Gene Larew Three Legged Frog.. Now with a little more kick

With the bass season fast approaching I have been slowly building back up my arsenal in preparation for my second full season as a tournament angler, and if there's one thing that I burn through every year, it's frogs. So when Tackle Warehouse decided to put my fav soft plastic frog on sale, I though I would take advantage and order a wack of packs.

When they finally arrived, my openitious kicked in (a serious condition that forces me to open new  products immediately) and upon opening the box I was very surprised to see that each pack had a bright orange sticker stating "NEW"emblazoned on the front of the pack.. 

I thought to myself "this is not a new product?" but then I remembered reading about some changes that where on the way to the 2012 version of the Gene Larew 3 Legged frog.. curiosity and a mix of fear got the best of me and I had to rip open the pack to take a closer look (what if they ruined it?) 

And sure enough a change did occur, a metamorphosis if you will,  and my fast moving swim-frog now had a little more kick.. with the addition of a small round paddle to the end of each of those 3 perfect legs.

what does this mean to me? essentially the addition of the "paddles" is an attempt to turn a swimming frog into a buzz frog, and the reason I love this frog is because I prefer swimming frogs, and the Three legged frog is one of the best , I like a more subtle motion, less churn, and the ability to move over and around cover with ease.. will this change anything?

The short answer to that question is.. No

Overall I don't believe the small paddles will effect the frog all that much, yes, they will add a slight buzz to the movement, but not enough to drastically alter what I love about the frog, and certainly not enough to slow it down. (We we not talking about the same paddle feet seen on Gambler Cane toads or even Stanley Ribbits).

 And worst case scenario if I hate those little nubbs,  I can just slice them off, since it appears they have just added them to the standard legs they have always used.

I know, I know, change is a good thing, but not when it comes to your equipment. We have all heard stories of guys that buy out all the local tackle shops when they hear their favourite bait has been discontinued, but what do you do when it has been changed? simple, you do the only thing you can do.. fish it

A mouse and a weasel walk into a bar.....

Well just days after writing up my blog on my mini mouse collection, that collection grew.. this past weekend I added two more mice, or more accurately 1 mouse and a weasel?

The ZMan UltraMouse is made of the same crazy elaZtech material as all Zman baits, and comes pre-rigged with a 4/0 hook. Like with the UltraFrogz, the hook is not your standard EWG and does not have an hook eye, so it needs to be tied similar to a spinnerbait. You tie direct to a bend in the hook and will have to adjust it slightly as you go. 

The mouse itself is very durable, it can be stretched, prodded and pulled, but you better not store it with other soft plastics.. or your apt to loose them all... damn that alien elaZtech material

I enjoy fishing the Zman products, though they do take some getting use to. They are a bit lighter feeling on the rod, and the sticky material can cause friction when pulled over cover (pads, rocks or timber), but

with 6 colors to choose from and some great 3D eyes, this is a nice looking meal for a bass looking up

Now for The Weasel, a bait Im pretty sure is at the end of it's life span since I cant find it available from any major retailers, other the Mann directly.

This unusual frog/mouse bait is strange in the fact that it has a lip/bill, and as if that is not odd enough,  unlike other baits the bill is not a diving bill, but more used to impart erratic movement. The bill is hollow like the rest of the bait, and when you put pressure on the line the weasel wiggles, squirms and does a slight dive.

I have yet to fish with the weasel, but it appears to be built with the same quality standards of other Mann's products. The body is very soft, and the tail is made of a soft rubber that moves very well, but has enough stretch so it is not easily ripped from the body. There was not many color options available at the time of my purchase, so i went with the ugliest one they had

As I mentioned above this is not an easy product to find, and when you do it will be priced anywhere from $7.99 to $9.99.

Well, it appears that in stores just like in your house, the mice like to hide. I had been in this shop many times and had never come across these baits. Im glad I did, and I glad I was able to share them with you. If your interested in the weasel I would check it out quick, as I dont think it will be around much longer.

