Reaction Innovation Swamp Donkey Review

Swamp Donkey : Colors: 9  Length: 3"  inch Weight: 1/2oz  Pack Count: 1

Intro:

The return of the Swamp Donkey.. no retired frog has been as talked about as the Reaction Innovations Swamp Donkey. Anglers begged RI to bring this bait back and it has finally happened.. the Swamp Donkey is back.. but does it live up to the hype?

Overall Rating: 8.0/10

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

Quality & Durability: 4.0/5

Reaction Innovation makes a damn good frog. The Swamp Donkey is pieced together with quality components including sharp up turned hooks, a longer narrow body and down turned nose. Other then the nose these are all wins and just a few of the reasons the swamp Donkey is in such high demand.

Castability: 4.0/5

Featuring a half once aerodynamic body this frog casts incredibly well. Its good for distance and shorter skips. Like most frogs it will struggle in windier conditions but keep it low and you should still be able to hit your spots.

I have mixed emotions about the Swamp Donkeys land, at times it comes down a bit heavy looking like an Olympic diver doing a cannonball, yet other times it more graceful.. could it be me.. sure but I do this enough to say its partly the frogs fault (just not sure why)

Presentation: 4.0/5

The Swamp Donkey moves very well at medium to low speed retrieves.  It can be walked back to the boat in a wide wobble or a nice tight walk. I do find this bait harder to control at longer distances and higher speeds, I'm not sure but I think the down turned nose is a hindrance in both of these situations. But for slower speeds and closer targets you can really make this thing move.

Hook-up Ratio: 4.0/5

One of the things that made this frog the legend that it has become is its high hook-up ratio. Its long slender body with child baring hips makes this frog easy to swallow so the fish often gets all of it prior to you driving the hooks home. The wide hips hide the hook points keeping them clean on the retrieve and making sure they are ready to do their job when the fish hits.

Availability: 3.5

Just the fact that you can buy this frog again is enough for most anglers, so I won't be too hard on them here. A retired bait coming back from the dead is a rare thing, they are usually retired for a reason (poor sales, too many knock-offs, or high cost). With all that said I couldn't find this frog locally and had to add it to a Tackle Warehouse order, they too had limited stock so i took what I could get.

Options & Price: 4.5/5

When you see the price tag of $8.99 you have to give Reaction Innovations props, since over the past few years the discontinued version of this frog has been selling for $20-$75 on a fairly regular basis. So they could have used the built up demand to gouge anglers.. but they didn't, and that's worth a thanks. As for options the Swamp Donkey only comes in one size but the colour choices are pretty sweet. I opted for Hematoma (Black/Purple) though I would also have loved the BlueGill, Grey Ghost and the Leopard Frog version.

Where to Find:

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

Tackle Warehouse ($8.99)

Land Big Fish ($8.99)

Outdoor ProShop ($8.99)


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): B+

Slop & Grass (Heavy Cover): C+

Walk the Dog: A

Popping Action: N/A

Sit/Pause: A

Keitech Noisy Flapper Frog Review

Noisy Flapper:      Colours:10   Size: 3.5"     Pack Count: 5     

             Leg Style: Swim/Buzz               Weight: N/A

Intro:

Probably the bait I was most excited to purchase going into this past off season, and believe me, my list a long one. I really like what Keitech has been up to over the past few seasons and even the baits I have yet to catch fish on, still get high marks in my book, they seem to focus on quality durable baits that make a commotion in the water.  Bring on the Noisy flapper 

Overall Rating: 9.0/10

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

Quality & Durability: 5.0/5

The body of the Noisy Flapper is soft yet incredibly durable. It feels like it has been injected with somthing that allows it to be pulled on, tugged and hammer at all while keeping its shape and appendages. It's not often you find a bait this durable in this price range.

 The keys parts of a soft body toad that need to be durable are its nose and of course its legs, Keitech seems to understand this as they have built a frog with a boxers nose and a runners legs. This frog will hold up fish after fish.

