The Frog Pond is now Closed for 2013.. See ya next spring

As you know the objective of the Frog Pond is to provide you with accurate on-water reviews of Frogs and Frog related products. With the cooler temps moving in and the fish moving out, the frog bite is no more.. so it's time for the Frog Pond to go into it's winter hibernation.

Rest assured come the spring we will be back at it, providing you with weekly Frog reviews of Hot
new products as well as good old classics

 We spent the off season stock piling frogs from the coming season, if you have any recommendations for products you would like to see reviewed in 2013 please let us know

To get your frog fix in the winter months follow us on Facebook were we will be posting all year long

Fog Pond Facebook Page

Top Frog Awards 2013 - Best Soft Body Frog/Toad

Intro:

Last week we awarded TOP Frog Rankings to a selection of Hollow Body frogs, so this week it's time for the soft body frogs (or toads) to shine.

The Same rules apply: Top Frog awards are given to  products that came out on top, not only in their overall rating, but also in each of the categories I review.. kinda like the Oscars, you may not win best picture, but you still have the chance to win for cinematography.. this year 2 frogs and 1 mouse split the hours

Options & Price Award: Mann's Hard Nose

Although this bait wont blow you out of the water when it comes to choices, you do have 8 color options that cover the "must haves" like black, white and some chartreuse. More sizes would be help in elevating the Hard nose's casting ability, but Ill take what I can get.

I'm not sure but I believe Mann's may be in the process of retiring this frog, selection is very limited at most retailers, and a low price of just over $2.00 a pack make me curious about it's life span.. if you get the chance be sure to pick up a pack or two and give these a whirl 

click Here to see the full review

Quality Award: Warrior Buzz Frawg

The Buzz Frawg scored very well across the board in it's original review back in October. It;s built ford tuff but still very agile in the water giving off a very nice buzz, that has almost converted this swim frog fisherman into a buzz frawg believer.. almost

I really can appreciate how well this bait takes the abuse doled out by fish and fisherman alike, as I really put it through its paces and did not have to changes frogs once.

click Here to see the full review

Castability Award: Warrior Buzz Frawg

coming in at 5" in length the Buzz Frawg its nearly the perfect size/weighted frog for short pitches or casting for distance. It's body shape gives it a softer landing then most (no slapping) but makes it more difficult to skip

If you find yourself confronted by windy conditions or situations in which you need to cast long and deep, then this is a frog worth tying on

click Here to see the full review

Presentation Award: Evolve Rx Mad Mouse

One of the coolest frog baits to hit the market in 2013 was the RX Mad Mouse from Evolve. I knew from the minute i saw this mouse that I had to have it.. I guess I just have a thing for 3-legged baits!

The RX Mad Mouse was built to swim, it has a belly keel and a raised nose that helps keep the head of the bait up, both on the swim and on the pause. The three legs each have built in crimps that move some additional water but still keep its action fairly subtle.

If it was not for its small frame this may have become my go-to soft plastic frog, but it's 5" frame is much larger on paper then on a hook. The body of this bait could use some beefing up, t his will not only improve profile but also hook placement  

Hook-Up Ratio Award: Evolve RX Mad Mouse

The body of the RX Mad Mouse has a squishy nearly gummy bear like texture that gives it the ultimate in hook-up ratios. The rubbery body holds the hook well but is easily pierced making sure your hook point finds its home. The body design of this bait is also conducive for a quality hook-up, there is very little material that will get in the way

click Here to see the full review

Highest Overall Rating: Evolve RX Mad Mouse

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

There is not much more I can say about the RX Mad Mouse that I have not said twice already. It is a quality bait that gives the fish a very different look.  I love the profile, the action and hook-up ratio.. if my dream come true the team at Evolve will evolve this bait into a larger version.. just don't change anything else!

click Here to see the full review

Best Places to Frog Shop:

When if comes to service, price, shipping and availability, here are the 3 best places to build your frog arsenal

LandBigFish (*)

Tackle Warehouse

The Hook-Up

* For you Canadian shoppers, LBF is your best bet, they ship USPS and you will avoid all those messy brokerage fees that UPS charges. Tackle Warehouse is quick, but since they Ship UPS, you can expect a minimum $20 plus duty and taxes on any order over $19.99

Frog Equipment:

When it comes to soft body frog (or toad) fishing there is no better rod on the market then the Dobyns 735c, I always have one rigged up and ready for battle no matter the conditions.

