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Creature Fever: One Strong Crawfish, the Z-Man Flappin Crawz
(continued)
 Retrieve:
Where this bait does excel is in contact fishing. When the bait is fished Texas
it floats upwards and the claws stand up in a defensive position. Here is where
those seemingly uninteresting flat claws come to life. The thin design allows
the claws to wave about enticingly with a twitch of the line or even just
movement of the water itself. Rigged as a trailer on a jig the bait will lay
flat but the arms will still rise up through the skirting which gives the bait a
more realistic stance, which resembles a retreating crawfish.
A
close up reveals the details of this plastic
If there is not
enough eight on the end of the line, for example with a very light shaky head,
the lure will stand up completely vertically, which does look artificial, and we
only got bit once with this particular setup. Throughout our tests I found the
craw good when fished on a Texas rig and very effective when used as a jig
trailer.
The
claws are flat and relatively simple looking
Durability:
I think it goes without saying, this is one very durable plastic bait. You can
twist it, stretch it even drag it across abrasive surfaces and it will remain
intact. Elaztech is highly elastic and even the thinner parts of the bait like
the claws are able to stretch a surprising length and yet still immediately
return to the original shape once released. This added durability brings up the
ROI (return on investment) on each individual lure as they can be used for
longer periods without having to be changed out.
Let's see just how elastic and durable this ElaZtech plastic really is...
Price &
Applications:
Z-Man baits are typically a good value and the Flappin Crawz definitely falls in
this category coming eight to a pack for only $3.89, which is under 50 cents per
bait. Unlike traditional plastics that are only good for a few fish the Flappin
Crawz can easily last through 20 plus fish thanks to the ultra-durable ElaZtech
plastic construction. The only thing anglers have to be careful with is to make
sure these plastics are separated from other plastics as they will react and all
you will be left with is a gooey mess in your tackle box.
Seriously?
I found the
Flappin Crawz most effective when fish wanted something more subtle and also
quite good in clear water conditions. This bait also makes for a good trailer on
jigs and spinnerbaits as it is easy to pin on and durable enough to absorb
repeated short strikes or contact with structure. When it comes to punching we
found that larger, heavier baits that didn’t exhibit buoyancy and had longer and
more appendages proved more effective. On the flip side when it came to bed
fishing during the warmer months the Flappin Crawz was very effective as it
could be hopped repeatedly in front of targeted fish when sight fishing and the
claws would rise up aggressively, bringing more attention to the bait and
resulting in increased strikes.
Ratings:
(We've
re-calibrated our
ratings standard for
2008 and have
included a key at
the bottom of the
following matrix as
a guide):
|
Z-Man
Flappin
Crawz
Ratings
(?/10)
|
|
Construction/Quality |
A well
constructed
bait and
the
durable
ElaZtech
material
allows
Z-Man to
include
thin yet
durable
appendages |
8 |
|
Performance |
Once you
learn
how to
use the
floating
design
effectively
this
bait is
good
Texas
rigged
with the
appropriate
weight
or
pinned
on as a
jig
trailer |
8 |
|
Price |
An
excellent
price,
retailing
for
under 4
dollars
per pack
these
baits
are not
only
affordable
they
last a
long
time as
well
thanks
to the
durable
plastic
construction |
9.5 |
|
Features |
The
ability
to float
and last
through
many
more
strikes
than a
traditional
plastic
lure |
8 |
|
Design
(Ergonomics) |
The
elasticity
of this
bait
makes it
a little
tricky
to rig
but
after
one or
two
baits it
is easy
to
position
and set
this
lure up.
The
Flappin
Crawz
excellent
durability
makes it
a great
choice
for
those
tired of
losing
plastics |
7 |
|
Application |
Good for
certain
applications
where
the
floating
characteristics
of this
bait are
beneficial,
for
example
bodies
of water
full of
crawfish
or bed
fishing.
There
are
applications
where a
sinking
bait is
more
effective
and for
punching
you will
want a
more
substantial
lure |
7 |
|
Total
Score
|
7.91 |
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
|
|
+
Good
fished
Texas
style
and
great as
a jig
trailer |
-
The
floating
attributes
are good
for some
applications,
not so
good for
others |
|
+
Worked
well as
a bed
bait,
good for
sight
fishing |
-
Must be
stored
separately
from
traditional
plastics |
|
+
ElaZtech
plastic
is very
durable
and can
be used
through
many
strikes |
|
|
+
A very reasonable
price |
|
Conclusion:
The Z-Man Flappin Crawz has proven to be an effective lure in numerous
situations and is best fished Texas style or attached as a trailer. The best
part of this particular lure is the thin crawdad arms, and like the name says
they “flap” around defensively with even the most subtle movement on the line or
in the water. The use of ElaZtech not only increases the durability of the lure
as a whole but made it possible for Z-Man to create this bait with a particular
set of attributes.
The
Flappin Crawz is best fished Texas Style or utilized as a trailer on a jig
While it is
clear the Flappin Crawz cannot do it all the company has also introduced two
other Crawdad style baits, the “Punch Crawz” which have a more streamlined and
compact design for punching, and the “Crawdadz” which are more realistic for
matching the hatch and features 3D claws, legs and a tail. When it comes to
Craws Z-Man has you covered if you like the floating characteristics of this
type of plastic for your presentations.
Looking for Z-Man Flappin Crawz? Try
Tackle Warehouse
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