Effectiveness: Well, the proof is in the catching. On the very first trip with this bait, we were out O'Neill Forebay in California
targeting land locked striper. Action had been sporadic all day so I tied on a Flap Slap to change things up a bit. Zander saw me tie the bait on and made a comment that he had purchased some too but hadn't had any luck with them. Right after his comment I had what looked to be about a five pound largemouth follow the bait up. The bass made a swipe at the bait right at the boat, but I was so shocked and excited, I pulled the bait away before it could inhale it! It would be a full year before we managed any significant action with this bait.
|
One of our first Flap Slap bass
|
Enter the diving Flap Slap. The original version of this bait is primarily a shallow running bait diving no more than 3 or 4 feet at the most. I'd managed a fish here and there with the shallow version but nothing consistent and was really longing for a way to get it down deeper to better tempt the bass with the bait's broad sided flashes. That was going to be my primary criticism for this bait until, that is, Megabass decided to debut the deep diving version! Naturally, I had to try them out before going to work on this review.
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A look at the diving Flap Slap in PM Ayu
|
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Scarred by a day of fish catching success
|
Finally, the diving Flap Slap, delivered for me, where the shallow running version fell short and in fact, on one fateful trip to Clear Lake, California in particular, it really shined and outshined some of the other jerkbaits we were using. I should point out, however, Zander still isn't sold and JIP chooses to remain neutral.
|
The devil is in the details
|
Zander's Take:
I had high hopes
for the Flat Slap,
as it bears so many
of the great
features that I love
about Megabass
lures. Perhaps the
Megabass Vision 110
had me spoiled, but
the Flat Slap was a
letdown. The lure
casts well, and even
looks good in the
water when retrieved
exhibiting a unique
side to side action
or twitching
retrieve.
Unfortunately trip
after trip the lure
zeroed for me, even
as other hardbaits
performed. When Cal
finally landed the
first fish during a
test I was taken
aback, had he
stumbled upon the
right retrieve?
Indeed he was onto
something. With a
twitch retrieve the
lure began to
produce. The
Megabass Flat Slap
began to redeem
itself for Cal but
for me it was just
another jerkbait,
one that didn't have
the flexibility or
productivity of
other jerbaits we
have tested from
Megabass's own
lineup or competitor
offerings. The
Megabass Flat Slap
can catch fish (Cal
proved that), but
compared to
previously tested
Megabass lures this
one still leaves
something to be
desired.
Ratings:
Megabass Flap Slap Ratings (?/10)
|
Construction/Quality |
Another solidly crafted bait from Megabass |
9 |
Performance |
Best fished as a jerkbait
("I would
have rated
this section
a 5" -
Zander) |
7 |
Price |
Average for Megabass, high by comparison to everyone else |
7.5 |
Features |
Katsuage Hooks (Original Only) and the Shaft Balancer are the primary difference makers |
8 |
Design |
An intriguing profile and shape to say the least |
8.5 |
Application |
When you want something different and wildly erratic, the Flap Slap might be it.
("or maybe
not, there
are many
other lures
out there
even from
Megabass's
own lineup
that perform
better. For
now I'll
stick to my
DeepX and
Visions. i
would have
rated this
section a 6"
- Zander) |
8 |
Total Score
|
8.00
(7.33 -
Zander) |
Pluses and Minuses:
Plus Minus
|
J Easy to cast despite its broad profile |
L Expensive |
J A shape and size that says "food" to big fish |
L May take a while to find its niche in your arsenal |
|
Even this football shaped bass could not persuade Zander to give the Flap Slap another chance, but seeing as how, on this day, I caught four more just like it in the span of an hour, I am definitely sold.
|
Conclusion: Like a championship contender pulling out all the stops in the closing rounds to win the fight, the Flap Slap finally
delivered. Zander had already given up on the bait and since it had been just about a full year from the beginning of our journey with the Flap Slap, I was on the brink. Then one successful trip followed by another showing the importance of using a bait in the right place at the right time. While it may not be one of those magical baits that works when others do not, it is an effective bait nonetheless, if the bass are in the right mood. My recommendation is to start with the diving version and work backwards to the shallow. Experiment with it as a crankbait, but know that the strengths of this bait lie in its use as a jerkbait.