Monday, June 29, 2015

River2Sea BullyWa 2 Review


BullyWa 2 : Colors:  Length: 2 5/8"  inch Weight: 4/5oz  Pack Count: 1

Intro:

Disappointed, that's all I can really say about the relaunch of the BullyWa frog by River2Sea. The quality and finish is not as sound as Im used to and this frog is severely out of tune!


Overall Rating: 6.5/10
Each frog is rated on the following criteria: Quality, Castability, Presentation, Hook-up Ratio Available Options, Product Availability & Price


Quality & Durability: 3.0/5

I've said it 100 times, River2Sea makes a quality frog, but the BullyWa II feels kinda rushed, the finishing touches are a bit rough, everything from the  seams looking unfinished to the thread wrapped noses left un-trimmed, and finally of course the big issue is the hooks not properly set or tuned on the bait.. this frog is a monster slop catcher.



Castability: 4.0/5

The BullyWa II is larger and bulkier then its older brother, its casts and skips extremely well but I found that it lands pretty hard. I'm not sure all this added bulk was needed and not sure how (or if ) it was meant to improve on the original BullyWa design.


Presentation: 2.5/5

The score here is mainly due to the poor hook tuning. With the hook points not sitting snug to the frogs body it is way to easy for this frog to pick up slop and anything else floating on the waters surface. The picture above was a common occurrence and caused a great deal of frustration. If I was not reviewing the frog I would have cut it off after a few casts.

On top of the tuning I also felt that the BullyWa II did not walk as easily as the standard BullyWa, it may have been the piggy backers it picked up but this frog feels chunky in the water. The Original model moved like an olympic swimmer while the BullyWa 2 is closer to a fat man doing the doggy paddle.

Hook-up Ratio: 3.0/5

strong beefy Frog hooks and a soft collapsible body allow for a decent hook-up ratio, with that said its hard to hammer home the hooks when you have 2 lbs of salad loaded on. The image below shows you just how out of tune these hooks are.


Availability: 3.5

River2Sea is becoming a standard on most tackle shelves, you really won't have an issue getting your hands on this frog (if you want to).. just take my advice and have some pliers on hand to give this bait an adjustment before you hit the water.



Options & Price: 3.5/5

The Bully Wa 2 is only available in one size (unlike the original model) and has 6 color choices. The options are pretty standard, nothing fancy but if you like them light, dark or neon, they pretty much have you covered.




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


Tackle Warehouse ($10.99)

River2Sea ($11.54)

Land Big Fish ($10.99)


Equipment:

All  testing was done on a  Dobyns DX746 it is my go to rod and handles both hollow and soft plastic baits alike. As for reels, the Daiwa Tatula HD pairs well with this rod and gives you a nice over sized spool for that added distance and power. Line choice was SunLIne FX2





Field Test Report Card:

Open Water (Sparse Pads): B+
Pads (Medium Cover): C
Slop & Grass (Heavy Cover): C-

Walk the Dog: C
Popping Action: N/A
Sit/Pause: B

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