Iobee: Colors: 6 Length: 2 1/2" Weight: 1/2oz Pack Count: 1
Intro:
This is probably one of the more anticipated review I have written in awhile. I have received multiple emails as well as responded to various threads on a few boards I frequent. I will admit I was slow to get this one written up, but that being said I wanted to spent some extra time with it, to see if I truly did believe the hype.. short answer.. Yes!
Overall Rating: 8.4/10
Each frog is rated on the following criteria: Quality, Castability, Presentation, Hook-up Ratio Available Options, Product Availability & Price
Quality: 4.5/5
Jackall is on a streak right now, a streak of making some pretty impressive, high quality baits, whether it is a soft plastic craw, and squarbill crank bait or a hollow body frog, they put the time and effort into the details. The Iobee frog is no different and really proves the old adage " you get what you pay for"
The Iobee frog is contracted with high grade materials that have held up well after continuous use, and a certain amount of abuse.
The rubber leg strands are honestly the only complaint I have with this frog overall. They are messy and are constantly getting caught up and knotted around the hooks. This is an annoyance more then an issue, but still worth mentioning (and the reason this frog did not get a 5/5)
Castability: 4.5/5
This frog casts very well and lands even better. It's ability to lang belly down was pretty impressive and even more impressive is the ease is which I was able to roll it back over if by chance it did land "hooks down"
Presentation: 5/5
Man o' man, is this ever a cool frog, the videos you have seen don't really do it justice until you actually get to fish this frog. Not only is it a breeze to fish, but it walks, jerks, hops, and dances like no other frog available.. my 5 year old nephew could work this thing to perfection.
It's design is perfect for both open water and heavy cover, it has nice "sit" and is almost always in contact with the pads.
As mentioned briefly in my "test drive" post on BJFA there is one pain in the ass you will experience when fishing the Iobee and that is that the leg strands constantly get caught up and twisted up on retrieve. This was a pain, but not a deal breaker
It's design is perfect for both open water and heavy cover, it has nice "sit" and is almost always in contact with the pads.
As mentioned briefly in my "test drive" post on BJFA there is one pain in the ass you will experience when fishing the Iobee and that is that the leg strands constantly get caught up and twisted up on retrieve. This was a pain, but not a deal breaker
Hook-Up Ratio: 4.5/5
with a fat back end and a firmer plastic then that used but Booyah and Live Target (the current standards in my eyes) there was no way I could give this a perfect score in hook-up ratio. But overall it performs very well and will provide you with an above average hook-up ratio (unless the angler gets in the way)
Availability: 4.0/5
Jackall products are becoming more and more common in my area, and I can now find them in areas I never expected, larger and small shops alike. That being said their presence is not that of Live Target, Booyah, Strike King or other mainstream retailers. Give it another year or so and I expect you will see Jackall lures everywhere you look.. maybe that will help drive the prices down as well
Options & Price: 3.5/5
This is the area of the review that is going to hurt the Iobee's chances of taking over the overall top hollow body rating. First off lets talk price, the Iobee is an elite frog but when compared to the two other top rated frogs currently in the pond is it priced significantly higher.. 18% higher then the Live Target Hollow body and over double the price of the Booyah Pad Crasher
Where to Find:
In case you are having a hard time finding these locally, here are some reliable options for you.
Tackle Warehouse ($12.99)
Equipment:
I spent most of my time working the Iobee on my Dobyns 735c, I like to power down slightly when using this frog as it offers more movement or "finesse" if you will, compared to other hollow body baits. It walks well and with the softer tip on the 735 you can really make it dance.
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