskies & pike. Now living in Az Im froggin in tullies & slop. My personal pref is for a high speed reel that can cast light baits & has a big drag capacity. Those Revo stx hs are made for the job. Ive tried the curado's. They work great, but just arent designed to handle the shock of braid & a locked down drag over the long haul. Again, thats jmho. I havent tried the Ardent reels as of yet. Ya gotta use what comfortable for you. Left or right. Just make sure your using your power arm to set the hook. Realistically, how much pressure can you put on a 6lb bass in 20lbs of crap without breaking the rod, or tearing the hooks out of the fish? If I dont get em up & over the crap real fast, I usually end up pinning them to the roof & going in after them. Crazy things happen while froggin...

[DanIsaac]

Ive used frogs for years on the weedy lakes of Wisc for bass,muskies & pike. Now living in Az Im froggin in tullies & slop. My personal pref is for a high speed reel that can cast light baits & has a big drag capacity. Those Revo stx hs are made for the job. Ive tried the curado's. They work great, but just arent designed to handle the shock of braid & a locked down drag over the long haul. Again, thats jmho. I havent tried the Ardent reels as of yet. Ya gotta use what comfortable for you. Left or right. Just make sure your using your power arm to set the hook. Realistically, how much pressure can you put on a 6lb bass in 20lbs of crap without breaking the rod, or tearing the hooks out of the fish? If I dont get em up & over the crap real fast, I usually end up pinning them to the roof & going in after them. Crazy things happen while froggin...

Just the opposite. That's exactly what the E7 is designed for, and they will be around long after most others have died! That's not just my my opinion.

You think the Curado B's have lasted, this E series reel is twice what the B was. The oversized HEG gears and oversized drags were designed for these exact applications.

Time will tell as for how long all the others will last, but I can almost guarantee they won't outlast CuradoE.

Dan

[FishFearMe]

Well, I hope you are right cause I just got a deal on a new curado E 300. Gonna use it for swimbaits & big topwaters. This reel feels right for the baits I want to use it for [ freestyles, real deals, tools]. Not to mention the price [$130]

[eagle123777]

not a pro..not sponsored by anyone...years ago swtiched to pfluger...never looked back...not one has broken yet and oldest is 10 years old.....6.4.1 to 7.1...cant go wrong...just my....02...jack

[Duckman]

Do they make a reel that comes with no drag I mean locked down? I think that would be great on my punchin and froggin rods since I tighten them down all the way anyway.

[201Pro]

Do they make a reel that comes with no drag I mean locked down? I think that would be great on my punchin and froggin rods since I tighten them down all the way anyway.

Ardent ... but too heavy to fish frogs IMHO