Real World Tests: So with this fancy little soft plastic toad in hand, it was time to decide on a stick with which to launch it. I wanted something with a soft tip allowing me to place the bait where I want, but a strong backbone to give me leverage in heavy cover situations. I chose one of my self-wrapped Phenix K2 736H sticks and paired it with my Shimano Metanium DC already spooled with some Sunline FX2 braid in 50lb. I also, later ended up fishing it on board one of my self wrapped Point Blank PB 731HXFs paired with my beloved Conquest 51 spooled with Varivas Monster PE Si-X in gau #4 and a leader of 15lb Seaguar Tatsu.

While I prefer throwing this bait on a heavier powered rod, the stars aligned when I had it rigged on my PB731HXF and Conquest 51 combo

Castability : In both cases, I used a 5/0 Gamakatsu Offset EWG, rigged the Noisy Flapper weedless and unweighted, and had at it. One thing this bait really has going for it, given its weight, is it's super easy to cast and work into tight holes in the same manner as you would a hollow bodied frog. Only downside is, the bait is not quite as buoyant and will sink if you let it rest on the surface right after the cast.

The tail/leg/appendage design is patented

It's difficult to see, but they come attached out of the packaging

Ease of Actuation : In that respect, it's much like a buzzbait in that you have to raise your rod tip and get to your retrieve going quickly in order to get it to the top. However, unlike a buzzbait, you can swim the Noisy Flapper just under the surface, or at whatever depth you count it down to. It is not exclusively a topwater bait. In fact, one of the tricks you can employ, while pulling it across areas that are matted over with vegetation is pausing your retrieve in any open holes, and letting the bait fall through. This is a tactic I used often with the Horny Toad and the Noisy Flapper is just as effective fished in this manner.

Pulled out of the Delta cheese

Quality of Movement : Of course, on the descent, the Noisy Flapper has zero action and it's body position varies from head down to neutral. Given how little momentum it takes to get the legs on this bait kicking, I was hoping they might get going if I added a small weight to the front of the bait and let it drop, so I pinched on a small, two gram bullet shaped split shot in front of my Noisy Flapper to observe its behavior. While that modification ensured a head down descent, there still wasn't quite enough momentum to get the legs moving. More weight might do it, but it might also look like a less natural fall at that point.

The top half of the bait is contains no salt, while the bottom is salt infused

The best strategy would probably be to rig the Noisy Flapper on a weighted swimbait hook, but my interest was in keeping the bait on top, so I didn't try it rigged in that manner. One of the keys with this bait, is how slowly you can turn the handle of your reel and have those legs start to swim. It really doesn't take much to get those patented legs swimming. Whether you do so across the surface or just underneath, you can really crawl this bait giving fish plenty of opportunity to track it down.

Durability : I found the Noisy Flapper's body quite durable able to be re-rigged strike after strike. Where the issue with this bait lies is in the legs. One of the reasons they swim so well is that they are thin. Because they are thin, they are susceptible to getting ripped off by short strikers.

Design & Ergonomics: Keitech packages their Noisy Flappers five baits at a time and in a clear plastic clamshell similar to how they package their Swing Impact swimbaits. This ensures the Noisy Flapper legs don't pinch, kink, or otherwise foul, enabling them they run true out of the package. I should note that the legs come attached, so you need to break them apart before fishing.

There's also a subtle hook slot at the chin

In addition to the different salt mixtures in the top and bottom half of the bait, the bait's soft plastic is infused with squid scent as an attractant. There's a shallow hook channel on the bottom of the bait to help guide rigging, and another on top of the bait to help conceal the hook point. The bait's body is articulated to resemble that of a real frog. Keitech offers the Noisy Flapper in eight (8) different colors.

Infused with squid scent

Price & Applications: Priced at $5.95 per package of five, that works out to just under $1.20 per bait for the Noisy Flapper. Realistically, this is more than just a topwater bait. You can actually count it down and slow roll it across that depth presenting like a swimming creature type bait, but slow - and you can do this with the bait unweighted. I'm sure it'd be even more deadly if rigged on a swimbait hook - especially one with a willow blade at the bottom. The bait's body is a bit thick, but if your jig or wire bait is large enough, the Noisy Flapper could be used as a trailer as well. As with most soft plastic baits, it's as versatile as your imagination will allow.