December 20, 2012
By Ned Kehde
TriggerX introduced its 2 1/2-inch Aggression Flappin' Craw to the angling world in July at the International Convention of Allied Sportfishing Trades.
Dan Quinn of Hudson, Wisconsin, is the Field Promotions Coordinator for Rapala, and he says this new bait might fill a gap in the soft-plastic-bait arsenal for Midwest finesse anglers.
Most Midwest finesse anglers have their sights set on catching at least nine largemouth, smallmouth or spotted bass an hour, and there are a few outings when they tangle with as many as 25 an hour. One of the problems, however, that they have encountered with flapping-crayfish-style baits in years past is that these baits are extremely fragile and unable to endure many donnybrooks with largemouth, smallmouth and spotted bass. Therefore, if these anglers tangle with 36 largemouth bass during a four-hour outing, they would likely destroy 18 or more baits, and if they were fortunate enough to tangle with 100 largemouth bass during a four-hour outing, they would destroy about 50 baits.
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In the words of Quinn, "the 2 1/2-inch Flappin' Craw is quite durable." Their durability stems from the TX material from which they are made. In order to facilitate the claw's flapping action, the area is thin were the claws adjoin the body, but the toughness of the TX material prevents the claws from being easily amputated by several encounters with pesky largemouth, smallmouth and spotted bass. Quinn concluded: "It, of course," isn't indestructible, but compared to other brands, it is above average in durability."
Typically, Quinn likes to dress the Flappin' Craw on a Terminator Swim Jig. On most outings, he works with a three-inch model. But when his black bass fishing becomes trying, he finesses them by wielding a 2 1/2-inch Flappin' Craw on a 1/4-ounce Terminator Swim Jig. In an e-mail, he wrote: " I use it on a seven-foot medium-action rod that is spooled with 20-pound-test 832 Sufix Advanced Superline in most situations, but I will tie a few feet of 12-pound-test Castable Invisiline Fluorocarbon line as a leader in super clear water, or if I'm not getting the bites I think that I should be. I like the medium-action rod; it allows me to feel the bait hitting cover, and I like to have some bend in the rod when I set the hook. When I use too stiff of a rod, I've found that I can pull the jig right out of the bass' mouths. It's same theory as a crankin' stick."
What's more, Quinn says the 2 1/2-inch Flappin' Craw works well as a trailer on a traditional hair jig.
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Most Midwest finesse anglers will affix the 2 1/2-inch Flappin' Craw on a either a 1/16- or 3/32-ounce Gopher Tackle Mushroom Head Jig. When the black bass are easy to allure, the Midwest finesse anglers will present it to their quarries with a swim-glide-and-shake retrieve. But when the black bass are tentative and difficult to entice, these anglers will use a drag-deadstick-and-subtle-shake retrieve. These are the same retrieves Midwest finesse anglers employ when they are using a two- or three-inch beaver-style bait on a Gopher jig.
The 2 1/2-inch Flappin' Craw is endowed with a precise bio-salt infused formulation, as well as with UltraBite Aggression Pheromones, and because it is made from a phthalate-free soft plastic composition, there is no plastic smell, which TriggerX calls " scent contamination." It is a available in 13 colors. A package of 10 retails for $4.99.
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Footnotes
Tom Monsoor of La Cross, Wisconsin, is a regularly touted as a master at wielding a swim jig. For more insights about his and other talented anglers' methods of swimming a jig, please examine this story at http://archives.in-fisherman.com/content/join-swim-jig-success-story.
