Booyah Pad Crasher

[.ghoti.]

Recently got some of these. Yes, they sent me some to review. And before anybody starts pizza get and moaning about us mods talking up our sponsor's products, allow me to say this. If I get something I like, I will talk about it. If I don't like it, you wont here about from me. I don't like to bad mouth anybody, or their products. What I'm going to do is give my opinions. Opinions are based on experiences. We don't all have the same experiences, so our opinions are necessarily different. The fact that a particular bait doesn't work for me, doesn't always mean the bait is junk. It's much more likely I don't know how to fish it, or it's the wrong time of year, or wrong body of water for that particular bait. Lots of reasons to have no success with any bait.

 

I also believe in sharing. Just last week I sent out four packages to different Bass Resource members, containing an assortment of baits I received from various sponsors. If they send me multiples of anything, I'm going to send some to somebody, with the caveat that they write a review as well. This time I picked four guys who posted in the military service thread about their service. Got a twofer out of that. I get to say thank you for,your service, and the sponsor gets their product distributed further, and maybe gets a good review. Everybody wins.

 

So, about the frog. I like frogs. Who doesn't. Top water Bass fishing is just about as much fun as you can have with your pants on. And frog fishing is my favorite way to fish on top. So, for me, there aren't really any bad frogs. Just some are better, in one way or another.

 

I didn't catch any fish on the frog. Didn't expect to. It's still winter here in Illinois and the water is cold and murky. I just wanted to get out, away from the rod building bench, and take a little break. I threw some finesse stuff for while, with no succes, and while looking for something else to throw came across one of the baits Pradco sent me; a Booyah Pad Crasher frog.

 

No weight was given on the package. My scale said 0.52oz. There's a small, flat weight in the back end. I'd guess it's around 1/8oz. Maybe a hair more. I didn't take it out to weigh it.

 

I did try to knock it out. I slung it into a chunk rock bank several times, trying to knock the weight out, and did not manage to dislodge it. Not saying it couldn't be done, but I didn't manage it. Plus one for,the Pad Crasher.

 

The bottom of the front features a nice ramp from the middle of the bottom to the hook. This makes it very easy to "walk the frog". Plus two. Even easier if you trim the legs a bit. The fine rubber strand legs are about 3.5" long. Nice movement in the water at rest, but long enough to slightly hinder walking the bait.

 

The nice ramped bottom makes it easy to walk, and should make it easy to slide up on a lily pad. Plus three.

 

The frog will take on water. Almost all will. It's easy to squeeze out. But you won't have to do that as often with this frog. It has an extra hole, higher up in the back that allows water to drain. A nice little addition, somebody should have thought of sooner. Plus four.

 

I made maybe fifty casts, and the Pad Crasher landed upright every time. Not all frogs will do that. Plus five.

 

Now the minus. The hooks. It has the standard dual frog hook. This is a stout hook. I could not bend it by hand, and I'm not a puny little geek. I'm a big, strong one. It took two pairs of pliers to bend the hooks points out a little bit. Like almost all frogs, the hooks are bent in slightly. Designed to make the bait more weedless. In my opinion, this means it's designed to make it more fishless. Bending the hooks out will increase your hookup percentage. A lot. 

 

It comes in a smaller size. I don't have any of those. Yet. Available in a dozen colors on TW, for $6.69. That's at the lower end of the price range for frogs. Another plus.

 

I have a 3700 box full of frogs. About 80% of them are Ish's Phat frogs. I wont be throwing any of those away, but I will be making room in that box for more Pad Crashers.

[J Francho]

I think the complaints are funny.  Would they rather we not have any of their products, and lie?  The fact is, most fishing companies aren't out to make a crummy product.  Some do a better job than others.  Some are good enough.  Some are excellent.  A good deal of what is displayed to the right is all very good stuff.  Some, I've already been using for years.  Some have changed my mind about their stuff, once I got to use them.

 

Nice review on the frog.  I've been using the Pad Crashers for a couple years now.  They are a solid bait, good fish catcher.

[Team9nine]

Nice write-up. Pad Crashers are one of just a few frog brands that make it into my box. Nice baits that pretty much do what they're supposed to.

 

-T9

[jbw252]

Nice review. Thanks for sharing. Kudos for you for choosing some veterans to redistribute lures to. 

[BassB8Caster]

Good honest review. I have used the pad crasher for a few seasons. The only frog i have used. Ish's phat frog sounds and looks interesting though. The first season i used this frog quite a bit. Had moderate success (from what i read is expected...hook up ratio speaking). Last season i had a tough time with the frog. I have tried bending the hooks out to increase hook ups, but unfortunately when i think to do this im out on the water. And i have to admit was unable to bend the d**n things. So they are still how they came out of the box. My issue last year was it seemed that the fish would always hit it but not take it. I tried everything i could think of to change on my end to help with the hook ups. I tend to get excited when i get a blow up so i have a bad habit of setting the hook too early. I worked hard on this and found that the fish were just not taking the frog in and going under. Just hitting it. So i went away from it and went to pitboss, lizards and the craw fatty texas rigged weedless and have had much better success. I do love the way the frog fishes though. Like you said, its very buoyant and only need to drain it once in a while. Never had a problem with it going upside down on me. And it walks great. I will have to give a better effort to bend the hooks out a bit and throw the padcrasher again this year. I absolutely love fishing topwater and grass/lillies. I have lost my biggest fish on the pad crasher. Both were over 5lbs. The booyah pad crasher should be in everyones tackle box!

