PRODUCT
REVIEW
BERKLEY FRITTSIDE 5
Designed with a wealth of input from veteran
crankbait expert David Fritts , Berkley ’ s
Frittside 5 is a nifty little flat-sided plug fashioned to get down and dirty in skinny water with a signature swagger and distinctive thump while delivering the castability of something heavier and with the solid feel of wood .
First Impression
The bait actually feels heavier than it looks , mainly due to a pair of FlashDisc weights that sit flush with the beefed-up belly wall . The flat weights are about the diameter of a pencil eraser . The Frittside comes with 3D eyes and 18 finishes that are about average in quality , including four crawfish and shad patterns , along with a couple that closely resemble bluegill . Two black nickel Fusion19 trebles hang from the stainless O-rings .
In Action
One of the first things I like to check out on shallow-diving cranks is buoyancy . The more buoyant the bait , the easier it floats up and out of cover when paused . It came as no surprise to find the Frittside 5 is pretty slow to rise , mainly because of the weighting system . I cranked it down on 12- pound-test fluorocarbon and it seemingly took forever to float to the surface .
By Matt Williams
PHOTOS BY MATT PACE
Timed in 2 feet of pool water , it took about seven seconds for the bait to resurface . That ’ s not a bad thing , particularly in winter and early spring when the water is cold and the fish are acting sluggish . Feather it around rock , stumps , docks or grass and the bait will almost suspend in the water column when paused . It casts really well for its size , tracks true at speed , rolls side-to-side the way you want it to and delivers a definitive thump you can feel all the way to the rod tip .
Final Thoughts
Berkley nailed it with the introduction of its Frittside family of plastic crankbaits , and the No . 5 flat-side model is just what the doctor ordered for shallow-water applications , particularly when surface temps are on the chilly side and sluggish prespawners are just beginning to nose around near the bank . The integrated disc weighting system lends to optimum balance and castability while promoting a superslow float that almost suspends the bait in the water column and keeps it in the strike zone longer . It ’ ll catch ‘ em in open water , around submerged grass , brush , stumps or docks . There isn ’ t much hard stuff in eastern Texas where I ’ m from , but I ’ m betting it will really shine when banged around rock and gravel in pursuit of any bass species .
58 FLWFISHING . COM | MAJORLEAGUEFISHING . COM | OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 2020