Great Finds @ The Quinte Sportsman show

It has been a couple weeks since my stint at the Toronto Spring Fishing and Boat show, and the Toronto Sportsman Show is not until next weekend.. so what is a guy to do when he needs to get his fix? take in a local show of course! This past Saturday I decided to give my dad a call and see if he was interested in heading down to the Quinte Sportsman, Boat & RV show.. he was, so off we went. 

This show is celebrating it's 14th year and it was my 3rd time taking it in. I'll be honest I stopped attending about 3 years ago because the show was so small and with only one real fishing booth it was not worth the price of admission (or the 45 minute drive).. this year the event expanded and filled 4 buildings (rinks) way more then the single rink event I had attended in the past. With multiple fishing shops taking part, and a booth that looked to be filled with clearance or "buy outs" from Canadian and US retailers like Cabela's I knew there was deals to be found, or new gear to test.. here is what I found

Zoom Z Nail Worm

Part of the Zoom trick worm series, the Z nail is a bait I have never seen up close and personal prior to this weekend. With a long tapered body that is slightly segmented, this worm will definitely do some tricks in the water. Defined as a stick bait, Im looking forward to trying to fish this worm wacky, as well as breaking out the "J" rig. 

with a show price of under $3 a pack, I snagged a few 

Strike King Shadalicious 

This monster swim-bait has been on my radar for quite some time now, but not being an avid swim-bait guy, I was reluctant to shell out the $9.99 to $12.99 a pack these baits could be found for in many Ontario retailers.. but a show price of $5 persuaded me to take the plunge.  Time will tell if these see any use this coming season, but Im glad I got to strike them off my list without blowing the bank

Bass Magnet Lures

If you read this blog at all on a regular basis, you will have noticed that Im a fan of Bass Magnet lures. So I was excited to see a local retailer (Pro Advantage) had a bin full of BML product that they were selling for a price I could not refuse.. 3 packs for $10, I love a good bargin so scooping up some discontinued colors at a great price is just what I look for when attending a show. 

By the looks of it, I was not the only BML fan at the show, as it was a "use your elbows" event while trying to get in close to the bin. I picked up some tubes and some quiver sticks, both in colors I had never seen before. Im hoping the one is not a discontinued color as it sure is pretty

Well the damage was done, and I burnt through some cash. All in all it was a pretty good show, with a little something for everyone. I did not find anything mind blowing, but I did get to add two new products I have never tried (at show prices). And It was great to see how much the Quinte Sportsman show has grown, In past years I would spend 15-25 minutes at the show and this year we walked around for close to 2 hours.,  this time it wont be 3 more years till my next visit.

New Addiction: El Grande Lures

Im happy to report that as of last night, I'm now a proud member of the El Grande Lures Field Staff Team. This growing company has a great selection of soft plastics unlike anything else on the market today, and Im glad to be working with them

Last year I won my first pack of El Grande Match Stick's during  a contest hosted on www.ultimatebass.com. I was very impressed with the product and it's quality, so I started to dig a bit deeper, trying their Sapo frog as well as their tubes.. and although I will admit I have always been a bit afraid of the GilaMonster, I do currently have a few on order.

Check back later this season, as I get the chance to work through the entire line-up of El Grande baits, including the Boom R Ang, a Fred Roumbas approved jerkbait that will no doubt see some time on my Alabama rig.

thanx again to the team at El Grande Lures, if you dont know who they are, check them out

http://www.elgrandelures.com/index.html

Spring is coming, and so are the Froglets

With the recent influx of what I can only call "froglet baits" hitting the market  I thought we should take a minute to investigate.. "why?"

Obviously we all know that frogs are like to steak to a Bass, so what would make them hungry for steak bites and not a entire T-bone.. well its just Nature, simple as that..

FROG.LET (noun)

Definition: a young frog; specifically : one that has recently metamorphosed from a tadpole

Each year in early Spring (March or so) Frogs begin to lay their eggs, and over a 12 week period, they grow from egg, to tadpole, to froglet. Hitting that last important stage of growth just around the end of June..  During this time period Bass and other fish will instinctively be feeding on and off of  the influx of small frogs or "froglets", and the timing couldn't be more perfect for a frog fisherman.

Matching the Hatch

Although June is not a traditional frog month for most anglers, I personally like to break out a frog no matter the weather or season, and I let the fish dictate.

