Sunfish : Colors: 6 Length: 2 5/8" inch Weight: 4/5oz Pack Count: 1
Intro:
The Live Target Hollow Body Sunfish has to be one of the hottest baits to hit the market in years. The demand has been huge ever since they were launched back at ICAST 2015 and most retailers (Canadian anyways) are just starting to get their first shipments in now.. like the horror stories from Cabbage Patch Kids Christmases of the past, it won't be long before anglers are fighting in the aisles over the very last one before bass season even opens.
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: 4.0/5
Live Target makes a quality bait, no surprises here, they use a body material that holds up fairly well yet still collapses when setting the hook. The hooks are sharp and well positioned to stay debris free yet still find a home. My only real concern was that this bait was fairly leaky and I ended up needing to drain it on almost every retrieve.
This bait is so life like it even pisses on you just like every sunfish you have ever caught.
This bait is so life like it even pisses on you just like every sunfish you have ever caught.
Castability: 4.0/5
I didn't really get to test drive the Hollow Body Sunfish under all the conditions I would have liked. I used shorter to medium casts in non windy situations and the bait performed flawlessly, It got where I wanted it to go and landed with a nice slap. The body shape makes it easy to skip meaning you should be able to fish the Sunfish in areas some other frogs might not get.
Some complaints I have heard when dealing with wind or longer casts is the baits tendency to knuckle due to its odd shape. This seems like it could be frustrating and may effect how and where you utilize the Sunfish.
Some complaints I have heard when dealing with wind or longer casts is the baits tendency to knuckle due to its odd shape. This seems like it could be frustrating and may effect how and where you utilize the Sunfish.
Presentation: 4.5/5
Again a near perfect score in presentation is slightly sullied by how much water the sunfish takes on during each and every retrieve. If you don't give it a squeeze you can expect this top water frog to turn into a wake bait running 1-3 feet underwater.
All other areas of the frogs performance are perfect, it walks incredibly well and can be retrieved at both high and low speeds giving fish a very different look.
You can drag the Live Target Sunfish across thicker slop and pads but it really excels in open and sparse cover, its wounded bait fish look really needs to be seen to be believed and will ring the dinner bell of any fish in the vicinity.
All other areas of the frogs performance are perfect, it walks incredibly well and can be retrieved at both high and low speeds giving fish a very different look.
You can drag the Live Target Sunfish across thicker slop and pads but it really excels in open and sparse cover, its wounded bait fish look really needs to be seen to be believed and will ring the dinner bell of any fish in the vicinity.
Hook-up Ratio: 4.0/5
strong beefy Frog hooks and a soft collapsible body allow for a decent hook-up ratio. The bait has a small profile, the smallest size being the ultimate in one-bite brownie size.
Availability: 5.0
Live Target takes their queue from Apple and makes it really hard to find new baits when first launched. Sure the big guns will get stock but most of the smaller shops see delays which ends up hurting them as it drives anglers who desperately want this bait to buy it somewhere other then their local shop. With that said once in full launch mode this bait is everywhere and you should have no issues getting your hand on one if you really want to.. at times you may just have to sacrifice size or color choice since more smaller retailers won't stock all 24 sku's.
Options & Price: 4.5/5
When it comes to options are price the hollow body sunfish gets a near perfect score. It comes in 2 sizes that I will call small and medium and its available in 12 colors.. most of which are not sunfish. As for price this bait is slightly more expensive then the standard Live target frogs.. why? because anglers will pay for it (I did.. twice).
As mentioned above most tackle shops in my region are not carrying all 24 versions of this frog (2 sizes x 12 colors) so although the options are available you may be limited locally to what you can buy. This also goes for size, one major shop in my area is only stocking the smaller size and in all honesty I find it too small for my liking.
As mentioned above most tackle shops in my region are not carrying all 24 versions of this frog (2 sizes x 12 colors) so although the options are available you may be limited locally to what you can buy. This also goes for size, one major shop in my area is only stocking the smaller size and in all honesty I find it too small for my liking.
Where to Find:
In case you are having a hard time finding these locally, here are some reliable options for you.
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): A
Pads (Medium Cover): A
Slop & Grass (Heavy Cover): B-
Walk the Dog: A+
Popping Action: N/A
Sit/Pause: C+
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