FPJ splash Crawler
By Danny Delamater
There are lots of options when it comes to topwater baits. A few of my favorites are a buzz bait, whopper plopper, and a frog. I am fairly new to the crawler game but I’ve always been intrigued by what they do. They are a topwater bait that causes a mass amount of commotion. You can reel them at any speed depending on how much disruption you wanna create on the surface. There have been a good amount of options when it comes to crawlers available here in the states but there was one brand in particular that I was the most interested in. Monka Lure Works has some very unique and creative designs. I really like the fact that they offered a crawler with a joint in it. More action with a bait that already has a lot to offer in terms of surface activity. I got the opportunity to fish his new prototype crawler called the FPJ Splash. These things are as advertised. The craftsmanship is through the roof. They come with strong hardware and the paint jobs are stellar. What really stood out to me is the attention to detail. You can really tell that he takes the time to build these baits one by one and doesn’t take any shortcuts. The swim action looks like a young Michael Phelps across the surface. The wings stay true and consistent. I found that the bait runs the best on a moderate retrieve. Fishing it in the same areas I would with a plopper or a buzz bait. They really thrive when the water is up over the tops of the vegetation and you can really creep it around the isolated patches of grass. I thought they hit a Whopper Plopper hard. The utter violence when they eat a crawler is insane! Fish of all sizes flat out kill this bait. I have been getting out on days with 15 to 20 MPH wind and finding wind blown rock banks have paid off the most. The trough in between the bank and vegetation has been key. Braid seemed to be the best choice as far as line. Fluorocarbon worked fine too but I had a lot more confidence in braid fishing it in the areas that they were wanting it most. These baits are awesome especially when you have some chop on the surface. If you enjoy throwing topwater and want something a little different, pick up one of these crawlers.
