BearPaws Bully Frog Review

Bully Frog:      Colours: 131   Size: 4.5"     Pack Count: 6     

             Leg Style: Dead               Weight: 1/2 ounce

Intro:

The Bully Frog from Bear Paws baits is a hand poured bait that comes in an incredible 130+ colours. This frog walks the line between durability and action, and in the end durability wins.. at the sake of action. BearPaws has introduced the industries first "dead lead" frog

Overall Rating: 6.3/10

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

Quality & Durability: 4.0/5

Overall this is a really well built frog, the material is dense and holds up well. The legs look flimsier then they are and although it sound odd this frog feels awesome in your hands.. this is what i expected from a quality hand poured bait.

Castability: 3.0/5

This is a big bulky frog that casts like a shot. Don't be shy you can really whip this bait around without worrying about damaging it. The material and shape make it awkward to skip, but if your all about hitting holes this frog will do the trick.

Presentation: 2.0/5

I'm kinda of at a loss for words as I really wanted to like this bait, but the design makes it almost entirely action free, it fishes like a dead frog. It does not swim, or buzz or kick.. the legs are motionless, you would be better to flip and pitch this bait over frogging with it. I don't know what they where thinking or if anyone ever even tested one out prior to bagging them for sale.. my guess would be no.

Hook-Up Ratio: 3.0/5

No issues or concerns here, but nothing to right home about either. This bait does not include any of the toad features I usually look for on baits with a higher then average hook-up ratio. There is no belly/back slot and no place you can easily hide the hook point.

Because of the dense material these frogs are made of you can bury the hook point but if you go to deep it may stay buried and if you go light your going to rip up the bait.

Availability & Price: 3.0/5

Being that BearPaws is an independent company making hand poured baits their reach is not great. But I won't hold that again them, they have made their way into Land Big Fish which to me is one of the top 2 on-line fishing resources available to anglers. Personally I would buy direct and give my money right to BearPaws.

Pricing on the Bully Frog varies from $4.99 for a 6 count bag ($0.83 per frog) to $39 for a 50 count bag ($0.78 per frog) and finally $70 for a 100 Count bag ($0.70 per frog). Again not bad for the level of quality and that they are hand poured.

Options : 4.0/5

Ok, this is kinda insane, BearPaws offers 131 colour options in their hand pour line, this means that no matter if you order it from LBF or direct the bait is being made for you and not sitting on the shelf for years. I like the idea of countless colours but find their small colour swatches make it hard to tell the difference between some colours. And there is such a thing as too much choice.

Where to Find:

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

BearPaws HandPour Baits ($5.25)

Land Big Fish ($4.99)

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Equipment:

I completed all my Bully Frog testing with a Dobyns 735c paired with a Daiwa Tatula.  This frog is fairly heavy  and can even be fished on heavier gear. this of course will all depend on the cover your fishing.

Stanley BuzzIt Ribbit Frog Review

 Buzz It Frog :      Colours: 10   Size: 3.5" - 4.5"   Pack Count: 1 Blade/3 Bodies    

             Leg Style: Buzz               Weight: N/A

Intro:

The BuzzIt by Stanley Jigs gets most of its street-cred from the original Ribbit frog that is the backbone of the BuzzIt system. Lets face it Stanley makes a great toad/frog, but they leave a lot to be desired when it comes to the terminal portion of this Frog/Buzz bait combo. 

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

Again, kinda cheating here as the majority of this score comes from the Stanley Ribbit portion of this bait. its a great frog that holds up very well, fish after fish.

As for the hook and buzz blade, I was not so impressed. Sure the hooks is strong and Sharp, but the weighted head seems to counteract the blade and I had a hard time keeping it up and running straight. If I slowed the bait would dip and it i ran it too fast the frog would spin.

Castability: 3.0/5

None of these frogs cast extremely well, like with Buzz Baits the blade can get caught up in the wind and cause some drag. Maybe its just me but I find I need to put some umph into my casts when throwing these baits.

Presentation: 3.0/5

I covered this above, I was not happy with the way this bait ran and had a hard time finding the sweet spot. Often I watched my frog spin or run sideways on the retrieve. If anything I feels as if the Ribbit frog just wasn't built to be fished behind a blade.

Hook-Up Ratio: 3.5/5

No real issues here, obviously the Ribbit frog has a denser beefier body then most soft plastic toads, and the thick kicker legs can get caught up on the hook, but again, these are small issues and all in all this frog performs well when it comes to hook-ups.

