Is the Gan Craft Jointed Claw Magnum 230 the Best “Mainstream” Big Glide Bait?
There are quite a few iconic big glide baits, like the Hinkle, which is seriously difficult to obtain, and the Roman Made Mother and Mother Chaser, which are easier to find and quite expensive. Their drawbacks are several of the reasons that so many big bass fanatics quietly utilize the Gan Craft Series, which are easy to obtain, and while not inexpensive, don’t require you to take out a second mortgage.
And the most versatile among these bunch for true giant hunters may be the Magnum 230, which is 9 inches long and 4 ounces. You’ll probably need a true swimbait rod to throw them, but you’ll be able to afford one because the list price for the big baits is $129.99 and Tackle Warehouse recently had certain colors marked down to 71.98. Some colorways are available in slow sinking actions while others float.
The Magnum 230 is not the biggest of the Jointed Claw lineup. That honor belongs to the massive Super Magnum 303, which is 12 inches long and weighs 9 ounces. Nor is it the most popular or tournament-friendly in the series – that would be the 178, which at 7 inches and 1.6 ounces, can typically be purchased for less than 80 bucks and can likely be fished on tackle that you already own. It’s a nice bridge between those two for anglers looking to make the leap to true trophies.
Here are some videos explaining how, where and why to use the Gan Craft Jointed Claw Magnum 230:
Swimbait Underground --How To Fish The Gan Craft Jointed Claw 230 Glide Bait!
Big Bass Dreams -- GAN CRAFT JOINTED CLAW Magnum 230 Tackle Breakdown with Oliver Ngy
The Homeless Fisherman – GanCraft 230 Cast 2 Catch
Dead or Alive Outdoors -- Gan Craft Jointed Claw 230 Floating Tuning Techniques
Jesse Parks -- Gan Craft 230 Yellowfin Tuna
And of course the TackleTour guys were on the bandwagon before there even was a bandwagon. Check out their 2014 review of the Jointed Claw 148, 178 and 230.
The Gan Craft color options are varied and exceptional, with multiple trout and shad varieties consistently available at Tackle Warehouse. They also have replacement tails for after you’ve caught a bunch of fish or banged the lure off of a dock or riprap a few too many times.
If you don’t see what you like at Tackle Warehouse, look to auction sites or JDM tackle stores for some of the more offbeat, limited-run colors.
If you’ve always wanted to step into true big-glide fishing—but didn’t want to chase unobtainable hype baits—the Gan Craft Jointed Claw Magnum 230 is arguably the best mainstream big glide bait ever made.
It’s big enough to change the class of fish you catch, refined enough to trigger giants that ignore everything else, and still easy enough to buy that you don’t have to beg someone on Instagram to sell you one.
Start with one floating and one slow-sink model, grab a couple of spare tails, and be ready — the fish you’ve been dreaming about finally have a reason to show themselves.
