Creature Fever: One Strong Crawfish, the Z-Man Flappin Crawz

Date: |
12/4/12 |
Tackle type: |
Lure |
Manufacturer: |
Z-Man |
Reviewer: |
Zander |
Total Score: 7.91 -
GOOD
Introduction:
I’ve been fishing Z-Man baits for years and none more so than the original
ChatterBait which has the profile of a jig and the flash of a spinnerbait. While
the company is probably best known for this iconic bait they have extended their
offerings with their ultra durable line of ElaZtech plastics and offer baits
designed to target both fresh and saltwater species. In keeping with our
Creature Fever theme our first foray into the company’s offerings are the
Flappin Crawz. Just how strong an offering are these seemingly simple baits?
Let’s find out.
Z-Man
Flappin
Crawz
Specifications |
Type |
Plastic bait |
Material |
ElaZtech
plastic |
Depth |
0 ft |
Size |
4"
|
Colors/Patterns |
10+ |
MSRP |
$3.99 |

Z-Man may be best known for their Chatterbaits but they make a full line of
plastics as well
Impressions:
At first
glance the Flappin Crawz doesn’t look all that impressive, straightforward even.
The bait has the profile of a crawfish but the claws are nothing more than flat
profiles, somewhat resembling a twin tail grub. But the beauty of this bait is
in the actual formulation of the plastic and the minute it goes into the water
it all makes sense.

A
look at the Z-Man retail packaging
The Flappin
Crawz has been employed by Pro Anglers in the past including Luke Clausen who
likes the bait’s presentation. Key to this presentation is the bait’s ability to
float thanks to the ElaZtech plastic construction which also makes the bait
extremely elastic. The Flappin Crawz are available in a single 4” size and come
in eight colors, so matching the hatch is relatively easy.

Rigged Texas the lure raises its claws in a defensive position
Real World
Tests:
To test the Z-Man Flappin Crawz we head to the California Delta and Clear Lake
to target largemouth bass using a variety of setups ranging from a traditional
Texas rig to employing the bait as a trailer on jigs, chatterbaits and
spinnerbaits. All tests were conducted using baitcasting gear and either Berkley
100% fluorocarbon or PowerPro braided lines. These tests extended from spring
through early winter and we tried to target fish in a variety of warm and cold
water conditions to see just how well the bait performed in a wider variety of
applications.

Without any weight the lure is so buoyant it floats on the surface
Casting:
I like lures that can be fished a variety of different ways effectively and the
Flappin Crawz offer some degree of flexibility (no pun intended) as they can be
rigged directly Texas style or on a variety of other baits as a trailer. Casting
this bait is really a non issue when rigged with any weight but this is a hard
bait to fish weightless. Not only are the baits relatively light but they float
on the surface, which is not the most effective way to fish this particular bait
as it just doesn’t generate much commotion on the surface.

Rigged and ready to go