HOME | TACKLETOUR FORUMS  | EDITOR'S CHOICE | REVIEW ARCHIVE | ABOUT US | 

Reels | Rods | Lures | SwimbaitsBFS Lines | Term. Tackle | Tools | Storage | Apparel | Enthusiast | Watercraft | Interviews | Events | Autopsy


 


 

 


Lure Review


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

Next Section: So many ways to fish the Flippin Craw 

 

   

Google
  Web
  TackleTour

 

 

 
 





 

 



Copyright 2000-2024 TackleTour LLC All Rights Reserved.
Privacy Policy information