Gene Larew.. Three Legged Frog Review

      Three Legged Frog:   Colors: 11        Sizes:  5inches        Weight: N/A      Pack Count:  5

                                        Leg Style: Swim           Scent: N/A

Intro:

I know this seems kinda prejudice, since i started off with one of my favorite hollow bodies only to follow that up with one if not my favorite soft bodied Frog. The Gene Larew Three Leg frog has been a staple in my arsenal since it entered the market a few years back (2008). The best floating frog on the market today it churns water like no other, and excels in various situations. 

Overall Rating:  7.8/10

Each frog is rated on the following criteria: Quality, Castability, Presentation, Hook-up Ratio Available Options, Product Availability & Price

Quality: 3/5

You may find it odd that I tout this as one of my favorite frogs only to slam it's quality right out of the gate. I guess I should clarify that the in slamming the quality, i do so noting that some things listed as faults are also things that make this frog a success.

Early faults that can be found would include the ultra soft body. You can compare it's consistency with that of a marshmallow, it is very soft, and can and will rip very easily. But the material used is essential to the frogs performance as a floater,  and also assists in good hook-up ratio (a key attribute)

The body of this frog is not only a rarity in that it is "marshmallowy" but also in the fact that it is comprised of a 2 piece body. The three legs/tail end are made of up the standard material used for most soft plastics, giving it the motion you would expect from a soft plastic bait. One down fall to many "floaters" is that the foam used  compromises motion, it is firmer and does not react the same in the water. The Gene Larew frog gives you the best of both worlds combining a floating foam body with plastic legs for motion.  The downside to a 2-pc body is that it gives the frog an additional breaking point, the legs  can be ripped from the body on a violent strike, thus making it useless. 

Castability: 4/5

Unlike traditional floating frogs, the Three Legged Frog is made of a denser foam and allows it to be cast for great distance. The shape of the frog also assists with casting distance making it a breeze to cast even in poor conditions. Because it is a floater it is lighter then traditional soft body frogs and this is why it did not get a 5/5

Presentation: 5/5

This is the area in which this frog excels. the three legs are able to churn water easily on a medium to fast retrieve,  yet float when killed (staying 100% above the water). This technique works great for buzzing in and over pads, and pausing in any open water holes. The three legs will also lengthen the life span of the bait. Often fish will rip off a leg during a fight or violent strike, having an extra leg ensures the frog is still good even if one leg is ripped off in battle (although the action is not quite the same)

If you want to add a little weigh, this frog fishes well on a swimbait hook. Look for hooks that have the weight pushed up close to the eyelet and not back weighted. This extra weight will allow the frog to sink nose first in a very slow and life like fashion. I opt for this method is sparse cover or when there is no cover at all. Many fish that were following will grab the bait once it starts to sink.

Hook-Up Ratio: 4.5/5

the Ultra soft body on this frog allows for a great hook-up ratio. The soft spongy material holds the hook in place well and allows for easy skin hooking to protect the point from pads, timber and other cover. Yet even the slightest pressure will pull it free and allow you to bury it home. A built in slit in the belly allows for good hook penetration leaving little to get in the way of your hook and the fish.

The Three Legged Frog also has a slender profile that allows the fish to take it into its month easily and the soft body will also ensure the fish holds on long enough for you to set the hook.

Availability: 3/5

This is a tuff one, although not as hard as some baits to find, it is not common in many on-line or local shops. Those that carry an abundance of Gene Larew prices will usually carry this frog at a reasonable price, but dont be surprised to see it pushing the $7 mark in speciality stores. (Even at that, it is worth a shot)

Options & Price: 4/5

The Three legged Frog comes in approximately 11 color options, some natural and some high vis. At any given time I usually have 3-5 colors with me. The bait is only available in one size at this time, but rumor has it there are some changes coming on the 2012 model (no images available at this time)

Price is reasonable averaging out at $4.70 a pack or $0.95 per bait. Again I will warn I have seen and paid over $7 when in a bind

Other Reviews:

For a frog that had some serious hype when launched at ICAST back in 2008 it is not exactly easy to find a product review.  I was not able to help you out on this one but please let me know if you come across any and I will add them to the site

Where to Find:

Here are some places you can purchase the Three legged frog. Be sure to check out local shops as well, as it is always good to support local business. 