Availability & Price: 3.0/5

Not widely available I could only find this frog at Tackle Warehouse, you can also check it out on the Stanley website but I don't believe they sell direct (though I may be wrong). Price point is also pretty decent coming in at between $4.99 (standard) and $6.99 (bully)This price includes 3 frog bodies and 1 blade

Options: 4.0/5

Tackle Warehouse currently lists 10 colour options and two sizes.. the Standard (3.5") and the Bully (4.5"). This options are already pretty decent, but add to that this frog is fully customizable and you can use it with any colour Stanley frog you own, hell you can even rung it with non Stanley baits (you may even get better results)

Where to Find:

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

Tackle Warehouse ($4.99/$6.99)

Stanley Jigs (N/A)

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Equipment:

I completed frog testing with a Dobyns 734c paired with a Daiwa Tatula.  This requires a rod rated for spinner baits or buzz baits but still needs to beef to hammer away those crazy top water explosions. 

Renosky Jr's Super Frog Swimmer Review

 

Super Swimmer:    Colors: 6     Weight: 1/4oz    Size: 2.5"   Pack Count: 1

      

Intro:

The Renosky Jr Super Frog Swimmer (say that 3 times fast) takes some concepts from other popular frogs an attempts to make it their own. The main feature of this frog is the anglers ability to change the frogs action by switching between legs and a somewhat odd skirt. Cool concept, yes, but poorly executed.

Overall Rating:  5.8/10

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

Quality: 2.5/5

This really was a hard category for me to rate, the frogs body holds up well and is nice and pliable, the hooks are string and sharp, but this lure is easily rendered useless when a fish rips the legs off, or the they come flying off miscast due to a birds nest (it was one of those days). In order to improve this bait a way to lock the legs in place would be a big help.

This will sound odd coming from me, but I loves the legs on this bait, they were durable and had more action then the bait them were cloned after (worlds best bass frog). But on the opposite end of the spectrum I hated the skirt, the strands were unruly and the flashing combined with the strands became mated once wet. Without the legs this bait will never see the water again. 

Castability: 3.5/5

The SFS Frog is fairly small profile and light weight, as an angler that often long bombs my frogs i found I had to put a bit more muscle into my casts which may have caused the leg incident I experienced. 

Again maybe its just me, but the legged version of this frog casts and lands better then when skirted. I felt like the skirted version dragged in the air, causing me to again put more power into my casts as well as loosen up the reels breaks.

Presentation: 3.0/5

I said it above and I'll say it again, i really loved the action these legs gave off, they swam really well and pulled up next to the bait on the pause. This frog looks great swimming and sitting and really calls the fish in.

Skirted.. not so much, the long bulky skirt caused drag and effected how the bait swims and looks on the pause. I really wish Renosky provided two sets of legs instead of the skirt/leg combo

Hook-Up Ratio: 3.0/5

Good hooks and a soft body usually make for an above average hook-up ratio, but add in thick rubber legs or a thick matted skirt and you start to effect your baits performance. These are just some of the issues I experienced when fishing the Super Frog Swimmer. I think the below image speaks louder then words.

Availability & Price: 2.5/5

This frog is pretty hard to find, and I guess if other anglers experienced the same issues I have, then I can understand why bait companies arn't knocking down doors to add this bait to their shelves. 

Options: 3.5/5

The SFS frog is only available in one size, but 6 pretty cool color options. The fact that they offer the frog with both legs and skirts also gave them some brownie points here (no matter how much I hate the skirt).

Where to Find:

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

Tackle Warehouse ($7.49)

Equipment:

I ran this frog on a Dobyns 736c, paired up with a Daiwa Tatula HD reel on 60lb braid. This rod and reel combo is built to handle frogs and they let the bait perform like it should in all aspects listed above.  

Field Test Report Card:

Open Water (Sparse Pads): B+

Pads (Medium Cover): B+

Slop & Grass (Heavy Cover): C-

Walk the Dog: N/A

Popping Action: N/A

Sit/Pause: B+

Gary Yamamoto Yamma Frog Review

Yamma Frog:      Colours:13   Size: 3.75"     Pack Count: 5     

             Leg Style: Swim               Weight: N/A

Intro:

Its about damn time Gary and the Yamamoto Baits team started to pay attention to us frog fisherman.

Yamamoto baits has been an industry leader in soft plastic for as long as I can remember, so long their website is actually www.baits.com! and although that have sat back and reaped the glory of their senko baits, the all new Yamma frog is a true contender in the soft plastic toad market, and makes this frog fishing very happy.

Overall Rating: 8.6/10

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

Quality & Durability: 3.5/5

When it comes to a quality soft plastic bait Yamamoto has it down, their soft plastics are incredibly soft, and agile in the water, however it is they mix up their plastics, they seem to have found the right blend of plastic, salt and flake that provides anglers with a very life like on water performance

Durability on the other hand seems to always be an issue, and again it comes down to the same blend I just praise in the last paragraph. It seem its hard to get the best of both worlds when it comes to performance vs. durability, and in this case, I'm happy with the trade off. 

Castability: 4.5/5

Although I don't know the exact weight of this frog, the Yamamoto store will have you believe it is just under 1oz (over 3/4 but under 1). It does not feel that heavy on the rod, but this beefy little dude casts very well.