Castability: 4.5/5

The Noisy Flapper has a beefy profile that casts incredibly well. Its aerodynamic shape looks kinda like the bat mobile or in this instance bat plane, and cuts through the air and breeze well. Its softish sponge like body material makes a nice slap when it hits the water altering any fish in the area of its presence while not spooking them. The Flapper can also be flipped and skipped quite easily making it a great frog around trees and docks. 

Presentation: 5.05

The Noisy Flapper is not your average frog and could be described more as a cross over bait, it is the ideal top water frog, and when the going gets tough it can be flipped (weighted or not) or paired with your favourite jig. This bait is a force to be reckoned with.

The long legs get you a powerful buzz/churn on the retrieve switching to a soft flutter then the bait is killed or paused. Fish will come from a long way out to swallow this bait so keep your eyes peeled and watch for the wake.

Hook-Up Ratio: 5.0/5

With the combination of its wide body (ass end at-least) and the soft material the Noisy Flapper is easily one of if not thee highest hook-up percentage frog in my arsenal. Keitech has taken all the hook-up ratio keys to success and said "why not use them all"

One of these keys that is often overlooked is the ability to use a double frog hook on a soft plastic toad. Not all baits are wide enough and provide enough hiding spots to make this work. The NF seems like it was built with this as its primary rigging style not just an option. And believe me, its will improve your catch ratio.

Availability & Price: 3.5/5

Keitech baits are becoming more and more common in the US market place but in smaller or rural Ontario its not exactly easy to find. Enter Tackle Warehouse. I had to order my baits on-lines though I have since found them in some of the shops I frequent while on the road (a couple hours away)

Price is not bad here, it is over the $1 per bait mark so I did deduct points for that. But the quality and durability of this bait makes it worth the extra coin. There are other companies out there charging more for inferior baits and Ill happily pay for quality.

Options: 4.0/5

One size baits seems to be common in the soft body toad market and the Noisy Flapper is no different. Where this frog excels is in its colour choices where all 10 colours offer the angler and fish a slightly different look.

Im a big fan of their natural colour options and I will also be adding some brighter colours like the Lime chartreuse and Okeechobee craw. The later will probably get some time on my flipping rod.

Where to Find:

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

Tackle Warehouse ($5.95)

Land Big Fish ($5.99)

Bass Tackle Depot ($5.99)

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Equipment:

I completed all my Noisy Flapper 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. I also played around a bit with a 705 glass rod, the even softer tip makes it very easy to slide into overhanging cover while still allowing me to haul the fish out.

Culprit Incredi Frog Review

Incredi Frog:      Colours:7   Size: 4"     Pack Count: 5     

             Leg Style: Buzz              Weight: N/A

Intro:

I don't use a lot of Culprit baits, and the ones I have used are pretty mixed results.

The Incredit frog was a pleasant surprise in that its built tough and swims well. This bait will catch fish and won't cost you an arm and leg.

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: 4.0/5

I think Culprit called this frog the Incredi Frog solely based on it's  body builder frame. This is one tough frog, from the legs on up through the body right to the nose you won't find a weak spot. The Incredi frog is on some form of PED lets just hope we don't get busted.

When doing these reviews I often ready product reviews on various other sites and pages. I have seen some quality complaints from other users claiming that they received flawed frogs right out of the package (molding issues). I did not experience this product with any of the frogs in my packs.. but I'm all about full disclosure. 

Castability: 4.0/5

Being a larger frog does wonders for the Incredi Frogs casting ability. You can easily get distance when needed and its flat(ish) body still allows you to skip up under docks and overhanging trees.

The Incredi Frog lands with a nice slap but due to its shape it will often land belly up. It can be hard to flip once this happens but if you keep your hook point buried you will still be able to complete your retrieve. 

