Teckel USA Honker Frog Review

Teckel Honker:    Colors: 16     Weight: 1/2oz    Size: 2 3/4"   Pack Count: 1

      

Intro:

Last season I had an opportunity to review the Teckel Whacker Frog, and gave it a sold 7.3, I purposely left the Honker for this season in order to ensure my biases from the original frog did not carry over to the honker. And in all honesty I expected to give this frog a review of between 6.8 and 7.3.. but as you can see, I was wrong. 

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: 4.5/5

Both Teckel frogs have soft yet durable bodies, and strong sharp hooks. The legs on the Honker are what make this frog an exception. They flash and cause commotion on the water really letting fish know that something is going on. (aka ringing the dinner bell) 

Castability: 4.5/5

This frog casts like a dream, the body of the frog has some nice heft (1/2 oz) and its aerodynamic shape lets it cut though the wind for long bombs no matter the weather conditions/

The legs can hurt the frogs ability to be skipped, they catch water if you don't nail the perfect angle
but overall this doesn't hurts the frogs rating.

Presentation: 4.5/5

I was honestly blown away by the way these legs flutter and flash all while the frogs body walks perfectly. This bait scream "eat me" and is a blast to fish.

Obviously light to medium cover allows you to really work this bait, the thicker the cover and the more slop involved the less this frog shines. With that said its did not get all caught up in the slop as I kinda expected it would. You can expect some cleaning from time to time, but the benefits outweigh the issues.

Hook-Up Ratio: 3.0/5

Solid hook-up ratio for a bait that has large metal blades coming off its ass end. The legs can get in the way at times and the flutter and flash can results in short strikes as fish try to take this bait out at the knees.

Availability & Price: 3.0/5

This frog is only easy to find if your shopping at tackle warehouse, if not, good luck getting your hands on one. As for the price, $10.99 is at the high end of what I like to pay for non imports, but well worth it for this versions of Teckels frog. 

Options: 4.0/5

16, count em', 16 color options. But only one size.. lets spend more time on size offering and cut those colours in half and you still get a great score here.

Where to Find:

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

Tackle Warehouse ($10.99)

Equipment:

I ran this frog on a Dobyns 736c, paired up with a Daiwa Tatula HD reel on 40lb braid. It you are working sparser cover feel free to drop down to a 735c and use that extra tip to really make this bait dance. 

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

Kahara Buzzy Kahara Frog

 Buzz It Frog :      Colours: 5   Size: 6   Pack Count: 1     

             Leg Style: Buzz               Weight: N/A

Intro:

The Kahara Buzzy frog is the first hard body buzz frog that I've reviewed and so far it out performs any of the soft body buzz frogs I've got my hands on. Fishing more like a standard Buzz bait (with shoulders) this bait offers a solid overall performance not seen on its soft bodied brothers.

Overall Rating: 7.5/10

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

Quality & Durability: 4.5/5

Quality blade and a strong sturdy body makes this buzz frog a force to be reckoned with. The hooks on the other hand are undersized (in my opinion) and may cost you from time to time when it comes to short strikes or battling fish.

Castability: 4.0/5

Taking into consideration this is a buzz bait, it casts fairly well. The body gives it a bit extra weight for when distance is needed, and the bait always seems to land in a fighting stance, ready to fish.

Presentation: 4.0/5

As mentioned above this technically is a big shouldered buzz bait, it offers an almost identical presentation, with a bulkier profile. Because of the wider stance it can look short at times but there are no concerns when it comes to on water presentation.

Hook-Up Ratio: 3.5/5

I'm not a fan of the hooks used on this bait, I'm not sure I can tell you exactly what has put me off on them, but they seem a little undersized in length and strength. I hadn't had any issues with my bait, but i feel like its just a matter of time.

On a positive note there is nothing to get in the way here, so if a fish hits, it should be easy to pound the hooks home.

Availability & Price: 3.0/5

Another not so widely available bait, this frog can be purchased from Optimum baits and or Tackle warehouse. Both carry the full line-up, but Tackle Warehouse offers them for $1 less then Optimum. This is pricey for a frog and or a buzz bait. the $10-$12 range for buzz baits seems to be by high end, so when baits break the $15 mark I take pause prior to pulling the trigger.

Options: 3.0/5

Only available in one size and 4-5 colours there is not a lot of choice here. Also unlike the soft body frog buzz baits currently available this bait does not offer replacement skirt or the ability to change the body if it gets damaged. 

Where to Find:

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

Tackle Warehouse ($16.99)

Optimum Baits ($17.99)

Equipment:

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

Snag Proof Pro Series Poppin Frog

Pro Series Poppin Frog:    Colors: 5     Weight: 3/8oz    Size: 3 1/2"   Pack Count: 1

      

Intro:

If you are an avid reader of these reviews (thank you) then you know that I'm a big fan of Snag Proof frogs, I went from a non-believer to their #1 fan, but this frog unfortunately takes me all the way back to the early days when I picked up a snag proof frog and said.. "not for me"

Overall Rating:  5.9/10

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

Quality & Durability: 3.0/5

This is one leaky son of a bitch, mostly caused by water forced in during popping retrieves, and since this is a popping frog, I think its a bit of a deign flaw. 

