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

V&M Cyclone Series Buzz Frog Review

Cyclone Seriers Buzz Frog :      Colours: 4   Size: 8 1/2"     Pack Count: 4     

             Leg Style: Buzz               Weight: 1oz

Intro:

The art of the buzz frog system is still being perfected. Most baits in this series are moderately successful but won't blow anyone away. This is the case with the VM Cyclone Series Buzz Frog, a soft plastic toad that on it's own is average at best, but strap on a buzz blade and the fish come running. 

Overall Rating: 6.8/10

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

Quality & Durability: 3.5/5

This is the 4th buzz frog I have  purchased, it is only the second soft plastic toad version in my arsenal and in all honesty it does have some pro's and con's associated with it (more on that later). The baits overall construction is average, and the toad itself Im not a huge fan of, but it seems to work well when added to the buzz system. Obviously the weakest link here is the toad and unlike the Stanley ribbit version you don't get any extra bodies with this rig, so be prepared to dip into your soft plastic toad arsenal if you want to keep this bait fishing. 

Castability: 3.0/5

The buzz bait portion of this Cyclone causes some serious resistance in the air and you really need to put your back into it if you want to get that extra distance. The toad it fairly lightweight and even though the hook is belly weighted that's more for keeping the rig running properly then it is for added distance.

Presentation: 4.0/5

This has to be the area I'm happiest with when it comes to the Cyclones performance. I was not exactly sure what to expect, as mentioned numerous times I'm not a fan of the toad by itself but for some reason in buzz form it works. This baits swims very well behind the buzz blades and once your find the sweet spot (speed) you should be very happy with its double buzz performance (the blade and the feet).

The biggest issues in its presentation is the beads added to the buzz set-up, these collect debris on the retrace and will gunk-up up if not properly cleaned. This can and will become a pain in the ass if you don't stay on top of it.

Hook-Up Ratio: 3.5/5

The hook-up ratio of this bait if pretty decent, the body of the frog is soft and flexible making sure your can hammer the hook home each and every time. The overall hook quality does not blow me away, but it's decently sharp and shouldn't hurt you out on the water.

Availability & Price: 3.0/5

Not widely available The Cyclone can be found at a few of the big boys, but good luck finding one at most local shops. The Price is decent at $4.99 but unlike some of its competitors the Cyclone only comes with one frog body, this is not a huge issue as if you are like me you probably have dozens of soft plastic toads in your arsenal and should be able to concoct your own buzz frog creation.

Options: 3.5/5

One size and 4 colour options does not make for a crazy selection, but as mentioned above the main portion of this bait is the buzz blade and weighted hook that give you the ability to switch up your frogs body opting for a larger size, a different foot style and of course colour options. So all in all, its pretty damn versatile.

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)

Bass Pro Shop ($5.79)

Pro Lures On-Line ($5.49)

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Equipment:

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

LunkerHunt Combat Frog

Combat Frog : Colors: 11  Length: 2 1/2"  Weight:  3/4  Pack Count: 1

Intro:

Long after the hype around the original Lunker Frog wore off I was still taking flack for my original review. Some believed I was too hard on the frog but many others believed I was too soft. The more I fished the Lunker Frog the more I would have to agree with those calling me soft. The all new Combat frog had my hopes up for improvements, but really all I saw were downgrades.

Overall Rating: 6.1/10

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

Quality & Durability: 3.0/5

Some will still call this a soft rating as the legs of the Combat frog continue to be an issue, but in defence of LunkerHunt no one has perfected this yet, and the rest of this frog is designed with quality in mind. The body material is top notch as well as the hook quality.. but the legs, oh those legs

Castability: 3.0/5

The Combat frog is bigger and beefier then the original Lunker frog and although it still casts well, I found the landing to be more of an issue.. this fat boy belly flops instead of Olympic diving. Being that it is much larger profile it can and will get caught up in the wind causing the frog to spin or rotate in air. The Legs also do more harm then good when skipping. Not that its not possible, its just a bit of a bitch.

Presentation: 2.5/5

I absolutely hated fishing this frog, the large body and flailing legs made it damn near impossible to properly swim. Even if you slow it down and give the frog erratic jerks it won't walk but instead it usually gives a short dive. If I wasn't reviewing this frog I would have cut it off shortly after I started fishing it.

Hook-up Ratio: 3.0/5

I think I'm being generous by giving this frog a hook-up rating of 3.0/5. Sure the body is very soft and collapses easily, but there are a few flaws, including the possibility of the legs getting in your way, and even more of an issue is the hooks that have slightly been turned upwards to follow the frogs body shape. I have hear this feature discussed as a positive for improved hook-ups, but getting a fish hooked and keeping it hooked are two different things, and I believe the turned up hooks will effect how many of your hooked fish end up back in your boat.

Availability & Price: 3.5

Being a home grown Canadian company Lunkerhunt products are surprisingly easy to find on both sides of the border (that's what a couple ICAST awards will do for you). As for price the frog comes in under $10 at most retailers and to me that's fairly important.

Options: 3.5/5

The Combat frog is only available in size XL, as it is meant to be a larger bodied version of the original Lunkerfrog and even more so to their popular pocket frog. But if colour options are important to you then you will be happy to know that the Combat frog comes in 8 colours, 4 of which are camp variations. I do really like the color selection here and had a hard time choosing just one.

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

American Legacy $7.99

Bass Pro Shop $9.99


Equipment:

All  testing was done on a  Dobyns Champ 736c it is the gold standard of frog rods and handles all size hollow body frogs like a dream. As for reels, the Daiwa Tatual HD is a beast of a frog rod and pairs well with this rod and gives you a nice over sized spool for that added distance and power. Line choice was Daiwa J-Braid.

