Keitech 2.8" Crazy Flapper

[BigTerp]

Have a few bags of the Keitech Crazy Flapper 2.8" on the way. Wondering for those who have used them how you rig them? I do pretty well in my local river on 2.75" Mizmo teaser tubes, so figured these might do well also. Was thinking on a finesse size mushroom head would work well. Or Texas rigged on an appropriate sized hook with a light bullet weight pegged. Any other ideas?

[jr231]

J rig is something you should look into with these. A little more action than the Texas rig and keeps it off the bottom just slightly !! 

[Airman4754]

I haven't fished many things more productive than one of those rigged vertically on a drop shot. The Watermelon w/Red Flake was the best of the bunch. That and the Custom Leech were both very good. We didn't catch a lot of huge fish on the Crazy Flapper, but we would put 2 pounders in the boat like it was going out of style.

[BigTerp]

I'll check out the J rig. And the drop shot is something I definitely need to start using.

[jr231]

J rig is like the Texas and dropshot mixed !! It's killer for real. 

[fishwizzard]

I like them on a Confidence Draggin Head, the 1/8oz one with the normal hook.  

 

[BigTerp]

I like those jigheads. Have looked at them several times, but never pulled the trigger. What size hooks are on the regular and micro?

[fishwizzard]

I don't know the sizes offhand, but here they are next to a quarter.  The Micro hook is very small.

 

[HawkeyeSmallie]

What the heck is a J rig? Thanks

[J Francho]

8 minutes ago, HawkeyeSmallie said:

What the heck is a J rig? Thanks

 

Jika Rig is the common name from Japan.  The point of it is the sinker drives the bait straight down through weeds, with less weight.  Some baits hang off the bottom, most do not.  I've also made my own Jika punch rigs, using heavy 2 oz. trolling weights and split rings.  This has pretty much replaced my T-rigs for creatures and other action plastics.  I still like a standard T-rig around wood cover and docks though.

 

[HawkeyeSmallie]

Thank you sir, I've heard of the Jika Rig, didn't know people called it the J Rig. I'll have to try it. I think the first time I saw it you just simply took like an egg sinker and attached a couple split rings to it or something. Thanks again

[J Francho]

You want to use the skinny weights.  Everyone thinks it's a short drop shot rig, and in a way it sort of resembles that, but the function is different.

[HawkeyeSmallie]

Skinny as in the cylindrical drop shot weights I'm assuming. This might be perfect for where I'm fishing lately. It's a fairly clear lake with a nice rocky bottom but in many places there's a couple inches of "muck". This might keep the lure above that junk and in the fishes sight a little better. I've been just using a jig/trailer and the Ned rig. The later just goes down in the muck unseen I have a feeling, still catching plenty on it though as it falls. Just started fishing with it last week, having fun with it.

[jr231]

I wear em out on the j rig sometimes... Its alot like a dropshot !! You use a drop shot weight... The hook is under the weight (like a dropshot would be) and one of my best retrieves with it is to drag and shake ... Just like a drop shot ! My favorite way to use it tho is like a swing head with a constant retrieve. 

 

And the constant retrieve is what worked today. Just a nice steady speed.  went to a big pond that was heavily rained on..The water was high and muddy.. the j rig caught all my fish but one. I had 13-14 all on a j rigged structure bug and keitech crazy flapper. 

 

Most fish came on the structure bug.. but the biggest came on the crazy flapper.. 

 

 

 

Not much difference between the two really. I tend to like the bug more because of durability. The keitech is so soft.. but today the keitech caught the biggest so it's hard to not like it too ! It has a nice action for sure and excels at the steady retrieve technique !!

 

 

[jr231]

[Hogsticker]

I fish mine on an Owner ultra ball head jig. Has a 2/0 hook. Typically fish the 1/8 oz. A lot of times the fish will pick it up on the drop. Swim it, jig it, dead stick it. . . Doesn't seem to matter. Smallie magnet 

[BigTerp]

Finally got the chance to throw the crazy flapper yesterday. Took me awhile to switch from my confidence bait (2.75" Mizmo Teaser Tubes) but when I finally did the crazy flapper didn't disappoint. Only fished it for an hour or so, but picked up 4 or 5 smallmouth. Most bigger then the other 15 I caught earlier in the day on the Mizmo tubes. I fished it on a ned head. It did get hung up just as easily as a standard ned rig or a tube. Ordered some of the draggin heads this morning that Bunnielab suggested. I think those will work very nice and be less snag prone.