Top Shelf Croaker Review

Croaker:      Colours: 10   Size: 4"     Pack Count:  3     

                            Leg Style: Buzz            Scent: N/A

Intro:

Top Shelf baits may not be on many anglers radars, they are currently not widely available (In Canada or the US), and upon a quick glance they could be considered a tad on the expensive side of things.. That being said they are one of the toughest built buzz frogs on the market today and will last fish after fish, after fish

Overall Rating: 7.2/10

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

Quality & Durability: 4.5/5

These babies are tough from toes to nose. The dense rubber/plastic body is what gives the croaker it's great buzz, and it also ensures durability. This fort has been often imitated but the knock-offs currently available are not made with the same quality as the Croaker itself.  

Castability: 4.0/5

The Croaker casts and or skips very well. It has a thin/flat aerodynamic body that makes it easy to work in almost all conditions. You will need to be quick on the uptake as it sinks fairly quickly once it hits the water and takes some effort to get it back on top and buzzing

Presentation: 3.5/5

The legs and feet on the Croaker give it a very different presentation then most buzz frogs. On the retrieve it has the look of a scared women running away from a zombie in a B horror movie (picture a women running and screaming with her arms waving frantically int he air)... Note that this is not a bad thing. Instead of kicking behind the frog the legs on the Kroaker kick out to the side and give it a softer churn or buzz then most buzz frogs.

When Paused the Croaker sinks well (though fast) giving off a nice frog profile to any fish paying attention.. actually the majority of my fish on the Kroaker came while the frog sank.

One concern I did have is that I felt I had to really burn this frog back to the boat in order to get the presentation I was looking for. Even a fairly steady retrieve found this frog turning into a wake bait and it swam just below the waters surface.. watch your rod tip, and keep it high if want to to keep the Kroaker up and running

Hook-Up Ratio: 3.5/5

There are some pro's an con's associated with the strength of the material used to build the top shelf Croaker.. pro's are obvious: durability and a strong buzz/churn given off on the retrieve. The main con would have to be how a thicker denser body can and will get in the way of your hook set. Top Shelf does tries to off-set this by giving the back of the croaker a deep well removing the need to bury the hook point, this does help, but as always, the more plastic the  more chances you have of loosing a fish

Availability: 3.0/5

Im fairly surprised how hard it is to get your hands on Top Shelf Products. They are quality made and more importantly they work.. that being said there is limited purchase options for the on-line shopper.. tackle warehouse is probably your best bet since they carry all colours and they have the best price per pack.

If you live in the US I have included a list of tackle shops that carry Top Shelf, check it out below

Options & Price: 3.0/5

The baits themselves come 3 to a pack and on average they will cost your $5.99 a pack or $1.99 a frog, If your thinking "ouch" your right. If you were to ask Top Shelf about it, I think they would quickly counter with a statement to the fact that their product lasts twice as long as most other baits on the market.. and although that may be true, $1.99 a bait is hard to swallow

On the positive side there are 10 colour options currently available, most if not all colors are two toned and pretty cool looking.

Where to Find:

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

Tackle Warehouse ($5.99)

Boat Masters ($6.99)

Retailer List

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Equipment:

I completed all my Croaker testing with a Dobyns 735c paired with a Daiwa T3 Ballistic reel. This combo gives me the power and speed to pull fish out of cover quick, but also the ability to skip this frog into tight corners and under trees. The croaker was designed to be used with a 5/0 screw lock hook like the Zoon horny toad hook

Baby Kahara Frog Review

Baby Kahara  : Colors: 8   Length: 1 3/4"  inch Weight: 1/4oz  Pack Count: 1

Intro:

The Baby Kahara frog is yet another Japanese import that is high on quality, but thankfully not high on price. This is a tiny little froglet that may frustrate you in the wind, but surprise you on the water 

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: 3.5/5

 Almost everything about this frog is high quality. The body is nice and tough yet still flexible, the hooks are strong and sharp. The silicone legs are short, so they stay out of your way but still flare on the pause.. The one issue you will find is that whatever they use to glue the eyes in place is just not working.. you can see in my above image that my frog is eyeless and and I have read many other reviews from anglers who also complain about the same issue

Castability: 2.5/5

I found this frog very hard to cast for any distance..it's tiny and very light weight, so in order to cast it well, you will need to fiddle with your breaks and downside you normal frog rod gear.. maybe even go spinning?