When it comes to line choice, Toray Finesse Braid has become my new favourite. It's tuff, yet super smooth, and holds up well when toad fishing. T

Top Frog Awards 2013 - Best Hollow body Frog

Intro:

Alright, another Frog review season has come and gone, and during the 2013 review period  I published 27 frog reviews, as always each frog was rated on Quality, Castability, Presentation, Hook-Up, Availability, Options & Price. Below is a list of the best of the best  for each category and of course the overall Highest rated frog (reviewed this year)..  This is kinda like the Oscars, you may not win best picture, but you still have the chance to win for cinematography.. so here we go

Quality Award: EverGreen Kicker Frog

Hook-up Ratio Award: EverGreen Kicker Frog

One of my favourite frogs from this season (or ever really) the EverGreen Kicker Frog was in the running for the overall best frog of 2013, and although it did not take home top honours it scored  high enough to place in the top 5 Hollow-bodied frogs of all time

The EverGreen Kicker Frog is a wicked combination of size, quality, presentation and hop-up ratio, the only real issues you will come across is getting your hands on one, and the hurt they do to your wallet. But if you are looking for the perfect bite-sized frog, this is one not to miss

For the Full Review click HERE

Castability Award: Snag Proof Ish Poppin Phattie 

Not to give anything away, but this is not the only award the Ish Poppin Phattie will be taking home this year, but I find it's important to highlight it's strong points, like castability

Often Poppin frog will rate lower on the castability scale as wide open mouths cause drag and will reduce the distance the bait will travel. I had no such issues with the poppin phattie and was able to cast it for distance or short pitches. I also like the flat bottom that allows me to skip this bait up under structure

Note: this is the second year in a row the an Ish frog took home top honours in the cast-ability section

For the Full Review click HERE

Presentation Award: Optimum Poppin Furbit

This was a very tuff category to rate this season, as multiple frog baits received a perfect score of 5/5 for presentation. One of those frogs was the Optimum baits Poppin Furbit, and why I chose it as the overall winner is it's fur tail

If you are not a believer in fur tails on baits, then you are really missing out, they not only move/slither in the water while walking a bait, but the also continue to move more naturally then silicone when paused. Fish eat these baits up.. PETA be damned!

For the Full Review click HERE

Availability Award : SPRO 

There are only 3 companies that can get a perfect or nearly perfect score when it comes to availability.. SPRO, Live Target and Booyah. For the baits I reviewed this season there was none that came close to the ease of purchase as the Spro series of frogs, hell you can almost buy them at the grocery store they are so common.

For the Full Review click HERE

 Options & Price Award: Booyah Popin PadCrasher

Booyah has been banging out quality frogs at amazing prices, the pad crasher series of frogs not only competes with other high end hollow body frogs on the water, but they are by far the easiest on your wallet.

Available colour options and sizes have been growing each year, and the addition of this popping model as made them an instant top contender with the likes of Live Target and Spro


For the Full Review click HERE

Highest Overall Rating:  Snag Proof Ish Poppin Phattie

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

Congrats to the team at Snag Proof, as I was truly blown away by all aspects of the Ish Poppin Phattie, it casts long and smooth, it walks with ease and spits up more then a new born baby. This frog is nearly perfect in every way and came very close to running the table and taking home all of thee above awards. 

