We’ve been fishing another new topwater bait literally since the day that we got it in the mail. It’s kinda fun to come home, find a new bait waiting for you on your doorstep and take it out that night with absolutely no expectations of any kind in terms of performance. Just tie it on, let it fly and see what happens.
Such was the case for us with the new Rapala Skitter V 10. We received the Bone Chartreuse color which doesn’t really mimic anything that swims in our local waters, but color is more a secondary consideration for topwater baits.
The real issue is the action, sound and the presentation that the lure is capable of once in the water. Profile, especially in low-light conditions, is more important than color.
Here Are the Specs
The new Skitter V is a 4” bait that weighs 1/2oz. The finish is translucent with molded in gill plates, recessed 3-D eyes, comes equipped with two VMC trebles that are sharp out of the box and features a belly that is V-shaped similar to the hull of a boat to create a unique walking action. Add to that a precise weighting system that allows the bait to be cast exceptional distances while maintaining accuracy and you’ve got the makings for a first class topwater plug.
When we took the bait out of the package we were visually inspecting it so see what our first impressions were. One of the first observations was that the weighting system is designed with a single ball in the rear of the bait that is housed in a cavity that allows for no more than a 1/2” front to rear travel. This makes this bait a one knocker style. However, the sound is different in the Rapala due to this unusual configuration.
You will also notice the V shaped belly on the Skitter V. It runs almost the entire length of the lure with just the last 3/8” of the tail rounding out. Not only is it V shaped but concave as well. Would this make a difference in either the ease of use with the bait or in its ability to attain a consistent side to side walking motion? Well, it didn’t take but about 10 seconds to answer both of those questions.
Oh So Easy
The Skitter V is easier to walk the dog action than the vast majority of baits of this genre. Seriously, anybody can get this bait walkin’ with no problem. From the least experienced to the most advanced angler, there is almost no learning curve to use this plug.
The other cool effect that seems to be a product of the V shaped belly is the travel. Pop it once in a while leaving the line semi-slack and you can easily glide the bait twelve inches to the side. Once we figured this out, in the first 15 seconds, than it just became play time to see how far we could get this bait to travel.
This is crucial if your goal is to keep the bait in a restricted area. The sideways action can be imparted without moving the bait forward more than a few inches. So if you only have about ten feet to work with, you can get an exceptional number of long, lazy side to side movements to entice any bass within that confined space.
Unfortunately our experimental time was cut short by a bass on our second cast with the Skitter V. I guess he just didn’t appreciate that we were testing the bait to determine its capabilities. But we did find out that the round bend VMC hooks are more than capable of hooking and holding a fish.
As irritated as we were with how uncouth that fish was for interrupting our S.O.P. (standard operating procedure) we forgave him, released him and promptly returned to our testing.
Our third cast confirmed what we had been seeing in terms of the action of the bait. You can change the cadence of your retrieve to attain a tighter walking action or take you time by popping your rod tip at varied, longer intervals and watch the Skitter V take off for a long walk to the side.
That first trip we caught several fish. We only missed once, and that was simply the fish being completely off-target. But that’s topwater fishin’ for you. Sometimes they flat out miss and there’s nothing you can do about it.
Another interesting design feature is that the line tie is lower than the center of the nose on the Skitter V. We believe that this placement is partially responsible for how quickly the bait responds to the pop of your rod tip.
It also gives the bait a little slap on the surface of the water as you’re working it. That slap is intensified when you start it from a dead stop. While it may be just a subtle part of the action it does seem to help in drawing strikes.
There’s More Than Meets the Eye
One of the characteristics that we always look at when testing topwater baits is how they sit in the water when at rest. They range from dead horizontal to dead vertical and everywhere in between. You need to consider this because you don’t want to throw a bait in an area that the weeds are just a couple inches below the surface if that lure sits dead vertical. You’ll do nothing but help rid the lake of some vegetation.
The Skitter V sits slightly nose up, tail down when motionless. This allows for any shy followers to get some of the bait that is underwater while enhancing how quickly the bait starts walking. Furthermore, it means that this plug can be used in some really skinny water situations.
For us, the Skitter V has become one of the first walk the dog baits we pick up. It hasn’t gone a single trip without being used since we got it.
Rapala really started thinking outside their proverbial box with the introduction of the Shadow Rap, That was followed by the Shadow Rap Shad and now the Skitter V.
All of these baits have become staples in our arsenal. They also are a bit of a departure from more traditional Rapala designs. With these three baits, action appears to have been the primary focus in their design. Actions that are different, polished and precise.
All we know is that we’ve been enjoying them because they catch fish. We sure hope that whatever has gotten into the lure designers at Rapala is incurable!
The Rapala Skitter V is a well designed, exceptionally executed bait that is, in our opinion, a bargain at about $9. For this price, you can get several and see for yourselves just how easy, fun and effective they are to fish.
| Rapala Skitter V | |
|---|---|
| Overall Rating |   |
| Unique topwater bait that stands up to abuse | |
See ya’ on the water …
