AVAILABLE NOW: Z-Man® Hella CrawZ™
Category: article
Aug 4th, 2021 by Keith Worrall
Modified Aug 4th, 2021 at 5:21 PM
AVAILABLE NOW: Z-Man® Hella CrawZ™
New crayfish clone ready for flipping, punching and swimming with extra claw-flapping action
Ladson, SC (August 4, 2021) – Following an enthusiastic unveiling of their efficient new crawfish bait at the recent ICAST show, Z-Man made fishing fans happy this week by delivering fresh packs of Hella CrawZ to outdoor retailers across the continent.
Offering an encouraging endorsement, Z-Man pro Mark Daniels Jr. had this to say about the new bait he helped design:
“I’ve caught over 20 bass on a single Hella CrawZ,” asserted Daniels. “Yeah, this little bait’s made from tough-as-nails yet super-soft ElaZtech®. But it’s also got bonus tricks up its sleeve . . . or make that, its claws.”
Indeed, making a big show of its mega-sized flapper claws, the new 3.75-inch Hella CrawZ gives anglers a compact, versatile crawfish-profile jig trailer, flipping bait and so much more. The bait’s appeal, in part, resides within its 10X Tough ElaZtech composition. Unlike other craw-baits that tip over and die on the vine, the Hella CrawZ’ buoyant pincers float up and hover in full menace mode. The slightest twitch of the line or faintest underwater flow activate its claws, which wave and flap in the current. Put one on a hook and it’s there to stay, outlasting comparable soft plastic trailers by impressive margins. And like its living, breathing crayfish counterpart, the Hella CrawZ surprises you with its ability to bolt.
“You look the Hella CrawZ on a Texas rig or CrossEyeZ™ Flipping Jig and might assume it’s for slow, bottom-hugging presentations only,” Daniels suggests. “Actually, this little crawfish bait does so much more in the water than you’d imagine. Buoyant ElaZtech Claws never stop moving, no matter how fast or slow you retrieve it.”
Like a live crawdad, the Hella CrawZ exhibits the impressive ability to quickly shift gears—slow-strut across the sand, stop-and-bop or an unpredictable, reverse, claw-flapping turbo mode that catches bass off guard. In flight, a live craw—and the Hella CrawZ— can flat out cruise. But when they’re done running, both versions stop and cop an attitude, flashing their pair of menacing pincers. Actually, it’s more like a bass invitation to put crustaceans on the menu.
“This bait does so much more than shine in flipping situations,” notes Daniels. “I absolutely love what it does when you speed it up. The Hella CrawZ moves amazing on a swim jig. Looks and works killer on a football head— or on a wobble jig or a Carolina rig. Man, put it on a ChatterBait and see what happens. Heck, try it as a topwater. Wind it a little faster and the bait waves and pulses; you get mad action from those flapper claws.”
Daniels, who proposed the original Hella CrawZ design, advocated thin, flattened claws from day-one. “We created the bait’s claws with slightly thicker outer ridges for a stronger thumping vibe and heightened flapping action. When you retrieve it faster on a swim jig, its buoyant claws keep the bait a little higher in the water column, perfect for swimming over grass. Or, hop it along on the same swim jig to activate its pincers so they pulse, wave and rise up between hops. We left the salt out of this bait to max out buoyancy and vibration.”
“By intent, we also constructed the Hella CrawZ without all those extra legs and appendages,” Daniels explains. “Gives you a streamlined little package that slips right in and out of heavy cover with ease. Before rigging the bait, add a dab of superglue to the hook-shank and you’ve got a more or less permanent jig-trailer connection. Imagine flipping the same jig and trailer all day long, even in heavier cover. That’s crazy efficiency, man. Imagine how many more bass you’ll catch because you’re not constantly re-rigging new baits.”
Beyond its high-action claws, the compact Hella CrawZ sports a lifelike segmented crayfish torso and carapace, plus beady eyes and compact antennae. The bait’s slightly flattened torso, says Daniels, further balances the bait, preventing it from tipping over—a common dilemma with other crawfish trailers, especially non-buoyant baits. The Hella CrawZ’ segmented torso also sports a ventral hook slot for easy, streamlined rigging.
Available now at outdoor retailers everywhere, the Z-Man Hella CrawZ features ten elite color patterns, hand-picked by Daniels himself. MSRP $4.49 per 3-pack. For more information, visit www.zmanfishing.com.