If you are like me and are (were) on the fence a bit when it comes to poppin hollow body frogs, this is the frog you want to try.. just hold on tight

For the Full Review click HERE

Best Places to Frog Shop:

When if comes to service, price, shipping and availability, here are the 3 best places to build your frog arsenal

LandBigFish (*)

Tackle Warehouse

The Hook-Up

* For you Canadian shoppers, LBF is your best bet, they ship USPS and you will avoid all those messy brokerage fees that UPS charges. Tackle Warehouse is quick, but since they Ship UPS, you can expect a minimum $20 plus duty and taxes on any order over $19.99

Frog Equipment:

When it comes to hollow belly frog fishing there is no better rod on the market then the Dobyns 736c. On my boat it is used exclusively for hollow belly fishing and always has a frog tied on and ready to go.  http://dobynsrods.com/champion-series

If you are looking for a beefy reel that is not hard on your back, arms or wallet check out the Daiwa Lexa 300 series reel. It was my go to reel all season long and never let me down once

When it comes to line choice, Sunline FX2 is really up for the challenge that is frog fishing. It's tuff, yet smooth, and holds up well under the stress a frog line can be put under. This was my first season using it, and I could not be happier.

Picasso Shad Walker Review

Shad Walker :   Colors: 6     Length: 4 inch    Weight: 1/2oz   Pack Count: 1

Intro:

The Picasso Shad walker is a bait I had been really looking forward to test driving. Anytime a company brings something new to the table .. even if we are only talking about shape.. I think it is worth bringing to your attention.. but unfortunately in the case of the Shad Walker, it is one step forward, two steps back

Overall Rating: 6.6/10

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

Quality & Durability: 3.5/5

The Shad walker is made with a thick, durable material and will hold up well under abuse. I'm not a fan of the material as I do believe it may lower your overall hook-up ration and the tail in particular is very firm and wont easily get out of the way when fish strike

For the most part, the finished used are lifelike and look good, but they are no means on par with the finishes that other companies are knocking out.. let the bait begin.. does a better finish catch more fish or more anglers? 

Castability: 3.5/5

The overall size and weight of this bait make it super easy to cast for distance.. the only area of confer  is the baits shape.. the thin flat profile makes it hard to cast in windy or even breezy conditions. once the wind catches it the bait will fly off course.

The Shad Walker excels in short distance or skipping situations

Presentation: 3.5/5

I'm really up in the air on this baits presentation, it has some serious pro and cons.. including the fact that when fished in open water this bait moves almost like it is on ice, every pull of the line sees the Shad Walker sliding across the water uncontrollably. BUT..  if you are using this bait on pads, it drags across them with ease, as there is almost no drag or resistance.

The Shad Walker walks the dog like a champ, and if you give it short hops it skips off the water like a real shad busting on the surface.. the con to this is that the bait will at time loose contact with the surface of the water and this will effect your hook up ratio.

 The big overall issue with presentation is that the wide open hooks get caught up so easily you often ending ruining a retrieve and having to burn it in, clean it off and start all over again.

Hook-up Ratio: 3.0/5

With widespread open hooks you would expect that this bait would have a very high hook-up ratio, but the thick almost hard plastic tail and odd (fish-shaped) body make this bait tuff to swallow. The only thing I regularly hook-up on on was the weed, mats and pads.

I find the erratic movement is almost too-much for even the fish to follow and you will get missed blow-ups as the baits skates off to the side

Note: It is my understanding that Picasso has improved this bait by making a change to the hooks. Some retailers have old stock so be careful when purchasing. This review is based on the original frog with the old hooks (because I can only report on what I have used)

Availability: 3.5/5

No concerns here, although not available locally the big boys almost all carry this bait. As mentioned above watch for companies clearing out old stock, because if you are going to buy the shad walker believe me, you want the new and improved model

Options & Price: 3.0/5

I find that this bait is slightly overpriced for what it is. Coming in on average $8.99 per frog there are many other better quality baits available at this price point or cheaper

Where to Find:

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

Picassos ($10.99)

Land Big Fish ($7.99) 

Tackle Warehouse ($8.99)

Bass Tackle Depot ($7.99)

Field Test Report Card: 

Open Water (Sparse Pads):        B

Pads (Medium Cover):               B+

Slop & Grass (Heavy Cover):    C-

Walk the Dog:                          A

Popping Action:                       N/A

Sit/Pause:                                  B

Equipment:

