Monday, May 27, 2013

Vok Croaker Frog Review


Croaker:   Colors: ?     Length: 65mm"    Weight: 5/8oz   Pack Count: 1


Intro:

I have been sitting on this frog review for about a year now. I bought a Croaker frog last spring at the sportsman show in Toronto where they were on full display. I was drawn in by the crazy bright colours (yes I'm pretty much a child) and then hooked by the great price point ($6.99-$7.99). The Croaker is by no means a perfect frog, and at times you could say it is flawed.
I wish I had more info to flush this review out a bit  more, but the VOK croaker appears to have gone into hiatus, prematurely, or permanently? who knows


Overall Rating: 6.0/10
Each frog is rated on the following criteria: Quality, Castability, Presentation, Hook-up Ratio Available Options, Product Availability & Price


Quality: 3.5/5

The Croaker is a quality bait, but don't let anyone fool ya into thinking it is "elite" or "Premium" I have seen it advertised this way, and all and all it's not the truth. yes it is built "ok" and yes the body holds up fairly well for such a supple material. It has a sharp hook, but their not saying who made it? 

If it was not for the cool colour selection there is nothing that would make this frog stand out or make me buy it (besides my addiction) 



Castability: 3.5/5

 Equipped with a fairly healthy frame and an internal rattle, you will have no issues casting the VOK Croaker.  Obviously as you move down the size scale, the weight of the frog also drops, thus dropping your casting distance. As with many "froglets" the smallest size may even require being thrown on a spinning rod 


Presentation: 3.5/5

The Croaker looks and moves well in the water. It has no serious faults or flaws in it's presentation, and will get bit.. the problem is that is does bit back (see below)


Hook-Up Ratio: 2.5/5

The big, and I mean big mistake  VOK made with the croaker frog is the way in which they tuned the hooks inward. It kills the hook-up ratio no matter how soft and supple the body material is (and it is soft!). They did not make this mistake on their "Samurai frog" a bait that looks like it was made (or stolen) from the exact same mould as Evolves Nervous Walker, you be the judge




Availability: 1.0/5

I'm going to give this bait a 1 out of 5 for availability and that is only because I do know some out of the way shops that carry this frog still. As mentioned various times during this review, the VOK website is "comings soon" and has been for awhile now. If it gets updated I will in turn update this review with the new info

Options & Price: 4.0/5

I think I'm being a bit generous here, and you need to take my word for it, as their website is no longer up to date. The Croaker is available in three sizes and various colour options. At one time you could also choose barbed or barb less hooks. What I liked about the Croaker when I saw it at the sportsman show was the cool colour options, they are unique and way different then the competition.

Pricing was also good, depending on your size choice you would be paying anywhere between $6.99 and $7.99



Where to Find:
In case you are having a hard time finding these locally, here are some reliable options for you.

VOK ($6.99 - $7.99)



Equipment:

The Vok Croaker can and does fish well on a Dobyns 735c, you wont need any more rod then that, as this frog fishes a bit lighter then some other hollow-bodies you may be use to throwing. As with the majority of my hollow body frogs I tested this frog with 50lb SunLine FX2, if it came in anything lighter (like a 40lb) then I would use that, but 50lb gets the job done. For you reels you know the score, look for a nice solid 200 or 300 series reel that has great pick-up. I use a Daiwa Advantage and at time even a T3 Ballistic


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