Saturday, August 26, 2017

Savage Gear 3D Floating Skirt Frog Review


3D Floating Skirt :   Colors: 4     Length: 2.25    Weight: 1/3oz   Pack Count: 1
3D Floating Skirt :   Colors: 4     Length: 2.75    Weight: 1/2oz   Pack Count: 1



Intro:

Savage Gear has been unsuccessfully making frogs for a few years now.. yes you read that right. 

It's hard to fault them as they came out of the gate swinging introducing two frogs each with a completely different take on classic frog legs, the "imitation" and the "action leg" series were both noble efforts that didn't work.. so in 2017 Savage Gear is back, this time with a more traditional approach


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


The quality and durability of their baits continue to be Savage Gears best selling feature. They have built a frog body that toes the line on being tough enough to handle a beating, while still collapsing for a quality hook-set. 

Personally on the confidence side of things I find the body tougher then I would like, Im willing to replace a few more frogs in order to land a few more fish. 



Castability: 4.0/5

Just like the other models in the Savage Gear line-up the Floating Skirt frog is easy to cast for both distance and accuracy. It can be skipped well and its large profile offers up a nice target the instant it lands.


Presentation: 4.0/5

The Floating skirt really upped the presentation game, I hated both the Imitation and Action leg frogs, both were poor swimmers that didn't move well over any sort of cover, hell they were even sloppy in open water.

The SG floating skirt frog swims well and can be walked fairly easily. Its larger body can come across clumsy or drunken but I don't think that's a bad thing as what fish doest enjoy easy pray. 


Hook-Up Ratio: 3.5/5

Again the Floating Frog gets some leverage over its older brothers in this category. The Imitation and Action leg frogs where large and clunky and always got in the way. This more traditional approach is much easy to fish and to hook-up.

I still have concerns with the larger body shape and the material used. The Floating Skirt Frog can use a bit of a diet and some skin softener.



Innovation & Design: 3.0/5

It's hard for me to score SG in this category as they did what I wanted them to do.. get rid of the legs and go with a more traditional skirt. Their earlier unsuccessful frogs would and should rate higher on the innovation factor but the overall design was flawed.  I'm happy that SG listened to their fans and released this frog, I just wish they had made a few more changes/updates.


Availability, Options & Price: 3.5/5

With a $7.99 price tag this frog wont hurt your wallet compared to many of the frogs floating around. With that said the color options are kinda lacking with only 4 Colors to choose from. The option to go up and down in size in nice, but its not a real big swing in either direction. 



Situations for Success:

The SG Floating Skirt frog is an all-around frog that can be used in heavy to sparse cover. Its body does tend to roll a bit when in heavy pads so I tend to use it more in slop or medium to medium heavy cover. On the retrieve I like a medium speed walk with a number of pauses mixed in. Its a large profile bait and looks like an easy meal so don't hesitate to let them see it.


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


Reaction Strike ($9.99)


Equipment:

The Floating Skirt frog fishes well on the Dobyns 735c or 736c which provides enough tip to make accurate casts all while still having the backbone needed to haul fish out of the nastiest of cover. Paired with a Daiwa Tatula CT you will be able to cast this frog for miles or skip it up under cover.

As with any hollow-body bait, this frog should be worked on 40lb-60lb braid line. 



Field Test Report Card:


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

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






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