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Rapalas??

WigglinMyWorm

By WigglinMyWorm
in Open Water

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Cliff Wagenbach Mentor

Cliff Wagenbach

Posted
Posted

Quote:

Shad Raps seem to be the "go to" bait around here. I also like Walleye Divers, Deep Lil Rippers, and Salmo lures. I am taking a close look at Dave's KaBOOM!

I agree with all of these also have to add Reg. and deep diving Reef Runners to the list! laugh.gif

Rost, Welcome to the FM Field Staff!! laugh.gif

Cliff

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Northlander Grand Master

Northlander

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Posted

Daves Kabooms are awesome up here. Jointed Fasttracks, Bombers, reef runners, shad raps, hot n tots, smithwicks and suspending husky jerks are always in my boat when trolling sticks/cranks.

JR's also makes some great glow lures and spoons that I have had good luck with. Check them out on our sponsors page.

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tunrevir Veteran

tunrevir

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Raps are a first try, I like the wally divers, thundersticks and the tstick jr deep divers, Blue fox strobes, Tail dancers, smithwicks, Bomber A's, Twister tails with a spinner on a slow troll are good, rattle raps have their place in the arsenal as do long cast minnows and thinfins. I have't had much personal success with the hot-n-tots but am always willing to give them a try when the bite is tough.

Tunrevir~

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Tony Boshold Contributor

Tony Boshold

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We do a lot of flat line trolling and the Raps are definitely the go to.

For Raps I use the Count Downs

Shad raps in shallow and deep divers

Shad raps- Jointed- Have had double headers on this lure. grin.gif

Shad rap RS- OMG.

Original floaters #11 is my night time go to.

Husky jerks - early spring - spawn.

Tail dancers

DT's have come into their own league for us.

Fat raps - What? You never tried them for eyes? Great summer baits.

Rattl'n Raps - You'd be surprised, esp. after the spawn. Green and gold is a hard color to find but is a dead ringer for the threadfin shad where I fish.

Cotton Cordell Walley divers - have been on of my favorites for years.

NEW Grappler shads are killers especially in jointed.

Bombers Long A

Zip lures A 1/2 oz trolls about 7' on a flat line around 100' with 8# diameter line. I actually had to take it off before I got thrown in because I only had one, my cousin could not take the whoopin' this lure was putting on him.

Strike king Not sure of the models but the bass style cranks have caught tons in late summer when they want that type of wiggle.

Bandits Again not sure of the models but they are very similiar to the Strike king cranks and worked at the same times- late summer.

This last season was the season for me to dust off some old reliables.

Lindy's Shadlings cranks caught their share for me last season but fish tear them up and getting them to swim right after a couple fish can be almost impossible.

Poes cedar baits caught some nice fish last summer when nothing else worked.

I think they get conditioned to seeing the same baits and that's why new baits can be so hot. Dusting off the oldies can be like showing them something new.

The Daves Kaboom baits are the original designer of the hot n tots and thundersticks and now he is making them again. In some great new colors I might add.

When people ask me why I flat line with a rod in my hand I tell them a rod in hand is worth two in the holders. You can really trigger fish giving the baits a little something extra with twitches and drop backs.

More often than not we are contour trolling and not fishing "open water." At best I would call it confined open water near weed lines or major breaks in the lakes. Banging bottom in the rivers on flats or channel edges works for me.

If a fisher was just getting started I would tell them to get the selection of Rapala's in different sizes, styles and colors and that has you covered.

Different manufacturers are essentially making baits that are similiar in action and styles.

Thay almost all make a "shad" bait, a "minnow/stick", a "banana", a "crank", "lipless", with and with out rattles.

When trolling we all have on something different and keep switching until the right "wiggle" is uncovered. Sometimes the color is of no matter as long as it has the right wiggle, some days the color is everything and the wiggle is of no matter. And some days everyone has the same thing tied on.

My "shad" box gets more use than any of the others. cool.gif

I'm going to add that I probably troll cranks alot faster than many out there. My magic #s are 2.7-3.2 mph on gps. Sometimes as slow as 2 and as fast as 5mph during spring runs while they are spawning in rivers.

