Monday, July 18, 2016

Keitech Noisy Flapper Frog Review

Noisy Flapper:      Colours:10   Size: 3.5"     Pack Count: 5     
             Leg Style: Swim/Buzz               Weight: N/A


Intro:

Probably the bait I was most excited to purchase going into this past off season, and believe me, my list a long one. I really like what Keitech has been up to over the past few seasons and even the baits I have yet to catch fish on, still get high marks in my book, they seem to focus on quality durable baits that make a commotion in the water.  Bring on the Noisy flapper 

Overall Rating: 9.0/10
Each frog is rated on the following criteria: Quality, Castability, Presentation, Hook-up Ratio Available Options, Product Availability & Price


Quality & Durability: 5.0/5

The body of the Noisy Flapper is soft yet incredibly durable. It feels like it has been injected with somthing that allows it to be pulled on, tugged and hammer at all while keeping its shape and appendages. It's not often you find a bait this durable in this price range.

 The keys parts of a soft body toad that need to be durable are its nose and of course its legs, Keitech seems to understand this as they have built a frog with a boxers nose and a runners legs. This frog will hold up fish after fish.



Castability: 4.5/5

The Noisy Flapper has a beefy profile that casts incredibly well. Its aerodynamic shape looks kinda like the bat mobile or in this instance bat plane, and cuts through the air and breeze well. Its softish sponge like body material makes a nice slap when it hits the water altering any fish in the area of its presence while not spooking them. The Flapper can also be flipped and skipped quite easily making it a great frog around trees and docks. 


Presentation: 5.05

The Noisy Flapper is not your average frog and could be described more as a cross over bait, it is the ideal top water frog, and when the going gets tough it can be flipped (weighted or not) or paired with your favourite jig. This bait is a force to be reckoned with.

The long legs get you a powerful buzz/churn on the retrieve switching to a soft flutter then the bait is killed or paused. Fish will come from a long way out to swallow this bait so keep your eyes peeled and watch for the wake.





Hook-Up Ratio: 5.0/5

With the combination of its wide body (ass end at-least) and the soft material the Noisy Flapper is easily one of if not thee highest hook-up percentage frog in my arsenal. Keitech has taken all the hook-up ratio keys to success and said "why not use them all"

One of these keys that is often overlooked is the ability to use a double frog hook on a soft plastic toad. Not all baits are wide enough and provide enough hiding spots to make this work. The NF seems like it was built with this as its primary rigging style not just an option. And believe me, its will improve your catch ratio.


Availability & Price: 3.5/5

Keitech baits are becoming more and more common in the US market place but in smaller or rural Ontario its not exactly easy to find. Enter Tackle Warehouse. I had to order my baits on-lines though I have since found them in some of the shops I frequent while on the road (a couple hours away)

Price is not bad here, it is over the $1 per bait mark so I did deduct points for that. But the quality and durability of this bait makes it worth the extra coin. There are other companies out there charging more for inferior baits and Ill happily pay for quality.


Options: 4.0/5

One size baits seems to be common in the soft body toad market and the Noisy Flapper is no different. Where this frog excels is in its colour choices where all 10 colours offer the angler and fish a slightly different look.

Im a big fan of their natural colour options and I will also be adding some brighter colours like the Lime chartreuse and Okeechobee craw. The later will probably get some time on my flipping rod.





Where to Find:
In case you are having a hard time finding these locally, here are some reliable options for you.


Land Big Fish ($5.99)

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Equipment:

I completed all my Noisy Flapper frog testing with a Dobyns 735c paired with a Daiwa Tatula HD.  This frog is heavy duty but still needs a soft tip to help finesse it around. Feel free to beef up or down, depending on your taste. I also played around a bit with a 705 glass rod, the even softer tip makes it very easy to slide into overhanging cover while still allowing me to haul the fish out.









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