Buster K : Colors: 6 Length: 2.4 inch Weight: 1/2oz Pack Count: 1
Intro:
After fishing with the Deps Slither K last season, I had no qualms about spending the $20+ Deps is asking for their follow up bait "the Buster K". Touted as a bad ass popping frog with a deafening rattle I was excited to get the BK on the water in hopes of reproducing the success I had with the SK.. unfortunately no matter how much fun I had throwing this frog, the success just didnt come.. here's why:
Overall Rating: 7.2/10
Each frog is rated on the following criteria: Quality, Castability, Presentation, Hook-up Ratio Available Options, Product Availability & Price
Quality & Durability: 4.5/5
first things first, Deps knows how to bang out high quality products, and the Buster K is no exception , with a soft yet durable body, twin fur tails and some seriously sharp hooks, this is a bait that fish should fear
The only issue I had with the Buster K (and I will get into this in more depth below) is that it quickly and easily fills up with water. I dont know if this is a design flaw, or if my frog just happens to be a lemon, but it was a huge pain in the ass (though it did not stop me from fishing it)
Castability: 4.5/5
The Buster K can be long bombed with the best of them. Its carries a full 1/2oz in weight, pair that with a sleek aerodynamic body and an internal rattle that shifts back and forth, and you have a bait that allows you to cover serious distance on the cast
If there is one flaw I would say that it tends to land loud.. that being said many of you won't agree that that should be considered a flaw.
Presentation: 3.5/5
Unfortunately this is where things start to fall down a bit for the Buster K.. lets start off with the issue I referenced earlier, this bait could easily been named the Buster T, "T" as in Titanic as this thing wont stop sinking. Every cast I had to give it a squeeze and remove the excess water, if not it would be fully submerged by the end of my second cast. I have been searching the web looking for anglers with similar issues and I have yet to find any, so did I get a dud? it's to early to tell, all I do know is that I cant not advise you of this as it is/was a major pain in the ass
it aint all bad.. here is what works on the Bustker K... I have said it before and I will say it again, rabbit fur makes a better frog leg then silicone, it moves easier and way more life like in the water. I do wish the tail of the Buster K was longer (like that of the Slither K) but it still gets the job done.
The popping mouth on this bait moves some serious water, I loved fishing it in thinner slop as it would leave larger holes after each pull, the popping was so loud at times others in the boat was snap around expecting I had had a blow up. Top this all off with an internal rattle that moves around freely and is designed to bang into the internal portion of the hook making a loud metal on metal sound that drives fish crazy (the rattle does gets jammed up at times, so keep eye on it, as you don't want it to interfere with your hooks.)
Hook-up Ratio: 3.0/5
This is another area that I experienced a bit of a hick-up. It is kind of surprising that a bait with hooks this sharp and a soft pliable body gave me such grief when it came to hook-ups.. I wish I had some answers for you, but I don't. I did read some customer reviews on various boards and sites that tell me Im not the only one having this issue, but most cant really nail down why?, but if I had to wager a guess I would state that in my opinion the low hook-up ratio ties directly to the fact this bait sinks, simply put the bait is often out of position when the fish strikes thus making it harder for the hooks to find a home.
Availability: 3.5/5
Like with all Deps products they are easy to find if you know where to look. Locally there is one or two shops that specialize in harder to find baits (aka: expensive). While on-line many of todays big boys carry Deps as well as the Buster K
Options & Price: 2.5/5
Deps makes no excuses for the price tag on their baits, nor should they. They are a high end product with quality parts.. that being said there is no way for me to score them any higher then 2.5 when the average price of this frog is over $20.00
As for options, like with the Slither K you have one size and limited color choices.. but what color choices you do have are fairly unique.. hell my glow in the dark frog looks kinda like a killer clown from a certain Stephen king novel
As for options, like with the Slither K you have one size and limited color choices.. but what color choices you do have are fairly unique.. hell my glow in the dark frog looks kinda like a killer clown from a certain Stephen king novel
Where to Find:
In case you are having a hard time finding these locally, here are some reliable options for you.
Field Test Report Card:
Open Water (Sparse Pads): C+
Pads (Medium Cover): B
Slop & Grass (Heavy Cover): B
Walk the Dog: C
Popping Action: A
Sit/Pause: B-
Equipment:
I completed all my testing with a Dobyns Rods 736c, again as this frog will mainly be fished in medium to light cover, you can easily get away with fishing it on a 735c if you want a little extra tip for casting purposes. Same can be said for reel choices, Im hooked on the Dawia Lexa right now, and both the 100, and 300 model will get the job done
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