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| XRap Shad Shallow (Top) A pair of XRap Shads (Right) A pair of Flat Raps (Left) All of them beat up and used. |
Today I’m looking at three new lures from Rapala, the XRap Shad, The XRap Shad Shallow, and the newest of the three, the Flat Rap. One thing I’ve been accused of in the past (recent past actually, like last week) is being a total slut for Rapala’s products. Well, it’s true. There have been so many different lures from Rapala’s stable that I rely on that if Rapala went under, I’d have to try and replace a whole swath of lures I use and trust. It would be like the lure apocalypse. That’s one reason why when Rapala brings a new lure to market I try to get at least one solid season of fishing with it before I give my full review. I know it’ll work, but like any new lure there are probably some quirks to it, one season of experience will iron out the kinks and let me know how to use it better. And it also doesn’t (hopefully) seem like I’m just pimping their new lure.
The XRap Shad was introduced back in 2008, and it’s the one of this trio I have the most experience with. The original Shad Rap was introduced in 1982 and made a huge impact on many different types of freshwater fishing. It doesn’t matter if you fish for Bass, Walleye, or even big tailwater Trout, Shad Rap’s have proven to be a winner. The success isn’t surprising, what doesn’t eat Shad? I remember the “Beg One, Borrow One, Steal One” ad campaign in my brother’s outdoor magazines I’d read in school when I was supposed to be studying. When I did get my sweaty little hands on one it lived up to the hype - it really, really caught fish. Bass guys didn't like the fact that the balsa Rapala was hard to cast on casting tackle, but it didn’t bother me as I cast the two smaller sizes on spinning tackle, which worked great, and still does. Rapala introduced the Shad Rap RS (Rattling, Suspending) in 2000, and since it was made of plastic it was slightly heavier and a little easier to cast than the original balsa Shad Rap. It wasn’t until Rapala introduced the XRap line of lures that the old Shad Rap had a chance at a major makeover. The weight transfer system Rapala designed into the whole XRap series makes the new XRap Shad an easy casting lure, even against strong winds. Rapala also included a dressed rear treble hook, a prominent feature in the entire XRap line.
The first XRap Shad I bought was in the smaller 06 size in “Silver”, a great universal color for clear water. I used it with some success through the first Winter I tried it, but it really shined when the water warmed a touch in late Winter/early Spring. Rocky points leading to spawning coves at Beaver Lake were a great target for the Rapala, and it worked as good as I expected it to. I’ve found it’s a great lure to not only use like a regular crankbait, but also to pinpoint specific pieces of cover on a sharp drop, and then use it more like a suspending jerkbait. I’ve done this around isolated trees, bridge supports, docks on bluffs, etc. For that type of use the XRap Shad excels. I do have one thing about this lure I don’t like, and that’s the line tie. It’s exactly like the one on the Shad Rap RS - slightly recessed into the diving bill. The lure comes with a split ring, but since I like to take split rings off my cranks and use a snap instead, it makes it hard to get a snap into the line tie. I got a tip from a reader that a Norman Speed Clip works just fine on this lure, but I don’t use those, I just use regular cross-lock snaps. I can get the snap in there with a little finesse, so it’s not a deal breaker. I could just snap to the split ring, but to my mind that looks clunky.
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| The recessed line tie of the XRap Shad is a pain if you use a snap. |
The smaller 06 XRap Shad dives to about 6 feet with regular (8-10-pound test diameter) mono on a shorter cast, but I’ve ticked rocks in the 8- to 9-foot range on a longer cast with 4/10 Fireline and a 2X Orvis Mirage leader about rod length (7’) long. I use this smaller size crank on spinning tackle, but if you have a nice casting rig set up to cast lighter lures it would work fine. On properly set up spinning tackle, this little lure is a bullet! I still haven’t used the 08 size, but I’d imagine it’s just as good, just a larger presentation. I still like the original Shad Rap, but for most of my fishing, I’ll buy the XRap Shad. It fits my needs better. It’s a fantastic lure for around $7.00.
One of the most overlooked lures in the Rapala line-up is the Shallow Shad Rap in the smallest size. The 05 Shallow Shad Rap has been one of my favorite ”catch anything “ lures for a long time. It doesn’t matter if it’s Smallmouth Bass in riffles, White Bass during the Spring run, Crappie, or even Trout. Matter of fact, I don’t know how many people I’ve shown how to catch Trout in moving water by just using that little lure. It will often out-fish little spoons and spinners. Something about it’s wobble just makes Trout want to kill it. It’s made of balsa so it was very hard to cast any distance. Once again, the XRap makeover takes this little lure to a new level.
