Monday, May 30, 2016

Snag Proof Bleedin' Frog Review

Bleeding' Frog:    Colors: 5     Weight: 1/2oz    Size: 3"   Pack Count: 1
      
Intro:

Snag Proof has proven to me over and over again that they know how to make a good frog, but every once in a while I feel that take a step back. In my opinion the Bleeding' frog is one of those instances. Its not a frog problem, simply put they loaded this frog up with a bunch of gimmicky features that for the most part don't put any more fish in your boat.


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: 3.0/5

Built Snag Proof tough you won't find many issues with this frogs quality and or durability. That is other then the usually read hook problem.. like braided line red hooks just don't seem to hold their color,  the more fish you land, structure you bang or pliers you use.. kiss the rod coating goodbye. Any since that is a feature of this frog I had to deduct points here.

Cast ability: 3.5/5

The Bleeding frogs large profile allows you to get some pretty decent casting distance when needed. It has an exposed rear weight that make sure it lands ass down 9 times out of 10 and its quickly in its fighting stance.

Like the red on the hooks, the exposed rear weight can wear down over time, this may shave a bit off the frogs weight, we are not talking jenny craig here, but it may be noticeable in the wind or when casting for distance.

Presentation: 3.5/5

The Bleedin' frog moves average to well in the water. Its not a great walker but also not one of the worst. The Version of this frog "with attitude" walks slightly worse then the version without the trailer hook.

Even with the rear weight I found my bleeding frog to sit more flat than ass down, This may be due to the larger body frame. 


Hook-Up Ratio: 3.5/5


As mentioned above there are two versions of this frog. One "with attitude" and apparently one without attitude. 'With attitude means it comes with a trailer hook and a $2 price increase. It may not look like it here but I bough the attitude version and ended up removing the trailer hook. Sure they are good in sparse or open water, but all in all I didn't find it made that much difference other then to the amount of time i spent cleaning my hooks.

Snag Proofs medium soft body allows for decent hook-up ratios. I don't have exact measurements but I will say this frog fishes larger then my SP fav's.


Availability & Price: 3.5/5

Reasonably priced at $7.99 these frogs are very common. Bleeding lures were the rage a few seasons back and still often hook anglers. 

Options: 3.0/5

1 Size, 5 basic colors and an attitude adjustment is what you have for options here. its standard dare for Snag Proof but as usual it leaves me wanting more.


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

TackleWarehouse ($7.99)

Monster ($7.59)



Equipment:

I ran this frog on a Dobyns 736c, paired up with a Daiwa Tatula HD reel on 60lb Daiwa J-Braid. This rod and reel combo offers the perfect balance of power and sensitivity needed when frog fishing, 



Field Test Report Card:

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

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





Monday, May 23, 2016

Boze Sumo Frog Review - Retired


Sumo:    Colors: 5     Weight: 5/8oz    Size: 2 3/4"   Pack Count: 1
      
Intro:

Last year I wrote my first Boze frog review, and it was at that time that I realized that I had been sitting on a review of the Boze Sumo walker for a couple years now.. you know a frog didn't make an impression what you don't even remember using it. So last season I tied it back on and gave it a few more casts hoping it would all come back to me, and I'd fall in love.. that was not the case


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: 3.0/5

I'm not really blown away by anything Ive seen on the Boze frog, but at the same time there's not a lot wrong with it. I'm not a huge fan or frogs with external weights, so that would be considered a bit of a con, and the frogs body is thicker then I would like, but that also means its durable. 

I had a few water issues with this frog, not titanic, more like a leaky canoe.

Cast ability: 3.5/5

With a slender body and a rear weight its easy to get this frog airborne and it covers some nice distance. The bellow of the frog is also nice and flat making it one of the easier frogs to skip.


Presentation: 3.0/5

The Sumo frog has an odd body shape that sits well in the water, but its not ideal for walking. I'm not sure if this is due to leg placement or the length of silicone used in the legs, but all in all this frog seems to trip all over itself when walking.

But.. the wide stance and flat body make it easy to pull the Sumo frog over pads and other debris on the water, it pushes or moved water well which is a great way to call fish in from all around.



Hook-Up Ratio: 3.0/5

Between the round bend hooks and the firm body I found my hook-up ratio with the sumo frog was average to poor. I felt fish were not getting enough of the frog when they struck, and the hooks weren't finding a home on my hooksets. 


Availability & Price: 2.0/5

This is a hard category to grade on as this frog is all but obsolete at this time. I actually couldn't find this frog at all on any of the websites i frequent including Ebay.. hey maybe its a collectors item.

Options: 3.0/5

I loved the colour options available when this frog was in its prime, Boze offered a mix of traditional and bright colours. At one point two sizes were available but as mentioned above you'll be lucky to find either now.



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

RETIRED



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 of all shapes and sizes and work well in tandem with the Boze Sumo frog.




Field Test Report Card:

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

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