This bait is heavier then it feels, so I prefer to fish it on the Dobyns 736c. This rod will allow you to walk, pop/bust, and drive the hooks home when fish strike. For reels I have been using the Daiwa Lexa 300 as it gives me more power and line capacity.. we all love to bomb frogs

Culprit Ultimate Frog - Review (Retired)

Ultimate Frog :      Colours: 8   Size: 4.5"     Pack Count:  3     

         Leg Style: Buzz            Scent: N/A

Intro:

The Culprit Ultimate Frog is another one of those baits that I bought, fully expecting to hate. The frog in the package is not all that impressive, it looks like it was painted in someones garage and the hook looked to beefy for the bait.. with all that said I was again pleasantly surprised 

Overall Rating: 6.8/10

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

Quality & Durability: 3.0/5

Lets be honest here, the Culprit Ultimate Frog ain't gonna win many beauty pageants in today's market filled with ultra realistic baits. Yes its shaped like a frog, and has frog like markings, but the Ultimate frog relies more on its action in the water then its overall appearance.

 The material it is made of is fairly durable and should hold up well for multiple fish. Like with many frog baits the weak-point is at the feet, they are thin and somewhat fragile (but the action produced is well worth the flimsy feet and toes).

The nose of the Ultimate frog holds a hook well. Its nice and thick ease to rig properly.

Castability: 4.0/5

The Ultimate frog is very aerodynamic in its shape and both the body of the frog as well as the hook add enough weigh to make this bait cast like a dream. It cant be long bombed, flipped and skipped with ease.

The hooks is nicely weighted and the frog always (ok almost always) lands on its belly. It was quite refreshing to fish with a frog that landed well consistently.

Presentation: 4.5/5

The Ultimate frog excels in "medium cover" situations, it moves very well over and around pads, most of this is due to the fact that The body of the Ultimate frog is hollow, making it a bit of a cross-breed. I really like the way the hollow body allows this frog to sit up high on the retrieve, and The hook provided with the bait slightly raises the nose up, making it even easier to keep the bait on top, even at slower retrieves.

The legs are nice and long and give off a nice smooth kick. On the Culprit web-site this frog is listed as a "buzz-frog" but in my opinion it is a swim frog, yes it does churn up the water, but its more subtle then what I expect from a buzz bait

The Ultimate Frog sinks fairly slow which is great for long casts as it allows the angler to take their time, and not be forced to rush the retrieve trying to get the bait back up on top. When ready to start your retrieve back up, the frog quickly and easily raises to the surface

Hook-Up Ratio: 4.0/5

The double point hook sits far enough down the leg that it allows for nice clean hook-ups, and wont hamper the baits movement. Im not sure who produces the hook this bait comes rigged with, but it is very strong and is perfectly weighted for these baits.. I only which they came with more then one!

Availability: 2.0/5

Im boarder line on listing this frog as "retired" it clearly appears to have been discontinued by most companies, but it is still available for sale on the Culprit website.. so you be the judge. Outside of buying direct your best bet it to watch ebay. I found many packs available at decent pricing

Options & Price: 3.0/5

If you can find them the Ultimate Frog is available in 8 colour options including a nearly see-thru yellow that Im still kicking myself for not picking up when I had the chance (i saw them at 1000 Island Bait Shop is NY State)

Where to Find:

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

Culprit ($6.99)

Ebay (Various)

TackleWarehouse (Out of Stock)

Equipment:

I completed all my testing with a Dobyns 735c paired with a Daiwa Lexa reel. You will want a bit of tip to allow for shorter accurate casts as well as a reel that will allow you to pick up the pace or slow right down when conditions dictate.

Warrior Baits Buzz Frawg Review

Buzz Frawg :      Colours: 5   Size: 5"     Pack Count:  5     

         Leg Style: Buzz            Scent: N/A

Intro:

Many frogs on the market today walk that fine line between durability and performance. The Warrior Baits Buzz Frawg has this down to an art-form,  and thus it deserves your attention 

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 & Durability: 5.0/5

When I first cracked open my  package of Buzz Frawgz I was immediately impressed with how the baits felt in my hand. I could not only feel how flexible there were, but I could also sense their durability. There is no weak spots on this bait, no thin areas that will tear easily, and even the nose is built up enough that the hook will not rip it up.

