Dahlberg Frog 50: Colors: 5 Sizes: 2" Weight: 5/8oz Pack Count: 1
Dahlberg Frog 60 Colors: 5 Sizes: 2 1/2" Weight: 1oz Pack Count: 1
Intro:
You know that feeling you get, when you pick up a new product and you look at it, then you put it down, but you pick it back up again, and you have this bad feeling, but you just have to buy it.. it's that moment when the old cliche ringss true.. "lures are designed to catch fisherman not fish".. well thats how I felt about the Dahlberg Diver Frog by River2Sea, I knew it was a trap, but like many times before I fell for it.
Overall Rating: 6/10
Each frog is rated on the following criteria: Quality, Castability, Presentation, Hook-up Ratio Available Options, Product Availability & Price
Quality: 2.5/5
Where to begin? the moment I had this frog out of the package I knew there was going to be issues. The long flexible legs are so thin at the joint and in the area in which they meet the body of the frog that they can and will rip easily. Yes, they give off great motion in the water, but they do so at the expense of durability and you know River2Sea knew this as a possible issue as they provided a back-up pair with your frog purchase, and they sell replacement packs of legs (approximately $5). There is also a warning about the material used for the legs and how it will interact with other baits, it is recommended that they are kept separate.. now thats a pain (but not uncommon)
The Body of the frog is built of the same (or similar) material used in many crank-baits. It is hollow but foam filled, and it can be chipped and beat-up if you are not careful when casting in and around structure. I have some slight damage on mine, but nothing that will effect the frogs performance. The strongest part of this frog is the flexible diving lip, since it doubles as a weed/hook guard it was built strong but flexible, and it takes abuse well. (although it does discolor after use)
Castability: 3.5/5
Tipping the scales at 1oz (for the 60 series) you should not have an issue casting this frog. It is weighted properly and can be cast, flipped or pitched with ease. Like with anything you will want to set your breaks up properly or you will have a mess on your hands
Presentation: 3/5
This is the area in which a lot of us will have differing opinions. I have read some high reviews of how this frog performs in the water, and I really don't get it. I don't like the way the legs sit when paused and I don't like the kicking motion. Maybe there is a bit of a learning curve as I have seen video evidence of this frog doing it's thing, but it wont do it for me. (and in all honesty the only angler that I have seen move the frog really well is Dahlberg himself)
When fishing the Dahlberg frog in heavy cover, you can expect some drag when crossing the pads. The body, the weed guard and the legs all effect it's ability to crawl over cover. This is not your typical pad hopping frog, and is better suited to swim around or over the edges of cover.
P.S See the below fish porn video, it shows how successfully the frog can be fished
Hook-Up Ratio: 3/5
With one monstrous 6/0 hook coming out of it's back, you would think that the Dahlberg frog would be rated a 5/5, but personally I feel this hook is more hindrance then help. The high set hook is more apt to catch and snag then you would be led to believe (watch the below video for evidence) and since the hook point is completely exposed it is bound to wear down quicker due to making contact with structure.
If you are an avid frog fisherman you will also be able to attest to the fact that many fish suck a frog down, and don't always "blow up" on it. This hook is set so high, that it would not as easily find it's home in this situation, in which case standard hook placement (low and tight to the body) is key
Availability: 3/5
Options & Price: 3/5
At the time of release this product was one of the highest if not the highest retail priced frog in it's category, but since then it is really in line with many other frogs on the market. As you saw above, anglers can expect to pay close to $12 a frog for a Dhalberg and a additional $5 if you want the security of extra legs.. and believe me if you live on a big fish or pike lake, you will need them.
As for options, the Dahlberg frog is only available in 4 color options, all of which are fairly natural looking. There is now two sizes available, so for those looking for a smaller version, be sure to check out the 50 series. Dont let the body size fool you, listed as 2 1/2 inches long, this frog stretches to a full 6 inches in length
Other Reviews:
launched at ICAST 2010 the Dahlberg Diving frog was the subject of a lot of talk, and the words "innovation" along with "game changer" were things you heard tossed around quite often. Below are two more reviews of the LDDF, both that seem to believe the hype it more then I do.
Tackle Tour (they seemed to like it more then I did)
FHC Outdoors (video review)
Where to Find:
Here are some places you can purchase the Dahlberg Diver Frog. River2Sea products are wildly available, and you should not have a hard time picking one up
River2Sea ($10.99/$11.99)
Tackle Warehouse ($10.99/$11.99)
Land Big Fish ($10.99/$11.99
Cabela's ($12.09) *only 1 size available
Outdoor Pro Shop ($11.89) *only 1 size available
Videos:
A new category to this every changing blog is this video portion. Why not share with you guys a little frog porn so you can see the frogs in action. I plan to film some personally this summer, but for now I will dig in the depths of You tube and share with you some great videos from other sources
Tackle Tour Video (sick blow ups)
Equipment:
the Dobyns 735c is a rod you have heard me mention 1000 times, and I don't want to bore you, but it will work well with the Dahlberg, it has enough tip for you to work the frog, and all the back bone in the world for pulling hawgs from cover. You can also try to downsize a bit, the 734c will soften up a bit for you and allow you to impart more finesse.. Due to the weight of the frog you wont want to go below a 4 power rod. (Change up the rod length if you are having issues finding the sweet spot). I have even run my Dahlberg on a 704 glass rod, and kinda liked it (the diving bill does kind of make it a crank bait).
Braid is the way to go when fishing this frog, depending on your preference I like to use 40lb power pro.. again you can get away with 20lb
Like always, thee above is just one man's opinion, and I always recommend you give it a try for yourself. I know my Dahlberg will spend most of it's life span on the shelf, innovation or not, this is not the best frog available on the market or in it's category
Yes, I am sitting here with a legless Diver Frog in front of me right now. As mentioned I have had far better hooksets with other frogs with concealed hooks. It was fun while it lasted, but last, it did not!
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