Creature Fever: D&M’s Flippin Craw, Power and Finesse?

Date: |
10/7/12 |
Tackle type: |
Lure |
Manufacturer: |
D&M Custom
Baits |
Reviewer: |
Zander |
Total Score: 8.41 -
GREAT
Introduction:
D&M Custom Baits offers anglers a complete range of lures including blades,
jigs, skirts, swim jigs and just about every type of plastic known to bassers.
The company is known for their quality designs and attention to detail, merging
custom lure building techniques with proven bait types. We could spend an entire
month just writing about D&M’s baits alone but to kick things off we look at one
of our favorites, which we utilize right here in our own backyard, the Flippin
Craw.
D&M
Flippin
Craw
Specifications |
Type |
Hand Poured
Soft Plastic |
Material |
Plastic |
Depth |
0 ft |
Size |
3.5", 4.5",
5.5"
|
Colors/Patterns |
20+ |
MSRP |
$6.69-$7.99 |
Impressions:
D&M has
been in business since 2005 and owned and run by Dale and Mark Meddock, a father
and son team based here in Northern California. Mark is a tournament angler and
both he and his father Dale have been making baits for their own use for over 20
years. We first met them at a number of regional tackle shows and immediately
found them to be extremely friendly, always willing to share their experiences
and insight on tackle design.

Looking for a new flipping bait? D&M's custom lure offering is gaining
popularity and spreading beyond the West Coast
Over the last
five years the company has grown greatly, and what was once a secret among West
Coast anglers is now becoming a popular line for anglers nationwide. With
e-tailers now supplying so much of the high quality custom tackle D&M is now
able to address a much larger audience. In addition to standard offerings like
the Flippin Craw D&M continues to stay true to their “custom” roots and still
offers unique baits for anglers and stores that desire something truly unique.

A
look at the D&M Flippin Craw right out of the package, notice the salt layer
The Flippin
Craw is a hand poured plastic lure that is available in three sizes 3.5, 4.5 and
5.5 inches and a wide range of patterns. This bait features a large ribbed
center body and ten appendages including thin legs on the side of the bait and
elongated main claws. The large center body of the lure accommodates a wide
range of hooks and even extra-large flipping hooks can be rigged easily. The
lure makes use of soft plastic and is coated with both scent and scent, but
unlike some competing lures the scent is not overpowering or messy to deal with.
D&M categorizes the lure under their “Triple Threat Extreme XXX Series” which
stands for Xtra Salt, Xtra Soft and Xtra Scent.

The
Flippin Craw is available in a wide range of color patterns. Matching the hatch
is not an issue with this bait series
Real World
Tests:
To test the D&M Flippin Craw we head to our favorite pitch and flip testing
grounds of the California Delta and also expanded our tests to a variety of
lakes including Clear Lake, Berryessa and Sonoma to see just how well the baits
would perform in a wider range of conditions including everything from stained
to crystal clear water. We fished with a variety of rods and reels and used
Daiwa Samurai braided line for pitching and Sunline Fluorocarbon for the clear
water conditions.

The
lure features large claw appendages
Casting:
When I first look at the Flippin Craw the first thought that came to mind was
power fishing, and primarily pitching, flipping and punching. This large bodied
bait looks very substantial with a wide center body and a plethora of
appendages, yet when you pick up the different sizes they do not feel all that
heavy and are not overloaded with salt. The bait can be cast weightless but most
anglers will rig it with a weight of some kind for contact fishing.

Rigged for some pitching and flipping
The bait feels
very soft and all of the plastic arms float upwards in the water and because
they have so many ribs and edges they catch the current or any movement in the
water instantly, bringing life to the bait. In the test tank we noticed that any
movement on the line whatsoever was enough to get the arms of the bait to quiver
enticingly.

A
couple dunks in the water and the salt layer is mostly gone but the scent
remains