Gene Larew ($5.13)

Tackle Warehouse ($4.19)

Barlows Tackle ($4.49)

Lucky Lure Tackle ($4.99)

Tackle Warehouse is my recommendation when ordering this frog on-line. They have a wider selection then most and the price cant be beat. When ordering direct from Gene Larew, you will noticed that the site takes you to a second supplier Tulsa Tackle, you are not actually buying direct, hence the hefty price tag.

P.S I have never purchased from either Barlows Tackle or Lucky Lure, this is not a recommendation, just letting you know that they are available from these retailers

Equipment:

I'll start off with color preference. Like mentioned above I carry 3-5 colors with me. I really like the Chartreuse Pepper, and it is my go to color, but If the fish are looking for something a little more natural I like the black (and or black berry) along with natural green or green pumpkin. If you like white frogs I recommend giving the pearl/silver a shot over the standard white.

You have a few rod options when throwing this frog, and it all depends on how you want to us it. I like to use a Dobyns 735c when fishing it in and around cover. This rod has some length without being unwieldy and it has the perfect amount of tip and backbone for casting with accuracy and pulling fish out of cover.

When fishing in open water situations, I power down a bit, and use a Dobyns DX744, it is softer tipped and more sensitive, as you wont need as much backbone.

I fish both of these rods with braided line, in the pads I wont go below 40lb and in open water I wont go below 20lb. I use power pro but Im always trying something new so don't be surprised if this changes.

I hope you will give the Gene Larew Three Legged frog a test drive, Im positive you will be happy with the results. Just try to keep it to yourself, Im not looking forward to the next time I go to place and order and finding them "out of stock"

                                            

Scum Frog Review (Original)

Intro:

The classic Scum Frog is just one frog in a long line of frogs produced by Souther Lure Company out of Mississippi. It has been on the market for eons (or so it seems) and was the first frog I ever had a decent success rate with. So it is only fitting that I start off the Pond with the frog that really made me the Frog loving fool I am today

     Scum Frogs (Classic)   Colors: 20+      Sizes:  4inches      Weight: 5/16oz     Pack: 1

 

Overall Rating:  7.5/10

Each frog is rated on the following criteria: Quality, Castability, Presentation, Hook-up Ratio Available Options, Product Availability & Price

Quality: 4/5

Scum Frogs are made for a very flexible plastic that allow it to take substantial abuse on the water. it is not uncommon to have the body turned completely inside out after fishing a fish yet the plastic is still fully intact with no damage. I have had some scum frogs last me years.

Castability: 2.5/5

The ultra light weigh frog only has one flaw and this is the castability. On calm days and once you get your technique down you can throw this frog a mile.. but as one of the lightest frogs avaible it can be tricky to cast on windy/breezy days (or for those new to baitcasters)

Presentation: 3/5

It's tuff to give much credence to the presentation that a scum frog provides.. it's just a short blob with a short rubber stranded tail. But it seems to work. One issue you may find with the scum frog is what I call "the sit down", being that it is so light weight, it does not sit firmly on the pads and can be easily knocked into the air, when a fish strikes the pads. 

Patiences is more important with scum frogs then with other frogs, you really need to wait until you feel the fish, as any rod movement can and will move the frog out of the strikezone.

Hook-Up Ratio: 4/5

Taking the above into consideration, the hook-up ratio with scum frogs is fairly high (in my opinion). I believe this comes down to the ultra soft body and the small frame. The Scum Frog is the 1-bite brownie of the fishing world, even smaller fish can eat one whole. The soft plastic collapses easily and allows you to get one or both hooks into the fish. One more perk that I feel enhances the hook-up ratio is the lack of legs. Many other frogs have legs the protrude off the rear/side, just behind the hooks. These legs can effect hook-ups and how well the fish can get the frog in his mouth.

Availability: 4/5

The Scum Frog is one if not thee widest available frog on the market today (Spro and Live Target also top this list). I have found scum frogs on the shelves of on-line retailers big and small as well as most local bait & tackle shops that I frequent.

