Frapp

Frapp lures at Charlie's Fishing: big softbaits and bucktails for pike and zander

Frapp is a softbait brand built by tournament anglers. World champion Andrey Pitertsov co-created the range, the first series came out in 2021 after three years of development, and the baits proved themselves at the Pro Anglers League before they reached the shops. The aim is simple: the best soft lures for every situation a predator angler meets, from shallow weed beds to suspended zander on live sonar. At Charlie's Fishing we stock the Frapp range for pike and zander: the Rowdy Head bucktail, the Double Croak double tail, the Tricky Tail and Funky Grub curly tails, the Placoid, GekoSlug and Dotty Dart V-tail softbaits for pelagic fishing and the Snatcher vibrotail. We fish them ourselves and film them underwater, so below you find what each one is for and how we rig it.

Frapp Double Croak: double tail softbait and bucktail trailer

The Double Croak is a twin tail softbait developed by Frapp together with Main Target. Two flexible tails keep moving on a slow retrieve, the body has volume where pike see it and reinforcement where pike bite it. Fish it on its own, weightless with sharp twitches or with added weight, or put it on a bucktail as a trailer, which is how we use it most. The Double Croak 5.9" (15 cm, 26 g) catches pike and zander on a medium-heavy rod, the Double Croak 6.5" (16.5 cm, 34.5 g) is the all-round pike size, and the Double Croak 7.9" (19 cm, 53 g) is the big one for large pike. Rig them on a VMC Mustache Shallow, a VMC Mustache Rig or a BIM Tackle Shallow Cruiser Rig, and see more in Mouse and Bucktail Lures and Pike Softbaits.

Frapp Rowdy Head: ready-to-fish bucktail for pike

The Frapp Rowdy Head is a 24 cm, 70 g bucktail with a silicone head, natural deer hair, feathers and lurex, and a Tricky Tail 8" as the trailer. Noise slits in the head push water out sideways for irregular pulses that pike feel on their lateral line and that show up clearly on live sonar. Slow rolled it runs about a metre deep over weed and along reed beds, and an Illex John Weight clipped to the loop under the head takes it deeper over drop-offs. Two 2/0 trebles on a free-moving system, and a screw-in tail you can swap. Read how we fish it in our blog Frapp Rowdy Head: a ready-to-fish bait pike can't ignore.

Frapp Tricky Tail and Funky Grub: big curly tails

The Frapp Tricky Tail 8" (20 cm, 51.9 g) is the trailer that comes on the Rowdy Head and a complete pike lure on its own: a long, strongly bent tail with a clear pulsing vibration that keeps working at speed, and a triangular body that rolls steadily instead of tipping over. The Frapp Tricky Tail 10" (25 cm, 101 g) fits the same screw system for a bigger profile. The Funky Grub is the curly tail for slow fishing: an oversized tail that rolls at a crawl, a flat back and slim belly for stable tracking and good hook-ups, and a reinforced front against pike teeth. The Funky Grub 8" (20 cm, 56 g) works for pike and zander, the Funky Grub 10" (25 cm, 88 g) is for the biggest pike. Rig them on a BKK Chain Stinger Rig, a VMC Pike Chain Rig or a VMC Pike Chain Double, and clip on a John Weight when the pike sit deeper. More in Curl Tails and Twister Tails and Rigs and Stingers.

Frapp Placoid, GekoSlug and Dotty Dart: V-tail softbaits for pelagic fishing

For suspended pike and zander on live sonar, Frapp makes three slim V-tail softbaits. The Placoid has a plate-style body with a solid front that holds on a jighead or a corkscrew with stinger, movable fins and an asymmetrical V-tail that sways smoothly on a steady retrieve: Placoid 6" (15 cm, 14 g), Placoid 7" (18 cm, 20 g) and Placoid 8" (20 cm). The GekoSlug was developed with Andrey Pitertsov for passive fish: a rounded front, a scaly Geko surface and a flexible V-tail, made for precise casts at single fish, with noise capsules in the pack: GekoSlug 7" (18 cm) and GekoSlug 8" (20 cm, 30 g). The Dotty Dart is the long V-tail softbait that wobbles on a smooth retrieve and darts from side to side when you jerk it weightless, also on a big offset hook for pike: Dotty Dart 6" (15 cm) and Dotty Dart 7.5" (19 cm). Read our blog Frapp Dotty Dart: four rigs for the V-tail softbait, and find more in Pelagic, V-Tails and Pintails and Jigheads.

Frapp Snatcher: the vibrotail with a natural swing

Most paddle tails kick in a figure eight. The Snatcher's tail swings calmly from side to side like a real baitfish, which does not scare cautious fish, and its long body swims at every speed, in open water and along structure. The Snatcher 4" (10 cm, 4.4 g, 6 per pack) is for perch and zander, the Snatcher 6.6" (16 cm, 19.5 g) for zander and pike. Ready to fish pelagic, the Charlie's Pela jig Combo 60 g puts two Snatcher 6.6" on a 60 g VMC Pela Jig. More in Paddle Tails and Zander and Perch Softbaits.

Which Frapp lure for which situation

• Trailer on a pike bucktail: Double Croak 5.9", 6.5" or 7.9" on a Mustache Shallow or Shallow Cruiser Rig.
• Ready to fish over weed and reed beds: Rowdy Head.
• Big pike on a chain stinger: Tricky Tail 8" or 10", Funky Grub 10".
• Very slow retrieves for pike and zander: Funky Grub 8".
• Suspended zander and pike on live sonar: Placoid, GekoSlug or Dotty Dart on a jighead.
• Weightless jerking for pike: Dotty Dart 7.5" on a big offset hook.
• Perch and zander on a jighead: Snatcher 4" and 6.6". See Pike, Zander and Perch.

Why buy Frapp at Charlie's Fishing

We work closely with Frapp: we fish every bait in this collection, film it underwater and show how we rig it. Every Frapp lure ships from our own stock in the Netherlands with fast delivery across Europe, and we can tell you which size, rig or bucktail fits your water. The Charlie's Fishing Giftbox regularly contains Frapp lures too.

Who makes Frapp lures?

Frapp is a softbait brand developed with tournament anglers, including world champion Andrey Pitertsov. The first series came out in 2021 after three years of testing, and the Double Croak was developed together with Main Target.

Which Frapp lure is best as a bucktail trailer?

The Double Croak. Its twin tails keep moving behind the skirt at slow speed. Take the 5.9" or 6.5" for a Mustache Shallow Baby or Shallow Cruiser, the 7.9" for a big bucktail and large pike.

Which Frapp lure for pelagic fishing?

The Placoid, GekoSlug and Dotty Dart are made for it. The Placoid swims on its own on a steady retrieve, the GekoSlug is for precise casts at passive fish, and the Dotty Dart darts when you jerk it.