So In the spirit of "matching the hatch" what better early season bait to use then a froglet, and if you are in the market for one, here are a couple you really need to check out

FGH45T by: Live Target

Like with their field mouse, and walking frog, the Live Target team have been in front of the trends as they pertains to frog fishing, and this is the case again. Last season Live Target introduced the FGH45T, the smallest version of their very popular hollow body line. Although not as small as the Lunker Hunt Pocket Frog or the Samurai Frog, it is small enough to be swallowed whole, and since it is a Live Target product you can rely on the fact that it has a high quality hook and body

(FGH45T vs. Full Size Live Target Frog & a Dime)

Pocket Frog by: LunkerHunt

Over the past few years Canadian Company LunkerHunt has been slowly building a very impressive collection of soft plastic baits, from senko's to tubes, and this year they have launched a line of Edu-Kits specifically designed to educate anglers on various techniques. One of these Edu-Kits contains the Pocket Frog, a very small froglet available in one size and a few select colors. I really like the size and colors and body shaope of the Pocket Frog, my only disappointment is that the hook appears to be barb-less. Not sure if this is a flaw on my frog or something done on purpose. This tiny frog is the smallest of the three, and nearly impossible for a fish to miss on a strike.

I heard about a the Pocket frog from a buddy and he had nothing but rave reviews from his time testing the prototype last season.

Update: This info was provided to my by the team at LunkerHunt,

"Big Bass have a tendency to inhale our pocket frog. Barbless hooks make releasing fish easier. I have yet to have a fish come unpegged. The hooks are super sharp and set at an angle to ensure solid hook ups. Just maintain pressure when fighting fish and you will be fine.

Another advantage to the barbless hooks that we discovered during testing is that the body of the frog tends to hold up longer without the barbs poking into it."

(Pocket Frog)

Samaurai Frog  by: Vok

Vok, Another company new to the frog market, unleashed two Frogs at the 2012 Spring Fishing and Boat show in Toronto last month. Both the Vok Croaker and Samurai frog are available in standard and Froglet size, but I recommend sticking to the Samurai series. When handleing the frogs they have very similar characteristics, but you will quickly notice the hooks on the Croaker are not lined up properly (turned in), and may effect your hook-up ratio. Unfortunatly the most unique color options are in the Croaker line, so I picked up one of each, and will worry about the hook later.

(Samurai Frog vs. Full Size Croaker Frog)

In fishing as in life.. "Size does Matter", but bigger is not always better. There is a time and place to unleash a froglet, so when you hit the water at the end of June this season, be sure to give a froglet a try.. I dont think you will be disappointed.. and your hook-up ratio will go sky high

Canada U.S Walleye Tournament - The List keeps growing

Early last month I told you about the return of this great fishing tournament with it's 100% angler payout, and a guaranteed $5,000 first place prize, I bet you didnt think the pot could get any sweeter. Well, last week Shimano jumped on board and added the following.

SHIMANO Mystery Weight Award: Shimano will award the team winning our mystery weight award two Shimano Cumara rods, two Shimano Stradic spinning reels, and Power Pro line. (The value is approximately $1,000.)
By the way, if there is a tie for the mystery weight award, we will award the prize to whichever of the tied teams had the heaviest weight on Saturday.

 POWER PRO Contingency Award: If the tournament winning team has at least two rods in their boat spooled with Power Pro Super Slick aqua green line, Shimano will award them $500.
If the winning team does not meet this challenge, but the second place team has two rods spooled with that line, Shimano will award them $250.
If neither the first nor second place team has the two rods spooled with Power Pro Super Slick aqua green line, Shimano will give them a 1500 yard spool of Power Pro line.

New:  for those coming from out of town, please check in on some of the great places to stay in Bobcaygeon. If you browse the below link, look for the the Canada/US Walleye tournament logo, any business with the logo beside it's name will be offering discount rates to anglers fishing in the tournament

Bobcaygeon: Where to Stay

This really is a community event, I love to see communities and their businesses support these events. it's great for fishing, and fishing industry tourism.

