Monday, August 26, 2013

Snag Proof - Poppin Ish Phattie Review



Ish Poppin Phattie:   Colours: 7     Length: 2 3/4 inch    Weight: 5/8oz   Pack Count: 1

Intro:

Im kinda getting tired of piling on all this praise for Snag Proof frogs. last year I raved about the Ish Phattie and earlier this season I was impressed with the Guntersville frog.. lets now make this a trifecta as I was truly blown away by the Ish Poppin Phattie.. once this review goes live I dont think my friends will believe me when I tell them Im not a fan of Snag Proof fogs.. the question really is.. do I believe me?


Overall Rating: 8.8/10
Each frog is rated on the following criteria: Quality, Castability, Presentation, Hook-up Ratio Available Options, Product Availability & Price


Quality & Durability: 4.5/5

These bad boys are nearly indestructible, yet still have a nice easy to collapse body that allows for the that great hook-up ratio you need when frog fishing. The Face of the Poppin phattie actually has two separate popping chambers that really give of some serious noise and splash (see below for more details on the poppin action)

As with the original model the Poppin Phattie is equipped with twin Gamakatsu hooks and the ITT (inner tube technology) that makes this frog pretty much unsinkable







Castability: 5.0/5

This frog is a beast, it casts for miles and gives a nice solid slap when it hits the water. It is one of three frogs I go-to in heavier winds to ensure I get the distance I want and need. Like the OG series (and yes that means "original gangtsa") the Poppin Phattie has a nice flat bottom that allows it to be skipped up under structure.. a way under utilized way to fish hollow bodies


Presentation: 5.0/5

Lets get this out of the way early.. the Ish Poppin Phattie has the best popping action of any hollow body frog I have tested to date.. there I said it, and this coming from a guy that until the original Ish series frog was release was not a snag proof fan (at all)

I love that this frog performs well no matter how much pressure you put on the popper, you can hammer home huge bursts/spits, and subtle chugs and this frog handles both with ease. Even more impressive is how well it performs in heavy cover. Most popper get bogged down in the slop but the long mouse like nose of the Ish Poppin Phattie allows it to glide over pads and slop with ease

Hook-up Ratio: 4.5/5

Like it's older brother the Poppin Phattie has a very high hook-up ratio. The long slender body with the legs combing straight out behind it, makes this frog easy for fish to swallow. It does sit pretty flat on the surface and the only way I could think to improve this hook up ratio in any way would be to have the ass end submerge a bit on the pause






Availability: 3.5/5

This frog was launched at ICAST 2012 and still is not widely available, what gives? staples who carry the majority of the SnagProof line like "Land Big fish" still haven't added this frog to their site, though I was positive thats where I bought mine this past off season..???

that being said many of the giants have picked them up and you should have no issue ordering one on-line if you cant get one locally.



Options & Price: 4.0/5

Although only available in one size, its the right size, so Im not going to deduct points for that. Colour choices as has become standard with ISH frogs are kinda odd. I opted for the "Cali" colour but to be honest I really like all 7 options currently available.

Pricing for the Ish series is good, coming in on average below $9 makes this easy on the wallet and you still feel like your getting a quality bait




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

SnagProof ($9.95) 






Field Test Report Card: 

Open Water (Sparse Pads):  A+
Pads (Medium Cover):  A
Slop & Grass (Heavy Cover):  B+

Walk the Dog:  A
Popping Action: A+
Sit/Pause: B




Equipment:

This is a heavy duty frog meant to be fished with heavy duty gear, that means bring your Dobyns 736c along from the ride, and  your 300 series reel of choice (mine being the Daiwa Lexa). Currently Im still using Sunline FX2 on my hollow body rod, there is just somthing about its rope like texture that makes me feel safe when bombing frogs for miles.. its hasn't let me down yet





2 comments:

  1. I bought one of these and will try it out this weekend. Just to show you how useful your site is for me, when I go to BPS or other stores and have frogs on my mind, I don't have to wonder which ones are worth checking out because I can pull this site up on my smart phone. Thanks for your info, love this blog.

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  2. thanks again.. I would love to hear what you think

    ReplyDelete