It can be bombed or skipped with ease, but I will recommended you watch your skipping action as the nose of the frog can get beat up and this will effect how long it lasts. I use a screw-on hook to ensure less trauma to the head of the bait

Presentation: 5.05

Not since the launch the Gene Larews Three Legged Toad have I been as impressed with the performance of a soft bodied toad on the water. The Yamma frog has a nice wide stance that moves across the water very easily. The thick legs allow you to achieve a soft churn/swim motion during slower retrieves as well as tearing up the water of faster retrieves. This bait also has a nice kill action with the legs twitching/fluttering on the fall.

I would say that this bait is a cross between Gamblers can toad and a Mann's swim toad. Taking the best qualities from each and improving them. If only this bait had a harder nose, it would truly be a beast to reckon with.

Hook-Up Ratio: 4.5/5

With a very deep belly slow and soft skin the Yamma frogs allows you to hide even the largest of EWG hooks. There is a lot of plastic on this bait, and as you know Im prone to knocking off points for this, but due to the baits incredible flexibility and softness even plastic that gets in the way should not hinder your hook-up ratio.

Availability & Price:3.5/5

You can walk into a bait shop without seeing some Gary Yamamoto product, but with that said the Yamma frog does not have the same market penetration as the Senk or Kreature lines, but it is still relatively easy to find. As for price, its a Yamamoto bait, so its expensive. These run about $7.00 a pack or $1.40 a bait.. not exactly ideal, but again a price I'm willing to pay.

Options: 5.0/5

Although there is only the one size option (the perfect size) the Yamma frog comes in 13 natural colors. Im not stoked on the color I purchased, but will try out a few more colors when its time to re-order.

Where to Find:

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

Tackle Warehouse ($7.19)

Land Big Fish ($7.19)

Pro Tackle Solutions ($6.49)

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Equipment:

I completed all my Yamma frog testing with a Dobyns 735c paired with a Daiwa Tatula HD.  This frog is heavy duty but still needs a soft tip to help finesse it around. Feel free to beef up or down, depending on your taste.

Blitz Phrog Review

  Blitz Phrog:    Colors: 3     Weight: 1/2oz    Size: 2.5"   Pack Count: 1

      

Intro:

I have a hard time reviewing frogs, that are clearly knocked off from another company. It hurts my sense of pride to pay a company to use a product they clearly did no work on. This is the case with the Blitz Phrog, and the only reason Im reviewing it now, is that the bait it is an exact copy of, os no longer available.. The TruTungsten MadMaxx

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: 3.5/5

The Blitz Phrog is pretty solidly built, and fishes very well. When holding this frog and my Mad Maxx and the same time I can feel no noticeable difference between the two. This is a good thing for the Blitz as the Mad Maxx is avery highly touted frog with incredible performance on the water.

Internally I can't tell you if there is a difference, but I believe the MadMaxx contained tungsten rattles while Im sure the Blitz uses a less expensive material to get their sound. 

The only possible quality concern comes from the body material. It is so soft that this bait often hooks itself thus ripping up the bait. If you are catching fish, this bait won't last you very long, but hey at-least your catching fish. 

Castability: 4.0/5

Just like the frog it was cloned from the Blitz Phrog casts like a dream. You can bomb this bait for some serious distance or flip and skip it up next to the boat. For a bait made of such light weight material it still amazes me how well it casts.(The added rattle may help the cause)

Presentation: 4.0/5

The Blitz frog moves incredibly well in the water, the body of the frog was designed to look and move like the hull of a boat. It has a deep "v" shaped frame that contains a few contours down the side for added motion or vibration

The internal rattle (although not tungsten) gives off some nice sound the are nice and loud, and although I don't always like rattle inserts in my frogs, both the added noise and extra weight help this frogs overall performance.

Hook-Up Ratio: 4.0/5

I have been fairly successful with this frog, and have no complaints when it comes to the hook-up ratio. The body of the frog is incredibly, super duper soft and has no comparison on the market.. it is so soft that it often hooks itself on an aggressive retrieve.

Availability & Price: 3.5/5

Not widely available this frog can be found through Blitz's own website as well as Land Big Fish. Price point is solid, at $5.99 this frog won't break the bank, and is well worth the investment. 

Options: 3.0/5

With 3 colours and 1 size option, the Blitz Phrog is not exactly the master of disguise. But I will take what I can get when a frog produces as well as this one does. Check out the black and or Sexy Frog colours, both will make you happy. 

Where to Find:

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

Blitz Lures ($5.99)

Land Big Fish ($5.99)

Equipment:

I ran this frog on a Dobyns 736c, paired up with a Daiwa Tatula HD reel on 60lb braid. This rod and reel combo is built to handle frogs and they let the bait perform like it should in all aspects listed above.  

Field Test Report Card:

Open Water (Sparse Pads): A

Pads (Medium Cover): A

Slop & Grass (Heavy Cover): C+

Walk the Dog: A

Popping Action: N/A

Sit/Pause: B