Frogs Addicts, formerly known as the The Frog pond is dedicated to bring you reviews of new and classic frogs as well as inside info on some of the newest innovations in frog fishing
Frog Facts is a Instagram tie in feature in which we personally reach out to respected anglers on various levels and ask them 7 quick frog fishing related questions.
This weeks Angler is.....
Jeff "Gussy" Gustafson
Gustafson, also known as “Gussy”, is one of the few Canadian angler to fish the FLW Tour. He grew up on the shores of Lake of the Woods on the Canada/US border. Gussy guides in all seasons, both fishing and deer and wolf hunting. Gussy fished his first bass tournament when he was 10 years old. He is also the host of a TV fishing program in Canada called “Fishing with Gussy”.
Welcome to Frog Addicts Unboxing reviews #002 Here you will get an up close and personal look at at BassJunkies initial thoughts on each new frog fresh out of the package and long befor it hits the water. You cant always judge a book by its cover, or a frog from its website.
No rehearsals, so scripts, but maybe a few edits.
This week we take a look at the Livingston Lures Freddy B Frog. This frog has been on my hit list since last season and Im excited to have finally got my hands on one. Lets see if this frog lives up to the hype and croaks like a champ.
Product Description
Changing the face of frog fishing, FREDDY B is the first soft, hollow-bodied frog that emits the actual biological sound of a frog, thanks to the new EBS Frog sound! Is there really any more to say? Freddy B features a specialized ultra-sticky frog hook, excellent castability, and maneuverability through structures and pads. Keep Freddy B still on the pad longer to allow the EBS Frog sound to trigger big bass.
Product Specs
Weight: .86oz
Length: 2.8"
Watch for a full on the water review coming this summer!
Frog Fishing Quick Tips is a Instagram tie in feature in which we personally reach out to respected anglers at all levels and ask them 7 quick frog fishing related questions. It's time to get personal
This weeks Angler is.....
Brandon Palaniuk
Brandon grew up in Northern Idaho, and at the age of eight he was introduced to the world of Bass fishing and the addiction began. He immediately joined the local club scene only to further fuel the fire for tournament fishing. After fishing small tourneys around the house for eight years, he joined the B.A.S.S. Federation Nation at 16 where he then spent seven years fishing around the country.
Over the course of the past week Booyah Baits has been teasing their social media followers (myself included) by slowly leaking details and offering quick glimpses at a new frog that they would be showcasing on Friday Feb 9th that would then be released sometime this spring. The excitement was noticeable since this was Booyah’s first completely new frog since the introduction of the Pad Crasher line back in 2012, so it goes without saying that Booyah Fans (myself included) had our credit cards ready.
And then they showed it to us… and it looked kinda familiar, way too familiar actually.
The reason it looks familiar is that Booyah is essentially re-releasing the Teckel Sprinker frog on a new and improved Pad Crasher frog body (I’ll get more into that in a minute)
I’m really struggling here as Booyah has been making new and unique quality baits for awhile now and unlike many other of the big boys they have also been keeping their pricing in check so that anglers like you and I could afford their product, but this stings a bit.
I’ve recently been critical of other Baits companies (cough… cough… Castasic.. cough… cough) for putting their name on product they clearly borrowed (way to nice of a word) from their competitors, so to stand here and not call out Booyah would feel wrong.
So here goes..Shame on you for taking an innovation made by another and putting your name on it. Shame on you for not even trying to disguise what your were doing (I mean come’on it is an exact copy if the Sprinker foot!) and finally shame on you for actually promoting and making a bit deal of it.
Shame on us for pretending we didn’t notice or even worse didn’t care.
Ok, enough of that, lets talk about some of the interesting changes that Booyah made an didn’t just take.
The Booyah Toad Runner has a slimmer sleeker profile then its older brother and the added side rails were designed to help it get up on plane more easily while ensuring it stays upright.
Though the foot shape is nearly identical to the Sprinker the Toad Runners foot is attached with a molded in wire which can be bent to change the action and sound of the tail . The Frogs silicone legs have been trimmed down into to keep clear of the paddle foot while still adding to the frogs overall presentation.
Pre-Sales are on now with the Toad Runner projected to hit the shelves in early spring.
Don't be fooled this will be a popular frog as it builds on last years best seller/
Over the past few review seasons I have received more and more requests for video reviews of the frogs I test and rate. This can often be a time consuming task and I don't know about you but in the summer months there is not place Id rather be then on the water so on water video reviews are still on hold (for now).