Castability: 4.0/5

This is a dense frog, and thus it is fairly easy to cast. It is great for short distances or long bombs alike, you can get away from skipping it, but that's not its strong suit

Presentation: 4.5/5

The Buzz Frawg works as advertised, it kicks up a serious fuss on the retrieve and is fairly easy to to rig and retrieve straight. I really like how easy it is to fish this frog, you can actually slow it down and still get good action, or speed it up and turn this baby into a buzz bait

Hook-Up Ratio: 4.5/5

There are two key features that make the Buzz Frawg a killer bait for hook-up ration, they are: It's soft playable body, and a deep recess in the baits back that allows the hook point to stay hidden, but still have bite when you set the hook. It is not often that a bait as durably built as the Buzz Frawg is still soft enough to give you such a great hook-up ratio

Availability: 2.5/5

Availability is not great on this or any Warrior products. I have never seen them available in Canada, and selection is limited on even the largest of on-line retailers sites. So if you can find them, but some

Options & Price: 3.0/5

There is not many options offered on the Buzz Frawg, it is one size fits all (5inches), and only has 5 colour choices.. may I recommend Black or the Green Pumpkin with white bottom.

As for the price point it is fairly decent coming in on average under $5 or around $0.92 a frog. Well worth the price in my opinion

Where to Find:

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

Warrior Baits ($4.99)

TackleWarehouse ($4.59)

Equipment:

I completed all my testing with a Dobyns 735c paired with a Daiwa Lexa reel. They were prefect for  nice long casts, and the ability to vary your retrieve. As always you will need some power and pick-up to get those fish back to the boat after a strike, but still want tip to finesse that frawg around cover.

Arbogast Buzz Plug Review

Buzz Plug:   Colors: 6        Size: 2 7-8"        Weight: 1oz      Pack Count:  1

    

Intro:

Like with the majority of "hard-bait" frogs, the Arbogast buzz-plug walks a fine line between frog and standard topwater bait (hell with a killer rat colour I guess we could even call this a hard body mouse). But with all that said a fish attacking the buzz plug often do so with a frog leg dinner on their mind, and thus, the Arbogast Buzz Plug makes it into my hard body frog category  

Overall Rating:  7.6/10

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

Quality: 4.0/5

Arbogast  has been banging out baits since 1928, so quality and longevity is not in question here. The Buzz Plug is great bait for young anglers looking to learn the buzz bait technique or grizzled vets looking for a buzz bait with a larger profile and the ability to pause for longer periods of time. It works in and around various cover and casts a country mile

Castability: 3.0/5

You wont have any issue getting distance when casting the Buzz Plug as this beast can be launched, the problem is, it lands hard. It is so large and heavy it is honestly hard to control on the land, so I would recommend overshooting your target as not to spook fish. 

Presentation: 4.0/5

This bait works as advertised, it gives off a real nice buzz on the retrieve and sits ass/hooks down on the pause. It is an improved version of the standard buzz-bait and it virtually unsinkable

The only real issue I came across was the collection of weed and debris along the nice of the bait (the area that houses the blades) This can be a pain in the ass, and the blades really wind loose grass up in them and it takes some effort to clean it out (this is a standard buzz bait issue)

Hook-Up Ratio: 3.5/5

The hook up ratio is fairly solid with this bait, the loose/swinging tail hook ensures it is always in strike position no matter if you are retrieving or pausing the bait. The hook itself is "OK" not great, but not bad either.

Availability: 4.5/5

One of the things that Arbogast has going for it, is ease of purchase. These baits are available almost everywhere, I can find them at most shops and all the big name on-line retailers carry them as well

Options & Price: 4.0/5

With an average price of $5.99 the Buzz Plug is easy on the wallet. At that price I did not hesitate to purchase one, and feel that most anglers are in the same boat. As for options, there are not currently any size options, but 6 froggy colour options including a rat colour that I really like.