I am looking forward to that feeling again and its about a month and a half away down here.

My .02.

Does any body else out there Cast lures for eyes? I cast alot of cranks for them too. Not to mention jigs and twisters when they are shallow - 10' or less. Any body have some casting baits they can't live with out?

Mine is a 4" twister from Walleye Assasin on a 1/4oz jig, the one with the shad body. Albino shad (pearl) is THE color. My buddies hate when I pull this one out. It thumps harder than any twister I have found and it always produces.

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DARK30 Grand Master

DARK30

Posted
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I love casting a shad rap! Wether I'm walking in waders fishing in current or standing near a hot spot on shore, I love working a 2" through the zone. There are a lot of crankbaits out there and many do well but I've been tossing raps for so long now that I just have more confidence staying with the same ol MO.....Besides, My hat has said Rapala on it for many years now and I would feel weird without it onms.gif

The other casting bait I could not go without are the curly tail grubs going 2-4". Lots of them too but I prefer the Mister Twisters. Every year, I get thrills pulling walleyes out of feeder creeks to the main river using a 3" white meeny on a 1/8 blue/white jig. I don't "jig" much but rather swim the bait up current with a med slow and steady retrieve.

all I know is, Lots of people have their go to lures but nothing works if you don't get it the water as often as you possibly can...God knows I'm ready! grin.gif

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Fatty07 Contributor

Fatty07

Posted
Posted

Been using thundersticks for 2 years and they are great. They have a ton of action and the deep diver (pulls hard need a heavey pole) get's deep quick. Don't seem to catch alot of number's, but the quality of fish seems to be alot better.

For a starter the shad rap is tough to beat. Can run or cast it to all depths.

Good luck

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Borch Grand Master

Borch

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I guess the easier question would be what cranks I don't use. Some of my favorites are:

Shad raps: I have had good luck on all the variations of the shad rap. The original, shallow, rattling, jointed. They all work in different situations. I especially like using these in and around weeds. Easy to feel when you picked up a small piece and easy to snap weeds off.

Floating Rapalas: Both in the original and jointed versions. I use these more in rock, snad and over deeper weedbeds. The orginal has a more subtle action.

Rattlin Rogues: Great lures that have a more pronounced action and lots of rattles. Ise use both the floating and suspending versions. Very sticky hooks.

Husky Jerks: Man I've caught a lot of eyes on these. Especially early and late in the year. Nice action at slow speeds and suspends on the drop.

Thundersticks: Another of those lures that excells for me late and early in the season. Nice wide wobble at slow speeds. Big rattles.

Salmo Minnows: Great finishes and a nice wobble. Walleyes inhales this bait.

Bomber Long A: These are great baits as well. I've caught many big fish on these. Don't over look the big saltwater versions for the late season eyes. the big 7" baits are whatg they're looking for late.

Rebel fastback minnows: These are good shallow baits. I use them a lot when pulling over weeds or up shallow(2-4 ft).

Rattlin Raps: Mid summer these lippless cranks pulled through the weeds speed trolling or casting has account for lots of nice eyes for me.

Wally Divers: I really like the smaller version for eyes. But the full sized shallow diver has really come on for me this past year.

Cabelas Rattlin shads: Man I wish they hadn't stopped making these. They had some issues with the finish but these really catch a lot of eyes for me.

Reef Runner Rip Shads: Very erratic actions. Hard to keep in tune. But that kick out at time acts as a fish trigger.

Well that's enough. I've got lots of other that at times are the ticket as well(CC shad, Yozuri crystal minnows, etc). But these are my go to cranks.

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DARK30 Grand Master

DARK30

Posted
Posted

I would like to try a few of those "grappler shads" from Cotton Cordell. I do own a couple wally divers but rarely use them even though they swim real nice. I remember one time on Lake Michigan...we came in for lunch, and I decided to cast a few times off the dock at the marina. The guys in the camper were laughing until I yelled for a net. (A ten pound brown on a wally diver) Those guys only use big spoons out there and couldn't believe I was using a walleye bait.

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