Castability: 2.5/5

Small, compact, light weight and it has a popper mouth!, yep this little guy has 4 strikes against its casting ability but still manages to be "OK". Not horrible, not good, just OK. Best utilize for short targeted casts this frog is not one for long bombs.

Presentation: 3.0/5

Not a stellar popper, this frog is very soft and I feel the mouth is just hard forceful enough to really move water. This may also be due to its body weight, the frog seems to jump back when forcefully popped. Im also not a huge fan of the small profile, its a less effective version of a scum frog.

Hook-Up Ratio: 3.0/5

No real concerns her, small bite sized body with nothing to really get in the hooks way, you should have no concerns with this baits ability to drive the hooks home.

The score may be lower then you expected, i took into consideration that this frog takes on water and thus sinks a bit, this will effect its fishability and hook-up ratio

Availability & Price: 3.0/5

Not widely available this can be purchased from TackleWarehouse or if you like to pay 40% more you can buy it from SnagProof directly. I'd advise against that.

Options: 3.0/5

5 colours and 1 size is all you will find available in this frog. Nothing crazy just some pretty standard snag proof colors, but enough to cover most anglers.

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)

Snag Proof ($7.99)

Equipment:

I ran this frog on a Dobyns 735c, paired up with a Daiwa Tatula HD reel on 40lb braid. Due to its small size I stepped down a rod power from my normal hollow body selection, and could have even dropped down to a 4 power. 

Field Test Report Card:

Open Water (Sparse Pads): C+

Pads (Medium Cover): C

Slop & Grass (Heavy Cover): D

Walk the Dog: N/A

Popping Action: B

Sit/Pause: B

Boze ZZ Walker Frog Review

ZZ Walkerr:    Colors: 5     Weight: 5/8oz    Size: 4"   Pack Count: 1

      

Intro:

It's funny, I sat down to write this review and starting thinking, how long has it been since I reviewed the "Boze Sumo" Frog, a quick check and I realized I never actually finished that review even thought Ive had the frog for nearly two three seasons.. anyways Boze is up, and unfortunately the first review I'm writing for them is on the ZZ Walker, an inferior frog in many ways 

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: 2.5/5

This frog has many issues, the primary one being that it takes on some serious water which drastically effects how the bait fishes and your ability to hook-up.

It's also not weighted properly which can give it a wild sportaic action seeing the bait at times see-saw up and down instead of walking side to side. Finally i find the hook placement odd leaving way to much plastic to get in the way of your hooks.. the images below really highlight these issues

Castability: 2.5/5

You'd think with its aerodynamic shape this bait would cast very well, but it is light weight and tends to get caught up in the wind/breeze. It can helicopter at times and other times it just floats out there, The weird body shape and exposed weight can wreck a good skip as well.

Presentation: 2.5/5

If you can keep it filling up with water this bait moves fairly well. It does take some work and you will find that it has a tendency to see-saw or move up and down vs side to side. I don't know about you, but this is not my preferred frog action.

When sitting the ZZ Walker can be on a pretty server angle looking more like a slip float then a frog. This is due in part to the weighing and second from the amount of water building up in the tail. The above image shows how much water can enter the body after 1 cast.

Hook-Up Ratio: 2.5/5

poor Hook placement, a thick tail and and the odd angle it sits when paused in the water add up to 3-Strikes on the ZZ Walkers performance when it comes to hook-up. I think you have to be lucky (not good) to bring a fish home with this frog.

Availability & Price: 3.0/5

Not widley available this frog only got on my radar due to the fact that TackleWarehouse carries it, and my goal is to always own every frog they have available. As for price the nearly $8 is reasonable for most iollowbodies, just not this one.. but if you act now (Aug 2015) TackleWarehouse is selling them for under $3.. still to high for this angler.

Options: 3.0/5

5 colours and 1 size is not exactly creative, but they get bonus points for trying something new. Yes this is a classic spook body type with a few twists.

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)

Bass Tackle Depot ($7.99)

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): C

Pads (Medium Cover): C

Slop & Grass (Heavy Cover): D

Walk the Dog: C

Popping Action: N/A

Sit/Pause: C-

BearPaws Bully Frog Review

Bully Frog:      Colours: 131   Size: 4.5"     Pack Count: 6     

             Leg Style: Dead               Weight: 1/2 ounce

Intro:

The Bully Frog from Bear Paws baits is a hand poured bait that comes in an incredible 130+ colours. This frog walks the line between durability and action, and in the end durability wins.. at the sake of action. BearPaws has introduced the industries first "dead lead" frog

Overall Rating: 6.3/10

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

Quality & Durability: 4.0/5

Overall this is a really well built frog, the material is dense and holds up well. The legs look flimsier then they are and although it sound odd this frog feels awesome in your hands.. this is what i expected from a quality hand poured bait.

