Monday, October 21, 2013

Culprit Ultimate Frog - Review (Retired)



Ultimate Frog :      Colours: 8   Size: 4.5"     Pack Count:  3     
         Leg Style: Buzz            Scent: N/A


Intro:

The Culprit Ultimate Frog is another one of those baits that I bought, fully expecting to hate. The frog in the package is not all that impressive, it looks like it was painted in someones garage and the hook looked to beefy for the bait.. with all that said I was again pleasantly surprised 


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: 3.0/5

Lets be honest here, the Culprit Ultimate Frog ain't gonna win many beauty pageants in today's market filled with ultra realistic baits. Yes its shaped like a frog, and has frog like markings, but the Ultimate frog relies more on its action in the water then its overall appearance.

 The material it is made of is fairly durable and should hold up well for multiple fish. Like with many frog baits the weak-point is at the feet, they are thin and somewhat fragile (but the action produced is well worth the flimsy feet and toes).

The nose of the Ultimate frog holds a hook well. Its nice and thick ease to rig properly.






Castability: 4.0/5

The Ultimate frog is very aerodynamic in its shape and both the body of the frog as well as the hook add enough weigh to make this bait cast like a dream. It cant be long bombed, flipped and skipped with ease.

The hooks is nicely weighted and the frog always (ok almost always) lands on its belly. It was quite refreshing to fish with a frog that landed well consistently.


Presentation: 4.5/5

The Ultimate frog excels in "medium cover" situations, it moves very well over and around pads, most of this is due to the fact that The body of the Ultimate frog is hollow, making it a bit of a cross-breed. I really like the way the hollow body allows this frog to sit up high on the retrieve, and The hook provided with the bait slightly raises the nose up, making it even easier to keep the bait on top, even at slower retrieves.

The legs are nice and long and give off a nice smooth kick. On the Culprit web-site this frog is listed as a "buzz-frog" but in my opinion it is a swim frog, yes it does churn up the water, but its more subtle then what I expect from a buzz bait

The Ultimate Frog sinks fairly slow which is great for long casts as it allows the angler to take their time, and not be forced to rush the retrieve trying to get the bait back up on top. When ready to start your retrieve back up, the frog quickly and easily raises to the surface





Hook-Up Ratio: 4.0/5

The double point hook sits far enough down the leg that it allows for nice clean hook-ups, and wont hamper the baits movement. Im not sure who produces the hook this bait comes rigged with, but it is very strong and is perfectly weighted for these baits.. I only which they came with more then one!






Availability: 2.0/5

Im boarder line on listing this frog as "retired" it clearly appears to have been discontinued by most companies, but it is still available for sale on the Culprit website.. so you be the judge. Outside of buying direct your best bet it to watch ebay. I found many packs available at decent pricing



Options & Price: 3.0/5

If you can find them the Ultimate Frog is available in 8 colour options including a nearly see-thru yellow that Im still kicking myself for not picking up when I had the chance (i saw them at 1000 Island Bait Shop is NY State)



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

Culprit ($6.99)

Ebay (Various)

TackleWarehouse (Out of Stock)





Equipment:

I completed all my testing with a Dobyns 735c paired with a Daiwa Lexa reel. You will want a bit of tip to allow for shorter accurate casts as well as a reel that will allow you to pick up the pace or slow right down when conditions dictate.






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