By BassFan Staff
Gerald Swindle thinks he might be able to pick up a few extra miles per hour in his Triton this year. It's not because of a special fuel additive or a nitrous oxide booster attached to his outboard.
It's all because of the new Zoom Z-Craw, a versatile new soft plastic bait that takes the place of a lot of other lures. Swindle was instrumental in the bait's design and execution.
“We built it to be the ultimate flipping bait,” said the veteran Elite Series pro. “We wanted something that wouldn’t twist your line but would still have a lot of action and we’ve found out that it’s really good for everything. It’s good by itself, or behind a jig, or on the back of a Chatterbait. Where I think it’ll really excel is on the back of a wobble head. I can’t wait to drag it over the right shell bar.”
Each element of the new 5-inch craw imitator has a distinct purpose. For example, the pitted body has slots on each side to rest your hook point, so when one side is worn out, you just turn it over and use it again.
The ribs on the body, point against the pull of the water. So even though the body is compact, it moves a lot of water and has a decent sized profile. Swindle, as only he can do, dubbed it an “extreme medium” size, good for everything from 12-inchers to 12-pounders.
The Z-Craw features hook slots on the top and bottom to allow anglers to extend the life of the bait. Its claws are also flared to produce more action in the water.
Furthermore, the limber claws kick and flutter with even the slightest resistance, but their movement is not so violent as to make it inapplicable in colder temperatures.
“With every flipping bait, we’re walking that line between hot and cold,” he explained. “This one will be good in everything from 50-degree water to 90-degree water.”
Swindle intends to use it at nearly every stop on the Elite Series and the Bassmaster Opens this year and expects it will play a huge role in his performance at this week's season-opener on the Sabine River, a shallow water system.
“I’m packed and loaded for that one,” he said. “I’m bringing them a whole new look.”
The Z-Craw is available in eight colors, including five proven favorites: Watermelon Seed, Green Pumpkin, Watermelon Red, Black Sapphire, California 420. It also comes in three new shades – Black Light, Black Flash and Green Pumpkin Flash.
To learn more, click here.