Field Test Report Card:

Open Water (Sparse Pads): D

Pads (Medium Cover): C

Slop & Grass (Heavy Cover): C

Walk the Dog: D-

Popping Action: N/A

Sit/Pause: C+

Sebile Action First Pivot Frog Review

Action First Pivot Frog: Colors: 8  Length: 2 1/2"  inch Weight:  N/A  Pack Count: 1

Intro:

One of the most anticipated frogs from last season this frog performed much better then expected during my testing and to my surprise the areas I though would be a concern were not.. and an area I expected the frog to excel was its short coming... read on

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

This frog is one tough son of bitch, if it was not equipped with the loose pivoting hook I would have no idea how you would be able to ever get the hookset on a fish. I was also surprised how well the pivot held up fish after fish not to mention banging the frog off timber (and the odd rock)

Castability: 4.0/5

With a dense highly aerodynamic body this frog casts very well, and skips even better. In windy conditions you will have to watch for it doing a alligator death roll in midair, but for the most times and conditions you should have no issue placing this frog wherever you want.

Presentation: 3.0/5

The "action first" in this frogs name is kind of a misnomer.  The Sebile Pivot frog does not walk as well or as easily as most frogs on the market today, and I wonder if it has to do with the rear waited hook that dangles between it's legs. I found you really have to slow down to work this frog and for the most part I opted to do a pulling motion vs the walking motion.

One question I know you want to ask is how well does this frog perform in thick slop or real messy water and the answer is "surprisingly well" I had to clean the frog off no more or less then I would have with any of my favourites.

Tip: the majority of my fish came on the pause, it was rare to get a strike while moving. but those fish that did bite, were pretty damn mad about it.

Hook-up Ratio: 2.5/5

This is where this frog lost a bit of steam for me. The single swinging/pivoting hook really didn't support the claims of a vastly improved hook-up ratio, and in all honestly it was actually inferior to many frogs I have tested. The biggest area of concern was downward striking fish.. I laid a fat goose egg on hooking any fish that hit this frog from above, and was only slightly better from violent strike from underneath.. really what Im saying is that for this bath to be successful I need a nice soft slurp instead of a blow-up.. and wheres the fun in that?

Availability & Price: 4.0

Seville products are pretty widely available in Canada and the Us, so you should have no concerns finding this frog at your local tackleshop or on-line. Price is also pretty awesome, in todays day and age most frogs come in close to $10 a piece so when you see a frog at $6 each, you can't really  complain

Options: 3.5/5

The Pivot frog is only available in one size, but 8 colour options. I actually had a hard time choosing from a colour and although I wish I hadn't gone with this particular colour there is defiantly somthing for everyone.

Where to Find:

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

Tackle Warehouse $6.95

Sebile  $6.99

Land Big Fish $5.99



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 Tatual HD is a beast of a frog rod and 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: B

Popping Action: N/A

Sit/Pause: B-

Daiwa D-Frog Review

D-Frog: Colors: 4  Length: 2 5/8"  inch Weight:  2/3oz  Pack Count: 1

Intro:

One of the rarest frogs Ive reviewed to-date the D-Frog by Daiwa was requested by a reader. I'm not sure why this frog is not more widely available as it fishes extremely well and is built like truck. Como Daiwa get this frog into North America

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: 4.5/5

The body of the D-frog is made of a soft pliable plastic and is equipped with an air chamber that is that is sealed air tight.This frog is nearly unsinkable and in all honesty it is so tight its almost a fault. (it takes forever to fill back up with air).

The hooks are strong and sharp and mold well to the frogs body. The D-Frog has a somewhat strange body shape that can take a little getting use to but after a few casts you will be able to walk the dog or even force it into a popping stance (even though it is not equipped with a mouth)

Castability: 4.0/5

The D-Frog gets decent distance but its light weight balloon of a body does need you to put a little extra muscle in each cast. The best casting feature of this frog is how always (yes always) rolls over onto it's belly. I was blown away by how quickly and easily the D-frog gets into fighting position once it hits the water.

Presentation: 4.0/5

There are two pros and one con to the D-Frog when it comes to presentation. On the pro side it walks the dog well, but better at low speeds or twitches. If you start to speed it up the D-Frog almost begins to pop, even without a mouth it moves water well and gives you an unexpected popping action.

The con here is that the body is too tight, anytime you put pressure on it, it collapses but takes minuted to return to form.. and thats time wasted.

Hook-up Ratio: 3.5/5

The D-Frog provides you with a slightly better then average hook-up ratio. The hoots are sharp, strong and well positioned. The only thing preventing this frog from getting a higher rating is the fact that the body stays collapsed after a strike, thus if you miss the fish on the initial blow-up you don't often get a second chance as the now exposed hooks collect debris on the lake.

Availability: 2.5

This is going to hurt the D-Frogs overall score, with the frog not being available in North America your only real chance at landing one is on E-bay which can come with a hefty shipping charge

Options & Price: 3.0/5

Only available in one size and 4 colours the D-Frog isn't exactly blowing you away with options.But the color selection is good and should have something for everyone. As for price, this is where it gets tricky, the only place I could find the frog was on Ebay which means the price will vary, but you can expect to pay between $12-$16 after shipping

Where to Find:

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

Daiwa (Germany)

Ebay (???)



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: B

Popping Action: N/A

Sit/Pause: B