If you have not registered a team yet, click HERE and join today. There is still room, but as the weather warms, spots will fill up quick

Call an exterminator, the Mice are taking over

Well it's not like this is a new thing, but ever since the launch of Live Targets field mouse at last years Icast event, there has been a mini mouse craze going on.. with new mice joining the field, and some old ones getting noticed all over again.

I have to admit I have had a few mice and or rats in my frog arsenal for years now. The first one I ever picked up was the Strike King "King Rat" a soft plastic rat that could be paired up with your hook of choice, it has some heft to it and can be cast a mile. Like most baits It does have it's flaws, and the texas rigging was one of them. I found it hard to keep the hook in place and when it crawled over the pads the hook would occasionally snag on one. To get the best hook penetration you would want to use a EWG hook, this means you have either too much hook on the bottom (causing the rat to flip) or two much hook on the top, leaving the point exposed. The texture of the body also made it a bit difficult to drag across large sections of pad, it does not slide as easily as other mice and will make your retrieve choppy

The next mouse I own is the Snag Proof Moss Mouse, this one is  similar to a standard hollow body frog and fishes just as well if not better then the average Snag Proof frog. Being that I was not a huge fan of Snagg Proof products when I tried the mouse, I was impressed with the slender body and the higher set hooks that should assist in a better hook up ratio (my complaint with many Snag Proof Frogs is the wide leg stance getting in the way).

This is not to say there are no issues with the Moss Mouse.. priced at half of what other mice are going for, you will quickly see that this mouse is cheaply made.  Low grade hooks and a plastic body that looks ruff around the edges (visible molding marks) are just some of the flaws easily spotted on this product.  In the water, I find the Moss Mouse is kinda flat, the tails imparts little to no motion and sits up in the water doing nothing to entice the fish when paused. Made of a very thin plastic I would be surprised if it held up to more then one battle. The Moss Mouse weighs in at 1/4 oz, and is not the best casting mouse available. It does sit well in the water and the way the weight is possitioned does help keep it upright.

(Moss Mouse)

  Newer on the mouse market is the Rat N Rat produced by MTL a Japanese import this bait was  launched at Icast 2009. This Rat has a unique twist not see on other mice, in that in place of legs, the RnR is equipped with two tiny colorado blades as feet, setting off some nice flash when walked across open water. The tail on the RnR is also longer and softer then most, it hangs down when paused and can actually be used to entice a bite by slowly twitching the mouse.

Although I have yet to fish it, the Rat N Rat appears to be a quality product, the body is soft/supple enough to be easily compressed when a fish hits, but strong enough to hold up during the fight. I love the color options available and could not pass up this blue gill imitation. Watch for a full review this summer, as I cant wait to get this one tied on.

(MTL Rat N Rat - Real Deal Color)

Live Target has to be credited with the upswing of the interest in mouse fishing, when their line of field mice landed at ICAST 2011 they caused quite the commotion.. and why not, they are a Live Target product, they look stellar and if they fish half as well as the frog line, they will be a winner.

I love the profile and the way the hooks stand up on this bait, although still completely weedless I feel more of the hook is exposed and when a fish hits it, the collapsable body gets out of the way and you get more hook into the fish. The thin body/frame also helps your hook-up percentage, while still allowing you to walk the mouse perfectly.  Personally the only faults I can find is in the sizes, I'm not super happy with the size options. The large size mouse is not big enough, and should be the middle of 3 sizes. (When I first ordered it I though I had been shipped the wrong size). When out of the package the tail and thin rubber strands add some additional size, but still not quite enough for me. I do like the motion these two features give off in the water even when paused. I have heard some complaints of sinking mice, i have yet to fish mine (due to ice) but I hope the reports are not true.. no one likes a wet rat

(Live Target Field Mouse)

Will 2012  be the year of the mouse? it is sure shaping up that way. Now all I need this ice to start melting so I can head out and break in some of these new baits. If your a frog fisherman looking for something new for this season, head on out and grab yourself a mouse. There are more and more to choose from, and I would not be surprised to see mice introduced from all the big guns in the coming seasons... this is not a bad thing, only 1 in 3 will get it right, and the fun part is finding that 1

Trivia Question: Who makes the Mouse show in the top image, but not discussed in the blog?