There is a zinc plate on the bottom of this frog, so landing is never an issue. You may want to take advantage of the eyelet on the weigh that allows you to add a blade to the Baby Kahara, this will give you some added weight and the ability to get some extra flash on your retrieve 

Presentation: 3.0/5

The Kahara Baby frog walks really well, and can even be twitched in place. Given it's small size it still has a big profile and drives bass crazy

As mentioned above there is a small eyelet on the bottom that will allow you to add a blade (or treble hook) for some added flash (or sting). This normally is not my thing, but the extra weight would be nice

Hook-up Ratio: 3.5/5

This frog has some things going for it, and going against it when it comes to the hook-up ratio. First off on the pro-side this bite-sized frog can and will be eaten whole giving you a great chance of landing the hooks in the fishes upper jaw.. that said for those fish that do just get a piece you will find the body slightly denser and short in stature making it harder to get that nice gap between the hooks and body.

I also noticed that hooks were slightly turned in on this frog as well as many other pocket sized frogs, I'm not a huge fan of this and had to doc some points there.

Availability: 3.5/5

For an import this frog is surprising easy to find. Not only is it available through larger on-line retailers but can also be found at shops specializing in imports (this is getting more and more common)

Options & Price: 3.5/5

coming in at around $8 a frog many anglers may call it expensive.. but I wonder if it they would still complain if this frog was full sized and not "baby". To me any frog under the $9 mark pretty good, and the closer you get to $5 the happier I am. Colour options are also pretty good on the Kahara Baby, not only is it available in 8 colours, but they are pretty cool colours at that

Where to Find:

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

Optimum Baits ($8.00)

Tackle Warehouse ($7.99)

Land Big Fish ($7.49)


Equipment:

This is one Frog you are going to want to downsize your gear for. I prefer to fish it on the Dobyns 734c paired with a Daiwa Tatula Reel. for line I drop down to 20lb Daiwa Samurai braid

If your struggling for distance be sure to try and fish the baby Kahara on a spinning rod like the Dobyns 703Sf, this is a beefier spinning rod that hold up well to medium to sparse cover

Field Test Report Card:

Open Water (Sparse Pads): A

Pads (Medium Cover): B

Slop & Grass (Heavy Cover): E

Walk the Dog: A

Popping Action: N/A

Sit/Pause: B-

Bass Pro Shops XPS Frog Review

XPS Frog  : Colors: 2   Length: 2 3/4"  inch Weight: ? Pack Count: 1

Intro:

The Bass Pro shop does many things well, but frogs are not one of them.. the XPS frog sinks better then it swims and its thick plastic body and heavy internal weight makes this frog designed more for combat by with a a shark then with a bass

Overall Rating: 5.5/10

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

Quality & Durability: 3.0/5

Basing this review on the XPS's quality as a "bass-fishing" frog it gets fairly low marks, but with that said, it is built to last and as some of the below pics can attest to, my XPS frog has done battle with bowfins and still live to tell the story.

The XPS has a super thick skin and large internal weighted hook, both of these hold up well, but are not really conducive for bass fishing.. pike maybe, musky maybe, bowfin obviously, but Bass not so much. 

Castability: 3.5/5

This frog can be cast a country mile (if that's still a term). I was actually blown away by the distance I could get on each and every cast, no matter the condition.  The landing on the other hand, really is an  an issue. The overall weight and flat bottom give this frog a pronounces slap when it hits the water (like a bomb slap)

Presentation: 3.0/5

this frog is has a slow wobble/walk automatically on the retrieve, there is no need to work the rod tip, the frog does it all by itself… that said, it barely keeps itself above the water and the tiny legs are hardly visible.. so why even give this frog swimming legs?

Hook-up Ratio: 2.50/5

Not impressed at all with this frogs hook up ratio. This is mainly due to the super thick skin and the large internal weight. It's thinner profile also leaves very little room for the body to collapse, again not helping you at all in the hook up area. I will admit the hooks are sharp and strong, and if you are able to drive them home, they usually hold on.. even when you don't want them too.