But with my readers in mind I have added a new feature for this year that is called "A Frog Addict Unboxing" in these short video clips you will get my first thoughts and opinions on new frogs as I take them out of the package for the very first time.
Bare with me here as this is truly a work in progress.. but for now here is the first official Frog Addict Unboxing of the Jackall Kaera frog.
Watch for an on the water review coming later this season!
Welcome to the inaugural Frog Addicts Newsletter. Each month we will be reviewing up to the minute frog and bass fishing related news plus recapping the previous months "Best Of" when it comes to social media and frog videos!
Here is what's happening in the frog world
Hitting the Shelves
It might by early in 2018 but there are many new frogs already on the shelves while others are not to far away.
I love seeing that Tackle Warehouse has 10 frogs listed in their "New" section, these include a 4 baits from the perennial knock off machine that is Castaic, as well as four from the Canadian Power House LunkerHunt. - Available Now!
After Making a splash (again) at ICAST expect the Prop series of frogs to be in and out of stock often in 2018. So if you have the chance you may want to take available of them being in stock now and grabbing your colour of choice. - Available Now!
Another LunkerHunt release is currently playing second fiddle to the Jackall Kaera, the LH Compact frog is a nice tight little package that I expect to perform well in the coming season. - Available Now!
Next up is the River2Sea Ish Monroe Matt Phat Daddy (please someone stop letting Ish name frogs). At first glance this frog looks like a standard River2Sea BullyWa series frog, but if you take a peak between its legs you will find a nice surprise... a removable rattle - Available Now
The Livingston Freddy B is a frog in High Demand, and at time of writing it is in stock (most colors anyways) but most places were sold out during the majority of Jan 2018. If you have been hesitating on pulling the trigger, i wouldn't wait - Available Now
If you read out article about the Stanford Boom Boom frogs you will remember that it is one of the baits we are most excited to review in 2018. Not currently available in stores, you can pre-order yours directly from Stanford with a projected ship date of early March 2018 - PRE ORDER ON NOW
Top Posts from @FrogAddicts
To get your pics features on the @FrogAddicts Instagram page just tag #FrogAddict in your post or send them via personal message, Here are the top from trending images from January 2018
#1 - @fishslayersri
using the garlic power d @lakeforktrophylures Fork Frog to land this beauty
#2 - @chrisgervaisfishing
@spro.u.s.a team member @chrisgervaisfishing chooses the @dobynsrods Savvy SS735C when frog fishing. Here’s why: “ I particularly like this rod because I usually fish very heavy cover, and rated with mag heavy power, it as tonnes of backbone, giving me the confidence that I will have all the strength I need to control and bring the largest of bass to the boat each and every time. I love the fact that this rod has an extra-fast tip and gives me a solid hookset. The key to having a high hookset ratio is to take your time before setting the hook. “
#3 -@theidleout
@theidleout putting his @dobynsrods 736 frog rod to good use.. and I think I spy a @_river2sea_ BulkyWa in that beasts mouth
#4 - @oliphantography
frogaddicts CAUTION - CHOKING HAZARD - @oliphantography doing damage with his @livetarget frog
#5 -@addiptedtofishing
@addiptedtofishing with 5lb frog fish he caught using _______?
Top 5 Frog Videos
Here they are, BassJunkies favourite frog videos from January 2018 (we may have cheated a bit here)
#1 - Brandon McMillan Goes All Out!
It doesn't get much better then this! FLW Pro Brandon McMillian goes all out for a big bass while fishing the FLW tournament on Lake Okeechobee Jan 2018.
You made us all proud!
Feature Frog: Unknown!
#2 - BamaBass rolls up his pants for some extreme frog fishing!
At over 200,000 views there is a pretty big chance you've already seen this video from BamaBass (posted back in June 2017). But if you haven't this is a must see frog video of a man who doesn't take no for an answer. Big Fish, Big Blow-Ups .
#4 - Dean Rojas offers up a couple tips to improve your success with a Spro Bronzeye
In this short video the Mayor of Frog Town Dean Rojas offers up a couple tips to improve your success when fishing around duck grass and milfoil. Listen when this man speaks to you!
#5 - Lintner & Davis Frog Fishing on Guntersville Part 2
Although this is pretty much a promo video for the Jackall Kaera Frog and everything else in the Shimano family of products, it does give you a good first look at a pretty popular frog. Watch for our review of the Kaera from sometime during the 2018 season
