I don’t know what y’all have been doing with this cold weather but I know what we’ve been doing, fishin!
As is typical for the early part of the year, jerkbaits have been one of those genre’s of baits that have seen a lot of action the last couple of months.
The new Rapala Shadow Rap has been one in particular that we have focused on.
The Shadow Rap was officially launched at the 2015 Bassmaster Classic with several of the pro’s using this lure during the tournament. It was one of Ike’s main baits that helped him to his high finish.
The Shadow Rap comes in two configurations. One is the standard shallow version designed for use in the 2 – 4 foot depth range. The other, the Shadow Rap Deep has a larger bill that allows it to get down in the 4 – 8 foot range.
Both models share the same color patterns. Most of these are at least somewhat transparent with all of them leaning towards either, a pattern that has been in Rapala’s line-up for some time, or some shad imitating patterns that will find themselves at home in most bodies of water.
Both versions are 4-1/4 inches in length as well as weighing 7/16 of an ounce. They also share the same internal weighting system, hook configuration as well as components. Furthermore, whether you’re in the market for the shallow or the deep Shadow Rap, they are priced identically at most outlets at around $9.
The question we had is can a bait in this price range compete with others that are well established and considerably more expensive?
Getting Down to Business
We’ve been throwing the Shadow Rap on a 7’ medium action rod with a casting reel spooled with 10# co-polymer. At 7/16 this lure casts well although we weren’t able to get quite the distance that we were hoping for.
Once it hits the water, you have the choice to reel it down to its running depth or let it sit for a few seconds. This allows it to start its slow slightly nose down descent. Allow it to sit long enough, it’ll work its way to its optimal depth without you having to do anything.
We did this just to see what would happen with absolutely no action imparted to the bait by us. The fall is pretty cool to watch if you do it in shallow water. The Shadow Rap does indeed have a somewhat nose down orientation in the water but the really interesting part is the movement of the bait as it falls.
It has both a nose to tail rock as well as a slight side to side body roll. Again, this is without you doing anything but allowing it to sink on semi-slack line.
Obviously the reason you use a jerkbait is for the erratic side to side action that they typically provide as well as their ability to pause and suspend, to taunt a fish into striking.
The Shadow Rap has that action down pat! It will dart side to side but also with the right touch, you can make this lure do a 180 so that it literally turns and stares at a following fish. Another quick snap of the rod tip and it’s brought back to life, to repeat the process.
It Gets Better
Another feature of this lure is that you don’t have to move it very far while you’re doing all this. Apparently the flat sides allow for this action to be possible with less effort than a traditional round sided bait. This results in the angler being able to keep it in a smaller area for a longer time which can be the difference between getting bit as opposed to getting a follow.
Personally, I’ll take the bite every time.
The hooks on the Shadow Rap are fairly light wire, round bend trebles. Each bait is equipped with three of these which are sticky sharp out of the package. Our initial inspection of the bait had us questioning why not use a heavier gauge hook?
In the final analysis, in our time with these baits, we’ve have had no issues whatsoever. No hooks have been bent or broken, no split rings have been in need of replacing, no bills have broken, no eyes have popped out, nothing.
Oh wait a minute, there was one hook that had to be replaced. But that’s ‘cause when I was lipping a fish he wiggled at just the wrong time and put one hook point in one side and out the other of my thumb. Yup, all the way past the barb so I had to cut it to get it out and then had to replace that hook.
The other feature that is noteworthy is the fact that the Shadow Rap doesn’t require a large learning curve. I mention this because I allowed a friend of mine to use one who oddly enough, had never thrown a jerkbait.
He was using it effectively within minutes with no more than basic instruction. We assume that this will hold true for most folks who pick up the Shadow Rap because it is a user friendly bait.
While Rapala has been known for producing quality baits for many years, the Shadow Rap will almost certainly be near the top of that list.
| Rapala Shadow Rap | |
|---|---|
| Overall Rating |   |
| An action packed value priced lure | |
See ya’ on the water …