Presentation: 4.05

Thick leg with large kicker feet mean this frog is a beast on the retrieve. it churns some serious water and leaves an "incredi-bubble trail" (see what I did there). Its very easy to fish at both high and low speeds meaning it excels in most conditions. Personally I prefer to fish this bait over medium to sparse pads, making it do a little climbing but not an "incredi" amount (ok ill stop now). Its big body will require some pulling when going over pads but the grooves cut in the belly were designed to help off set the drag effect often seen in larger soft plastic toads.

Hook-Up Ratio: 4.0/5

The Incredi frog is built right, long slender profile means less rubber getting in the way of your hook-set and the belly slot means easier access to the hook for both you and the fish. It also has a wider ass end so that anglers that like to throw double frog hooks can do so with ease (I need to do that more)

Availability & Price:3.0/5

Not common at all in my neck of the woods, I had to order this frog on-line along with the other Culprit frog "the Marsh frog". Price is decent at just under $1 a frog, but as you know I like a bit more of a margin when it comes to soft plastics. With that said these frogs will last for multiple fish and are worth the price tag.

Options: 3.0/5

With one size and a limited colour palette options are not exactly this frogs strong suit. 

Where to Find:

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

Tackle Warehouse ($4.49)

Culprit (direct) ($4.99

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Equipment:

I completed all my Incredi 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 cover. Feel free to beef up or down, depending on your taste.

Scum Frog Scum Dog Walker Frog Review

Scum Dog Walker : Colors: 12  Length: 2.5"  inch Weight: 1/2oz  Pack Count: 1

Intro:

Im a big fan of Scum Frog baits, always have been and pretty sure I always will be. The focus on making quality baits with minimal bells and whistles so they can keep the price down and oh yeah.. catch fish! The Scum Dog Walker was a reader recommended bait and I have to say.. I'm impressed.

Overall Rating: 7.8/10

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

Quality & Durability: 4.0/5

Scum Frog baits walk that fine line between having a thin flexibly body for improved hooksets, while still being thick enough to be durable. All in all they hold up well fish after fish but you may have to spend sometime turning and adjusting them on the hook.

Dont be afraid of the gaping hole seen below, I thought this frog may sink like a stone when I looked at it's belly but as it turns out this frog is a swimmer.

Castability: 4.0/5

The Scum Dog Walker is heavier then the standard line of Scum Frogs so casting distance is improved. It sill lands relatively soft so not to spook fish and once in the water it quickly drops its ass and spreads its legs in a fighting stance. The extra weight also helps with skipping, the old model is so light it could be awkward at times but the Dog Walker steps up its game.

Presentation: 3.0/5

I went back on forth on this one, and if the frog itself was not named the Dog Walker I may have taken it a bit easier on them here. Yes you can walk the dog with this frog but its not as seamless and easy as the name would suggest. It sits very low in the water and thus is swam or pulled over walked. On their website they actually provide instructions as to how to hold your rod in order to get the best results.

With that said it has a great pause and sit.. leading of course to the hookup ratio.

Hook-up Ratio: 4.5/5

Being a Scum Frog I knew this bait was going to score big in this category. The Ultra soft body, well placed hooks and of course a low sit give this frog an incredible hook up ratio. Its added weight also makes it harder for the fish to bump ip up into the air during a strike meaning it finds the fishes belly more often than the classic model.

Availability: 4.0

As with most brands with large line-ups Scum Frog is easy to find at most retailers, but the Scum Dog Walker might not be as readily available. All depends on how much room your local shop has on its shelves.

Options & Price: 4.0/5

Price is the big winner here, coming in under $6USD you can't find a better frog at the price point. Options are "Scum Frog Large" with 12 colours readily available. Like with other Scum Frog product some regions will also have speciality colours only available there.

Where to Find:

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

Tackle Warehouse ($5.19)

Northern Lure Company ($5.40)

Bass Pro ($6.49)


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): A

Slop & Grass (Heavy Cover): B-

Walk the Dog: C+

Popping Action: N/A

Sit/Pause: A