Availability: 3.0/5

Being a Bass Pro Shop product you are fairly limited to where you are able to buy XPS Frogs.. yep that's right at the Bass Pro Shop, and since I don't think it;s fair to give a brand specific frog poor marks for only being available at it's own store.. i left the rating at 3.0

Options & Price: 2.5/5

I'm not sure if this frog is in the process of being retired or not, all I can tell you is that the choices are much smaller now then when I purchased my frog last season. Currently the XPS frog is available in one size and two colour options. I think it is a bit pricey at $5.49 and would much rather spend my cash on a Booyah frog at the same price point

Where to Find:

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

Bass Pro Shop ($5.49)

Equipment:

The XPS Frog is a heavy frog meant for heavy cover and heavy fish. I would not go any lighter then the Dobyns 736c, and you may even want to up size to the DX795.. again this frog is not for the faint of heart and I would only break it out in situations that I'm worried about loosing a frog or when I know there are toothy critters lurking about.

I fished this frog with a Daiwa Lexa 300 with 60lb Sunline FX2 braid

Field Test Report Card:

Open Water (Sparse Pads): C+

Pads (Medium Cover): C

Slop & Grass (Heavy Cover): B-

Walk the Dog: B

Popping Action: N/A

Sit/Pause: C-

El Grande Lures Sapo Frog Review

Sapo :      Colours: 3   Size: 4"     Pack Count:  5     

                            Leg Style: Buzz            Scent: N/A

Intro:

As a member of the El Grande team I have been fishing with the Sapo frog for a few seasons now. There are many things I like about it, as well as a few things that keep it from being my everyday frog.. I'll put it all out on the table and you be the judge

Overall Rating: 7.0/10

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

Quality & Durability: 4.0/5

If you have never fished a bait made by El Grande lures, you really should. They make quality baits, that hold up very well fish after fish. The Sapo has great durability while still being flexible and soft enough to impart good action upon the retrieve. It is a chunky bait, and is nice and thick from nose to toes, but does not fish as heavy as you would expect

Castability: 4.0/5

The Sapo's beefy profile makes it very easy to cast, and the flat bottom will allow you to skip it up under various structure. It is not as heavy as it looks and seems to walk that fine line of "just right" when it comes to it's overall weight

Presentation: 3.0/5

The leg profile of the Sapo frog gives it a real nice buzz, gurgle in the water. I like the action it imparts but at times I had a hard time finding the right pace and keeping the frog from spinning.

Im not sure it if is the pointed nose of the bait or how the hook slot lines up, but I found that I was making the bait roll on retrieve. It took a few casts to find just the right retrieve speed to keep the bait moving properly.

Hook-Up Ratio: 3.5/5

The Sapo Frog offers you an average hook-up ratio. The slot in the back holds the hook in place but still leaves it free enough to stick the fish even on a so/so hook set.

If you have been reading my reviews for any length of time now, you will know that I have to dock points from the Sapo due to the thick dense body material. Anytime you have this much plastic on a bait, it will hinder the odd hook-up.

Note: El Grande recommends using a 4/0 or 5/0 hook when fishing the Sapo, and I have to agree with them.

Availability: 3.0/5

Unless you are buying direct from El Grande Lures, then this bait can be hard to find. There are a few other retailers that carry it on-line, but they are small and since I know nothing about them I did not feel comfortable posting a link and sending you there.. buy direct

Options & Price: 3.5/5

The price point on the Sapo is good, you will find is for $3.99 for a 5-pack or $0.79 a bait. I do with they had more then 3 colour options as like with any bait I like a bit of choice

Where to Find:

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

El Grande ($3.99)

Equipment:

The Dobyns 735c is the best rod for this frog, and will allow you to cast for distance and hook-up even when Sapo is out of sight. Take your time and learn how to properly fish this frog  you will be happy with your purchase

Berkley Gulp BatWing Frog Review (semi-retired)

BatWing (Gulp)   Semi-Retired 

 Colors: 4   Size: 4"   Style: Swim   Scent: Gulp  Pack Qty: 4

Intro:

I know of at least one angler that was sad to see these frogs go, but that angler is not me. The Berkley BatWing GULP frog is an oddly designed frog that is super light weight with a flat belly and odd legs. It moves surprisingly well over pads, and fish seem to eat it.. I'm not sure what made Berkley think that a GULP frog was needed but they were very wrong

