Intro:
If your a frog fisherman then you may remember those almost mythical stories about the now retired "Swamp Donkey" frog from reaction innovations. Another in a long line of baits that were gone before their time… not any more, the Teckel Tackle Whacker.. yeah I said it, was created and designed in the image of the classic Swamp Donkey, and when it first hit the north American shores, there was a huge sigh of relief.. but is the Teckel Whacker a new contender? or simply another knock-off.. you be the judge
Overall Rating: 7.3/10
Each frog is rated on the following criteria: Quality, Castability, Presentation, Hook-up Ratio Available Options, Product Availability & Price
Quality & Durability: 4.5/5
this frog is built tough, almost too tough. The body is a firm dense plastic that takes a serious beating while still keeping the water out. The hooks and strong and sharp and the paint job although not "realistic" is very well done and makes these a unique looking bait.
I found not issues with the all around quality of this bait, and I bet if I could have caught more then a few fish with it, then it would have still help up well.
I found not issues with the all around quality of this bait, and I bet if I could have caught more then a few fish with it, then it would have still help up well.
Castability: 4.5/5
It seems like the majority of the newer frogs hitting the market are all coming in at that sweet spot of around 1/2oz and the Whacker is no exception. It casts extremely well and lands with a nice whack.. but that being said if a frogs best feature is how well is casts, its time to find another frog
Presentation: 3.5/5
When it comes to presentation I really don't know what all the hype was about. I found this frogs ability to swim and or walk was average at best.. and often I opted to give it short pulls and have it move more up and down like a "rocking horse". The shorter the distance the frog is from the rod tip the better your ability to make it walk, but the body material at times moves like it's made of tire rubber with winter treads! (for all you southerners this simply means it has too much traction)
One thing I will give the team at Teckel is that this frog sits very well, ass down and legs flaring out.. this will drive fish nuts, but not being able to hook them will drive you nuts...
One thing I will give the team at Teckel is that this frog sits very well, ass down and legs flaring out.. this will drive fish nuts, but not being able to hook them will drive you nuts...
Hook-up Ratio: 3.0/5
Built for durability it is also like its ability to hook-up was an afterthought. The Whacker has a very dense body that gives off two much resistance when trying to drive the hooks home. The below image shows how little of the hook is exposed when pressure is applied to the back of the frog. The hooks on the Whacker are tucked in behind a bulge on the baits side, the dense body can and will get in the way of these hooks also hampering your hook-up ability.I will be honest here and tell you that i missed 4 consecutive fish on this bait. I simply could not hook up, and at times when I did, the fish would come unstuck on it's way back to the boat.. I'm not one to place the blame on a bait for when i have a bad day, so I will also say that I switched up frogs to see if it was me or the bait, and quickly hooked into the next two fish that hammered my frog
Availability: 2.5/5
I think I'm being generous by giving the Whacker a 2.5 for availability, currently I believe only one North American company is carrying this bait, but since it is Tackle Warehouse you should have no issues getting your hands on one.
Options & Price: 4.0/5
With 16 colours options available the team at Teckel are not playing around. I opted for the classic "black bird" but could have easily chosen 8 or 9 other colours that I really liked. They also offer this same frog design with blade like feet instead of silicone called the "Honker" I believe by adding blades you are drastically changing the frog and thus I will be reviewing it separately.
Where to Find:
In case you are having a hard time finding these locally, here are some reliable options for you.
Equipment:
I found the Teckel to fish fairly heavy, and although I used my new Dobyns DX746 for the majority of the testing, I think I could just as easily have used the 736C. Bigger reels are also a plus, the Daiwa Lexa pairs well with these rods and gives you a nice over sized spool for that added distance and power. Line choice was SunLIne FX2
Open Water (Sparse Pads): C+
Pads (Medium Cover): A
Slop & Grass (Heavy Cover): C+
Walk the Dog: B
Popping Action: N/A
Sit/Pause: A
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