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Lure Review


FW Installment #2 : Twitch, Pop, n Lockin' Frogs (continued)

 

River 2 Sea Spittin' Wa: One of the new baits introduced at ICAST 2013 was River 2 Sea’s Spittin’ Wa. This bait builds on the concept of a popping frog by including a clear plastic cupped mouth instead of molding it from the body. Additionally, the mouth features two slits on either side to allow water to mix with air creating a bubble trail and adding a varying degree of disturbance as you move the bait through the water. I fished this bait on a 6’11” heavy powered Megabass rod, the F5-611X Bearing Down paired with a Shimano Japan Metanium XG spooled with 50lb Sunline FX Braid.

 

There's a new poppin' frog on the block.

 

River 2 Sea Spittin' Wa Specifications

Frog Type Popping
Length 55 = 2 1/4" : 70 = 2 3/4"
Weight 55 = 9/16oz : 70 = 7/8oz
Colors/Patterns 8
MSRP $9.99

Action: The Spittin’ Wa floats on top of the water very flat presenting a nice, big target to aggressive and unsuspecting bass. When you snap your rod tip down hard, the bait will pop and gurgle as the concave mouth both spits water forward and leaks some out on the bottom.

Introducing River2Sea's Spittin' Wa.

Change up your retrieve with the traditional, quick little snaps of your rod’s tip and the Spittin’ Wa will walk from side to side in short little movements. If you want to get more glide out of the bait, you can trim the skirt. That’s something you probably want to do out of the package anyway as the Spittin’ Wa’s stock skirt is quite long.

This bait is a bit wider than usual lending itself to a bit more weedless performance but also, somehow, an easier bait to walk.

Weedlessness: The Spittin’ Wa is another cupped mouth frog bait that comes through weeds and other obstructions quite well. I always expect baits of this type to catch the weeds, but more often than not, the Spittin’ Wa slides right over and through the majority of obstacles.

The underside of the Spittin' Wa as a slight keel to it explaining the ease by which the bait walks.

Taking on Water: An area of criticism I do have of this bait is its propensity to take on water. The two baits I threw seemed to do take on water more easily than other frogs I’ve fished before, so I just had to be conscious after every fourth or fifth cast, to check on the bait and squeeze out any water that accumulated inside.

Unlike other popping frogs, the Spittn' Wa's is a separate piece from the main body.

Hookup Ratio: The Spittin’ Wa hasn’t been out for very long and I’ve only fished it on a couple of occasions. It was long enough to get an impression of the bait’s castability and action, both of which are excellent, but not enough to get a great sense of the bait’s hook up ratio. Nothing I’ve experienced thus far leads me to believe this bait is above or below average in hook up ratio at this point..

This enabled River 2 Sea to include these holes on either side of the bait's mouth for added water disturbance.

Durability: Similarly, I’ve not had enough time on the water to really discern this bait’s durability. If there’s any area of concern I have for this bait its in the construction of its most intriguing characteristic – that cupped mouth. Most frog baits with a cupped mouth have this section molded out of the same material as the main body and really all together in one solid form.

In the water, the bait lays nice and flat.

The Spittin’ Wa’s lip is a different piece than the main body and made from a different material. My concern here would be that over time, this piece may separate from the main body requiring you to glue it back into place. Again, it did not happen to us, so we cannot say if it will or won’t occur over time, but it is an area to be concerned with if you’re one who demands the utmost in durability with their frog baits.

The end result? Well, you can see it here as Cal hoists an ice Clear Lake fish!

Availability: The Spittin’ Wa began shipping to stores a week or two prior to ICAST. By the time this article hits our website, it should be readily available at all your typical River 2 Sea authorized stores. The bait comes in two sizes, the 55 (2.25”/ 9/16 oz) and 70 (2.75”/ 7/8 oz) and retails for right around $9. You can find it at Hi’s Tackle Box.

Ratings:

River 2 Sea Spittin' Wa Ratings (?/10)

Construction/Quality Well built bait 8
Performance It walks, it spits, it pops, it spins, it performs well 8
Price Just under $10 but still on the high side when compared to the basics 7
Features Seemingly stout hooks and good color selection 7.5
Design (Ergonomics) Not your typical cupped mouth but with slits on the side for added turbulence 8
Application As versatile a frog as you will find 8

Total Score

7.75
Ratings Key: 1 = terrible : 2 = poor : 3 = lacking : 4 = sub par : 5 = mediocre : 6 = fair : 7 = good : 8 = great : 9 = excellent : 10 = unbelievable!
For More Details of the updated rating system visit our explanation here

 

Pluses and Minuses:

Plus

Minus
+ Unique clear, cupped mouth with slits for turbulence - Long term durability of that cupped mouth is questionable since it's a separate piece from the body
+ Really easy to work  
+ Two size options  

 

 

Next Section: Megabass's new frog offering

 

   

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