Overall Rating: 5.6/10

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

Quality: 2.5/5

Berkley has been making quality baits for years, and when looking at the Gulp BatWing frog it is not so much the quality of the product as it is the quality of the presentation. The material used does not stand up well to the abuse a bait goes through when landing multiple fish, and of course being a GULP product there is also the chance of it drying out on you.. It is the same over simplified body design as the standard Bat-Wing and I'm kinda happy they are both now retired

Castability: 2.5/5

This is a very, very light weigh bait and it takes to getting use to when casting. The aerodynamic design works in it's favour but overall it can be a nightmare to cast in windy conditions or without setting your drag to loose. The flat bottom helps with skipping, but overall the GULP version of this frog is not fun to cast

Presentation: 2.5/5

There may be some that will argue with my review, but I found this Frog lacked presentation altogether. The legs give off a faint soft flutter but the body imparts little action and even less when paused.

The original BatWing frog is a much better pad frog then open water frog, but the stickiness of the Gulp version hinders it here as well.. If you put the BatWing through a bumpy ride it will flip on you, and good luck getting it to turn back over.

Hook-Up Ratio: 3.5/5

The thin body is one of the best things about the BatWing frog, it allows you to use standard and EWG hooks and still have room to slam the hook home. This is the one area in which the GULP version of the BatWing out performs the original version.

Availability: 2.5

Good luck finding a BatWing Gulp nowadays, your local shop may have a few packs laying around, and some smaller out "outlet" style retailers have some stock (limited options)

Options & Price: 2.5

It is hard to judge this product on it's current options since the base is all but discontinued. Most retailers that shill have stock have anywhere between 1-4 colours choices and the price ranges from full pop at $5.99 all the way down to $2.49.. which is still to much in my opinion 

Where to Find:

LandBigFish ($5.99)

Fisherman's Factory Outlet ($2.49)

Anglers World On-Line ($4.99)

Equipment:

This is a light weight frog so you may want to put away those ultra beefy rods. I fish the BatWing with a Dobyns 735c and the 805CBRM. As with other light weight frogs the 805's extra length helps fling the frog over greater distances. You wont need much more then 40lb braid and could get away with lighter if you have casting difficulties.

Big Bite Baits Buzzing Warmouth Review

Buzzing Warmouth:      Colours: 8   Size: 4"     Pack Count:  4     

                            Leg Style: Buzz            Scent: N/A

Intro:

Big Bite Baits continue in their attempt to expand frog fishing to the flipping and pitching market. First they introduced the Fighting frog (which i loved) and now they have the Buzzing Warmouth, a bait that is much better suited as a flipping bait, but since they insist on marketing it as a frog I was  obliged to  review it

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: 4.0/5

The body and legs of the Buzzing Warmouth are tough and should hold up to multiple fish. I pretty was impressed with the leg action, even more so when flipping this bait rather then buzzing it. If you are an angler that likes to use screw in frog hooks I will warn you that the nose of this bait is a bit thinner then most and you may tear up some baits easier then if using a traditional hook.

 

Castability: 3.5/5

The Buzzing Warmouth is one of the flattest baits I have ever tied on which is one of the reasons it casts and skips like a dream. The only reasons would be its large profile, and the increased body weigh from the traditional warmouth.

Presentation: 3.0/5

This is another one of those baits that does a few things well, but none of those things are what I personally look for in a frog bait. To me, this is a wide body flipping bait with paddle legs instead of arms.. but since Big Bite baits already have a flipping bait that they call a frog (Fighting Frog) I'm not to sure what they were going for here.

Hook-Up Ratio: 3.0/5

Looking at how flat this bait is, you would think that it would give you a very high hook-up ratio, but I have to tell you that it has a lot of features that get in the way rather then help, things like a very wide body, long thick rubber/plastic legs as well as the fact that to keep this bait weedless you will want to bury the hook point in it's side, which is a tougher material then many other frogs on the market today. Sure a flatter bait may look like an anglers dream, but not this angler

I found the Warmouth to be an odd size for hook matching. You are going to want to use an EWG 3/0 or 4/0  hook. The 3/0 is a better fit, but I feel it can be kind of small for some frog fishing (and when flipping)

Availability: 3.5/5

The Buzzing Warmouth is pretty easy to find. I have come across it both locally as well as on various big and small on-line retailers, but if you can't find it, check out the below links