Where to Find:

In case you are having a hard time finding these, here are some reliable options for you.

Tackle Warehouse ($5.69)

Bass Pro Shop  ($5.99)

Lurenet ($5.99)

Land Big Fish ($5.99)

Equipment:

Go big or go home. The Buzz Plug fishes very heavy so be prepared to use a stiffer rod then you normally would when fishing a standard buzz bait. For Example I usually throw my buzzbaits on a 704 or 734, but for the Buzz Plug I jump up to a 735c

As for line choice I would recommend fishing this bait on a braid. Long casts and an immediate response time are needed when fishing heavy reaction baits

Molix Supernato Frog Review

Supernato:   Colors: 8     Length: 1.75- 2.75 inch    Weight: 3/8 -3/4oz   Pack Count: 1

Intro:

One of the more unique baits I got to test drive this season, The Molix Supernato performs poorly as a frog bait, and only so/so as a crank-bait.. so how much street-cred does its innovation and slick movement get it? 

Overall Rating: 6.8/10

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

Quality & Durability: 3.5/5

With a very soft body cavity and a thin plastic head, Im not sure how mush abuse this frog is going to take. Designed to be bumped off cover the bill of the Supernato will take the majority of the abuse on a retrieve, but big bass and other game fish will reek havoc on this bait.. if you can get get its hook into one

Castability: 4.0/5

The Supernato casts well, whether empt of filled up with water you will be able to get some decent distance with this frog. Dont expect to skip it, and be accurate with your casts because the minute you begin your retrieve this frog will dive

Presentation: 3.0/5

I dont think I understand this frog.. the team at Molix says that you can run it shallow when empty or deep when full.. yet during testing I often found the Supernato would fill with water on each retrieve making it impossible to run shallow unless I paused it constantly.. and pausing it does not really do much for your presentation.

Calling this a frog at all is kinda a stretch. It was not designed to fish in any real "froggy" conditions it is really just a soft body crank-bait painted like a frog.

It's only saving grave here is that when retrieved the Supernato does give off  very erratic, flashy movement. This is what I thing is catching most anglers.. its too bad a poor hook-up ratio means this is really the only thing this frog will catch

Hook-up Ratio: 3.0/5

When you first put your hands on this bait you will probably think "Wow, this bait will really hook-up easily" and if it was a standard hollow body frog you would probably be right. With a super soft body and crazy sharp hooks, the Supernato should hook-up well, But there is a reason crank-baits have trebles and not tucked-in hooks.. the Supernato has not trebles and thus it misses more fish then the standard crank

Availability: 3.0/5

I can't find this frog on the shelf of any of the bait/tackle shops in my region. But since it is carried by two of my favourite on-line stores (Tackle Warehouse and LBF) I cant knock deduct too many points for availably. Both these stores cover both Canada and the US

Options & Price: 3.5/5

With two size options and 8 pretty cool colours the Supernato gives anglers some nice choices. That being said it is priced higher then most comparably (quality wise) frogs at $14.99 and I personally dont feel it is worth it. Sure this is a unique bait, and maybe Molix thought that added value, but to me a baits value can only be counted in the fish they catch.

Where to Find:

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

Tackle Warehouse ($13.99- $14.99) 

Land Big Fish ($14.99)

Bass Tackle Depot ($14.99)*

*One size only

Field Test Report Card: 

Open Water (Sparse Pads):  A

Pads (Medium Cover):  C

Slop & Grass (Heavy Cover):  F

Walk the Dog:  A+

Popping Action: N/A

Sit/Pause: D+

Equipment:

Put away your frog rods and fish this baby on your cranking sticks. I fished the Supernato on a Dobyns 805CBRM which gave me great distance and a powerful backbone. You could also fish this frog on a 735c but I would not go much lighter then that.

Line of choice was Toray Soloroam Superhard fluoro. I probably could have fished it with braid but since I felt like I was fishing a crank or wakebait I wanted to use cranking line