[.ghoti.]

It takes two pairs of pliers. Place the first pair where the hooks are close together. The second grabs each hook individually. Bend out a little bit, one at a time.

[Fun4Me]

Did you get some popping pad crashers as well? I've had good luck with them.

[WIGuide]

Nice review. I've been using the Pad Crasher's for a few years now as well and have had the same results you have. The price has slowly crept up, but they are still towards the bottom of the market cost wise and I will continue to use them. 

[Subaqua Adinterim]

Thanks for the review and all your efforts to help provide information on this forum. 

 

I consider myself a novice bass fisherman and attribute what success I have to learning from this site, along with a little luck of course.  Last September, I tried frog fishing for the first time up in the Adirondacks and had fantastic success.  I used the Booyah Pad Crasher based on recommendations from this site.  It worked beautifully, and you are right - it was among the most fun things I ever did with pants on.  My wife even followed around behind me in her kayak and really got a kick out of seeing the bass blast to the surface to hit the frog.

 

I also used the Lake Fork frog tail hook with the Pad Crasher and it helped me get hook ups in spite of my awkward efforts.  I have ordered more of these but they seem to always be on back order at Cabelas, so I am waiting for them to come in.    I highly recommend these trailer hooks.

 

Also, good on you for passing along your extras to vets.  A great gesture of appreciation to those that do so much to protect our country.

[Mumbly]

Thanks for the review. I have used the Pad Crasher Jr. up here for Chain Pickeral. They seem to like them a lot.

[Bluebasser86]

If I'm fishing a frog, which I do a lot in the summer, there's a good chance it's a Popping Pad Crasher in the Cricket Frog color. Something about it just catches them for me.

 

[roadwarrior]

I have been fishing the Pad Crasher already this year. There is just something about a frog pattern on a frog!

 

http://www.booyahbaits.com/booyah-pad-crasher

 

[lmbfisherman]

Pad crashers are good I have a couple in my box.  When they don't chase my LT frogs, I will use a pad crasher.  

[SFL BassHunter]

Good review. I have used both the popper and the regular HB and they are both fantastic. You can't really beat them for the price!

[IndianaFinesse]

I second bluebasser on wanting a junior sized popping pad crasher.  I love the the popping pad crasher, but there are times I would prefer a smaller size.  The pad crashers are one of only two frog brands that i carry, and although price is a factor (can't beat $6 for a quality frog), they simply outperform most other frogs I've regardless of price. 

[Fishin Dad]

I have used these frogs in many colors and love them.   They have a great shape to them and are easy to use.    They don't take on a lot of water either.    Obviously the price is great, but they are very durable as well increasing their value status.   

[Jeff H]

Good review ghoti, thanks for sharing your opinion!

 

 I've had a pair of these for several years.  They are not the first one I reach for but I will agree there is good value in them.  I think I'm more in the Snag Proof camp when it comes to frogs, but the one that's caught me the most fish, so far, is a BPS Kermy

[mllrtm79]

On 3/7/2017 at 0:36 PM, .ghoti. said:

Top water Bass fishing is just about as much fun as you can have with your pants on.

 

thanks for the write up ghoti. I had one of these sitting in my topwater plano since BASS sent it to me last year when I signed up. Reading this caused me to finally pull it out yesterday and trim the legs back and tie it on. I tossed it at a small state run pond for a few minutes after work, had 4 or 5 strikes at it (in 20 minutes ), but no hookups... I reckon I need to bend the hooks a bit, but it is still a bit cold for froggin, maybe they're short striking for some other reason. 

[SFL BassHunter]

18 minutes ago, mllrtm79 said:

 

thanks for the write up ghoti. I had one of these sitting in my topwater plano since BASS sent it to me last year when I signed up. Reading this caused me to finally pull it out yesterday and trim the legs back and tie it on. I tossed it at a small state run pond for a few minutes after work, had 4 or 5 strikes at it (in 20 minutes ), but no hookups... I reckon I need to bend the hooks a bit, but it is still a bit cold for froggin, maybe they're short striking for some other reason. 

You may just be setting the hook too fast. I tend to do that a lot even though I know better lol.

 

Gotta wait for them to take it down. They will hold on to that frog for a LONG time in their mouth in my experience.

[mllrtm79]

16 minutes ago, SFL BassHunter said:

Gotta wait for them to take it down

I don't think they ever really had it on at least half of the hits, I didn't even get to set the hook on two of them before the frog was back on the surface. Short strikes I assume. 

[SFL BassHunter]

8 minutes ago, mllrtm79 said:

I don't think they ever really had it on at least half of the hits, I didn't even get to set the hook on two of them before the frog was back on the surface. Short strikes I assume. 

Yeah sounds like it. Or they just missed. If you leave it there sometimes they will come back for it after a miss.

 

Don't know if you've got Gar in your waters. Down here we have them and they will grab the frog take it down for a short period then let it go. Or when you set the hook you just miss because their mouths are so thin the hooks don't land right. We also have a load of exotic cichlids and they pull the frog down by the skirt. Quite annoying.