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| Both XRap Shads have the same body |
I had to fish the 06 XRap SS for stream Smallmouth as soon as I could get my hands on one, and on the first trip I was not disappointed - it’s a killer both as small jerkbait and as a shallow crank over rocks, grass, and timber. Maybe too good, as I keep throwing them and getting snagged. The smaller lip is not as snag resistant as it’s deeper brother, so keep that in mind when fishing it. Like the original Shad Rap Shallow, this lure is a catch anything machine. I’ve caught Crappies, Rock Bass, both Brown and Rainbow Trout, all three Black Bass species, and some “schoolie” Stripers on it, too. Like the original, the new lure has a “universal” shape that every fish wants to eat. I plan on doing an article this Winter about fishing hardbaits at Taneycomo, and you can bet this lure will pop up there as an option. The two negatives of this lure so far is the snag issue - it just doesn’t deflect off cover very well, the other is big fish INHALE this small bait!
Twice this past year I had to do a “hookindectimy” on the rear treble when bigger fished almost totally snacked the lure, and was hook deeply. I carry small-nosed long handled side cutter pliers just for this type of thing, so both times the fish swam away with the hook point still embedded past the barb clipped off as a present. They’ll usually be O.K. if you do this quick, and it’s better than just tearing a hook out - dressed treble or not. The new XRap Shad Shallow is going to be another lure with many possibilities. Casting for..anything, trolling - everything that swims will eat this lure. Look at my future reports and I bet there will be plenty of references to this lure.
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| LC Minnow (center) had a bill like the new Flat Rap. Note how wide the LC minnow is compared to the Flat Raps. |
Our last member of the crew is the newest Rapala of the three - the Flat Rap. This is a balsa wood lure that is kind of reminds you of the original Floating Minnow, but only a little. First, the paint jobs are much more detailed than the original, second is the new shape - more shad like, that is the shape is taller than wide through the front half of the bait. While it’s not a stubby crankbait shape like the previous two lures profiled here, it’s shape is a little different from most of the standard lures of this category. It’s a little more like the the old A.C. Shiner or the lure inspired by the modified A.C. Shiner’s and made modern by Lucky Craft, the Stacey King Jerkbait. However, the new Rapala isn’t a suspending bait, it’s a true floater with a slow rise on the pause. I was very excited about this lure, too. One of my favorite Rapala’s was the discontinued LC (Long Cast) Minnow with the new weight transfer system for long casts, but was still made of balsa like the classic Rapala’s. It had a small diving bill that made it a shallow runner, which made it a great lure for both tailwater Trout and Smallmouth Bass in our rivers. When Rapala stopped making the LC Minnow I bought as many as I could find, fearing I wouldn’t find anything quite the same.
I don’t think the new Flat Rap is quite the same lure by any stretch, but it has many of the same attributes. It doesn’t have the weight transfer system inside it - I think it’s simply too thin for it to fit. The LC Minnow was a little thick through the middle because of that, and the XRap’s are too. Despite not having that weight transfer system the smaller 08 size casts much further than it’s 1/4-ounce weight should. Maybe it’s the flat sides or smaller bill, but it’s easier to cast this lure further than a similar sized Original Minnow. The action is great when used as a jerkbait - very erratic and the flash - the flat sides do have a great flash to them in clear water.
I don’t think the new Flat Rap is quite the same lure by any stretch, but it has many of the same attributes. It doesn’t have the weight transfer system inside it - I think it’s simply too thin for it to fit. The LC Minnow was a little thick through the middle because of that, and the XRap’s are too. Despite not having that weight transfer system the smaller 08 size casts much further than it’s 1/4-ounce weight should. Maybe it’s the flat sides or smaller bill, but it’s easier to cast this lure further than a similar sized Original Minnow. The action is great when used as a jerkbait - very erratic and the flash - the flat sides do have a great flash to them in clear water.
I mainly used this lure as a shallow jerkbait for Bass in our Ozark rivers, and it's an amazing lure for that. It stays in the top 2-feet of water on normal retrieves, and really calls the fish in. I also used it for Bass (both Black Bass and Stripers) at Beaver Lake when they were busting shad near the surface, and it worked pretty good for that, too. I think the larger 10-size will be a hit with guys who troll for Walleyes, and guys who know how and where to use a floating jerkbait for Bass. The smaller 08-size is my pick for a warm weather jerkbait in rivers - I’ve waited for something like this to come along for a couple of years. I would have liked more realistic molded eyes like on the XRap series instead of the painted ones used on the Flat Rap, but maybe that would have raised the price higher than it is. There are some fishermen who think the 7-dollars or so most Rapala’s are priced at is steep enough, so maybe they did it in a cost cutting move, or maybe there’s a problem doing it on balsa lures. I don’t know. That and the fact it doesn't have a dressed rear treble are only things I can pick on as far as the Flat Rap goes - otherwise I couldn’t be happier with it.
