Glide Week : Shhh... Don't Tell Anyone But Have You...

Total Score: 8.17 - EDITOR'S CHOICE AWARD!

Introduction: The desire, drive, and determination to find an edge that allows you stay ahead of your competition is the new American way. No longer is it simply a land of opportunity, but it's a competition to see who discovers that opportunity first and what can they do to shut everyone else out. Fishing is a past time that's supposed to help you escape that dog eat dog world, but really it's no different. Ask yourself, how willing are you to share your secret fishing hole or bait with that person in the next boat? No way, right? I cannot tell you how many times we've received reports on products or hot bites preceded by the statement, "Don't tell anyone but..."

This story started several years ago with a very hushed, "ssshhhhh, don't tell anyone about this bait but..."

The very fact that knowledge of said product is forbidden is what drives up values as anglers scramble to hoard every last available item in an effort to keep their "secret" bait just that - a secret. It's difficult to say when this next product came to discreet prominence, but in the last four or five years, it's been one of the worst kept secrets in bass fishing. It's not the first bait to receive a clandestine welcome to bass fishing circles and it certainly won't be the last, but you know once it hits the virtual pages of TackleTour, it's pretty much game over. Here now is our look at Gan Craft's Jointed Claw.

Quality/Construction: According to the box these baits come in, all Gan Craft Jointed Claws are made in Japan. Judging by out of the box inspections, there's little I've seen in my countless number of these baits to doubt this claim. There's just something about baits that originate from Japan that are taken to another level in everything from craftsmanship to detailing to the bait's finish.

This bait is available in a host of different colors both from stores in the United States that carry the bait and overseas sources accessible online. I've seen these baits on display in tackle stores in Japan and everytime you pull one up close to look at, it seems like it's a new color! There's little doubt these baits are made to be fished and collected.

Here's a look at the Jointed Claw 230 & 178 in action!

Even the, it took us a long while to get around to writing it up because we were having too much fun with both the Mag 230 (top) and the 178 (bottom) slow sinkers.

The Jointed Claw, like most of its competitors features a replaceable soft plastic tail.