Options & Price: 3.0/5

The price point on this bait is fairly hefty at on average $5.50 for a 4-pack or over $1.35 a bait

The colour and size options won't really blow you away either. The Buzzing Warmouth is only available in one size (4") and 8 colours. I will admit the colors they do have are pretty sweet, but this baits performance does not justify the price

Where to Find:

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

Big Bite Baits ($5.99)

Tackle Warehouse  ($4.99)

Land Big Fish ($5.29)

Gander Mountain ($5.99)

Equipment:

The Buzzing Warmouth requires some dexterity and a good rod tip. It fishes fairly lite and the flat body can easily plane if you your not careful, so I fished this bait on both a Dobyns 735c and a 734c. If Flipping the bait feel free to go heavier.

EverGreen Darter Frog Review

EverGreen Darter : Colors: Unknown   Length: 2.6 inch Weight: 1/2oz Pack Count: 1

Intro:

Japanese imports are flooding the North American fishing market, and for good reason, they are high quality baits known for their fish catching ability. The Evergreen Darter frog meets both the above criteria and adds some deeper versatility to your frog arsenal.. deeper being the key word. The Darter frog  is the first frog in my collection that actually walks better under the water then above it.. but is that a good thing? that's your call

Overall Rating: 7.6/10

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

Quality & Durability: 4.5/5

It there is one thing (other then price) that Evergreen is know for, its the quality and durability of their baits, and the Darter frog is no exception. Not only is it equipped with the quality components I have come to expect from Evergreen but it also has a thicker more durable body then the kicker frog I reviewed last season (HERE)

Castability: 4.0/5

Casting will not be an issues with this bigger, bulkier Evergreen frog. It has a nice long slender stature making for great castability. The 1/2 weight does not hurt this frog either.

I will caution against long casts when you first starting fishing the darter frog. Give is a short flip and check out it's action upon retrieve. You really should see this frogs action up close prior to working it long distance

Presentation: 4.0/5

I had a hard time ranking this frog's overall presentation. It is a darter frog, and the idea behind it is that it darted and slashes just beneath the waters surface.. and believe me, it does this very well.. But I don't want a frog to do this, and that is where my bias comes into play.

So if you are looking for a frog that will slip under the water during your retrieve and that will give you an erratic walk the dog (under water) action, then this frog will blow you mind. But.. if you are looking for a traditional frog to drag over mats or slop then this is not the frog your looking for

Hook-up Ratio: 4.5/5

Although not as impressed with the Darter frog as I was with the Kicker frog, it still has an above average hook-up ratio. The body material is soft but not as collapsible as many other high end frogs (though it would probably be more durable). The hooks are Sharpe and look to be quality, I had no issues hooking-up and staying hooked up

Availability: 3.0/5

I can't find this frog on the shelf of any of the bait/tackle shops in my region. But with some simple searches you will easily find one on-line. E-Bay is your best bet for pricing and selection, but check the shipping rates from the sell prior to making a purchase, that $11.99 frog may quickly become a $25.99 frog if your not careful

Options & Price: 3.0/5

There are some very cool color options available for the Darter frog, but as always the price of this import has brought the O&P rating down to a 3 out of 5. Many guys will find it hard to justify dropping $20 on this frog, and after fishing it, I personally would not spend that much on a second frog. Yes it meets all the same high standards of other Evergreen Japanese import frogs, but the action was just not for me.

Where to Find:

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

Lee's Global Tackle ($21.99)

E-Bay ($11.99 - 16.99)

Equipment:

Light weight and known more for action in open water then in heavy cover you can get away with fishing the Evergreen Darter on lighter gear. I started out using a Dobyns 736c but quickly dropped down to the 735c. This year I plan to give it a go on the all new DX746 a rod Im very excited about fishing in 2014. Daiwa Lexa 100 will get you buy with ease, great casting distance and still all the strength and drag of larger sized reels

Line of choice was Toray Finesse braid from Blackwater fishing line, it is a nice round braid with super thin diameter options

Field Test Report Card:

Open Water (Sparse Pads): A-

Pads (Medium Cover): C

Slop & Grass (Heavy Cover): D

Walk the Dog: B

Popping Action: B

Sit/Pause: B+