Options & Price: 5/5

The Scum Frogs price cant be beat, a hollow body frog with a price tag under $4 is unheard of in todays market. Many of the top selling frogs today retail for well over the $10 range and some over the $20 mark. Some people attribute this price to product quality, but I completely disagree (as you can see above). If you buy direct from Scum Frog you have a choice of 20 colors, and many retailers carry over half of them. The colors range from traditional/natural colors, to high vis presentations and clear.

Other Reviews:

Being that this frog has been around since the stone age, there is no lack of reviews to be found on-line. Many anglers like myself are highly devoted to this product and they even have their own FaceBook page. 

dont take my word for it, here are some other reviews on the classic Scum Frog

Bass Junkies Fishing Addiction (My Full Review)

Bass Pro Shop (Customer Reviews)

TackleTour - (No Review Available)

These are the three site I will be learning on to provide additional review info. The BPS site has a great collection of customer reviews and TackleTour provides some of the best product reviews on the market today.

Where to find:

You can find Scum Frogs in almost all major retailers and Mom and Pop shops alike. With a price point coming in at under $4 it is easy to stock the shelves and appeals to weekend warriors and tournament anglers alike.

Scum Frog Tackle Box ($3.00)

TackleWarhouse ($2.99)

Bass Pro Shop ($3.49)

Land Big Fish ($2.99)

Fish USA ($3.25)

If you will heed my advice, I would recommend making your purchase from Land Big Fish, not only are they highly competitive with their pricing,  but they have the greatest color selection of all (other then buying direct from Scum Frog). 

Canadian Anglers will also like the fact that LBF provides shipping options of both UPS and USPS, this allows you to avoid those lovely fees that UPS hammers us with. 

Equipment:

As you can see from the above image I have a wide selection of Scum Frogs in my arseanal. My personal prefernce is to use the various "whites" and "clear" frogs. Scum Frog also offers a "Night Image" frog that glows and has a black frog silhouette on the bottom.

When it comes to rods,  I like to slightly power down my rod from a standard hollow body rod. Due to it's light weigh, a longer rod with a softer tip will allow you to cast  them further with greater accuracy. My personal preference is a Dobyns 735, and at times a 805. 

Because you are fishing them in heavy cover a bait-casting reel is still important and braided line rated over 20lbs is a must. I have thrown these on spinning tackle, so if you are new to baitcasters and scum frogs are causing you fits, dont be afraid to move over to a 2500 spinning reel.

                                                     

                                                  

Welcome to the Frog Pond

Welcome to the Frog Pond, this blog will be 100% dedicated to frog fishing and frog related equipment. I have made it my lifes mission to track and review all Frogs baits available on the market today.. the good, the bad and the ugly.. not to mention the expensive.

I'm only one man, so I can really use your help.. If you know of a Frog you would like to see reviewed, please contact me at bass.junky@hotmail.com, I will work to track down all requested frogs and get them add to pond.

Here's how The Pond works..

As I add new Frogs to the pond, I will put them through some random testing, on and off the water, looking for what make and breaks them. I will use the below rating system and share with you links to other reviews I have found.


Rating System:

Each frog will be rated on the following criteria: Quality, Durability, Castability, Presentation, Hook-up Ratio, Available Options, Product Availability & Price


I will be grading each area out of 5, (5 being perfect) Once each area is rated an overall grade will be given out of 10 (confused yet?). Since there are so many other great review sites already out there, I will also try to include a link to various other reviews of the product.. just like movie critics we each have or own taste and what works for me, may not work for all.

Product Awareness:

Even more important then the testing and rating of frogs, is raising the level of awareness of just what's out there.  With on-line shopping blowing up and the Mom & Pop bait designers in each corner of the globe, there really is a whole new world to be discovered.

For each frog I add to the pond I will list the links to the various major (and sometimes minor) retailers that carry each frog. Because there are so many I will not be able to list them all, but again I would appreciate a heads up if you are aware of a company I have missed.. or you want to bring a great frog retailer to my attention.


For those of you that read my other blog Bass Junkies Fishing Addiction, you know that I have a stock pile of frogs ready to go, but I dont want to get crazy here so I will only be adding 1 new frog each week.

thanx for reading..