Castability: 3.0/5

This is a big bulky frog that casts like a shot. Don't be shy you can really whip this bait around without worrying about damaging it. The material and shape make it awkward to skip, but if your all about hitting holes this frog will do the trick.

Presentation: 2.0/5

I'm kinda of at a loss for words as I really wanted to like this bait, but the design makes it almost entirely action free, it fishes like a dead frog. It does not swim, or buzz or kick.. the legs are motionless, you would be better to flip and pitch this bait over frogging with it. I don't know what they where thinking or if anyone ever even tested one out prior to bagging them for sale.. my guess would be no.

Hook-Up Ratio: 3.0/5

No issues or concerns here, but nothing to right home about either. This bait does not include any of the toad features I usually look for on baits with a higher then average hook-up ratio. There is no belly/back slot and no place you can easily hide the hook point.

Because of the dense material these frogs are made of you can bury the hook point but if you go to deep it may stay buried and if you go light your going to rip up the bait.

Availability & Price: 3.0/5

Being that BearPaws is an independent company making hand poured baits their reach is not great. But I won't hold that again them, they have made their way into Land Big Fish which to me is one of the top 2 on-line fishing resources available to anglers. Personally I would buy direct and give my money right to BearPaws.

Pricing on the Bully Frog varies from $4.99 for a 6 count bag ($0.83 per frog) to $39 for a 50 count bag ($0.78 per frog) and finally $70 for a 100 Count bag ($0.70 per frog). Again not bad for the level of quality and that they are hand poured.

Options : 4.0/5

Ok, this is kinda insane, BearPaws offers 131 colour options in their hand pour line, this means that no matter if you order it from LBF or direct the bait is being made for you and not sitting on the shelf for years. I like the idea of countless colours but find their small colour swatches make it hard to tell the difference between some colours. And there is such a thing as too much choice.

Where to Find:

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

BearPaws HandPour Baits ($5.25)

Land Big Fish ($4.99)

.

Equipment:

I completed all my Bully Frog testing with a Dobyns 735c paired with a Daiwa Tatula.  This frog is fairly heavy  and can even be fished on heavier gear. this of course will all depend on the cover your fishing.

Stanley BuzzIt Ribbit Frog Review

 Buzz It Frog :      Colours: 10   Size: 3.5" - 4.5"   Pack Count: 1 Blade/3 Bodies    

             Leg Style: Buzz               Weight: N/A

Intro:

The BuzzIt by Stanley Jigs gets most of its street-cred from the original Ribbit frog that is the backbone of the BuzzIt system. Lets face it Stanley makes a great toad/frog, but they leave a lot to be desired when it comes to the terminal portion of this Frog/Buzz bait combo. 

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: 3.5/5

Again, kinda cheating here as the majority of this score comes from the Stanley Ribbit portion of this bait. its a great frog that holds up very well, fish after fish.

As for the hook and buzz blade, I was not so impressed. Sure the hooks is strong and Sharp, but the weighted head seems to counteract the blade and I had a hard time keeping it up and running straight. If I slowed the bait would dip and it i ran it too fast the frog would spin.

Castability: 3.0/5

None of these frogs cast extremely well, like with Buzz Baits the blade can get caught up in the wind and cause some drag. Maybe its just me but I find I need to put some umph into my casts when throwing these baits.

Presentation: 3.0/5

I covered this above, I was not happy with the way this bait ran and had a hard time finding the sweet spot. Often I watched my frog spin or run sideways on the retrieve. If anything I feels as if the Ribbit frog just wasn't built to be fished behind a blade.

Hook-Up Ratio: 3.5/5

No real issues here, obviously the Ribbit frog has a denser beefier body then most soft plastic toads, and the thick kicker legs can get caught up on the hook, but again, these are small issues and all in all this frog performs well when it comes to hook-ups.

Availability & Price: 3.0/5

Not widely available I could only find this frog at Tackle Warehouse, you can also check it out on the Stanley website but I don't believe they sell direct (though I may be wrong). Price point is also pretty decent coming in at between $4.99 (standard) and $6.99 (bully)This price includes 3 frog bodies and 1 blade

Options: 4.0/5

Tackle Warehouse currently lists 10 colour options and two sizes.. the Standard (3.5") and the Bully (4.5"). This options are already pretty decent, but add to that this frog is fully customizable and you can use it with any colour Stanley frog you own, hell you can even rung it with non Stanley baits (you may even get better results)

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/$6.99)

Stanley Jigs (N/A)

.

Equipment:

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

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+