Rapala X-Rap Shad Shallow?

[GOOCHY]

I've decided that I'm going to try getting into crankbaits this year.  In the past I haven't had much success with crankbaits so they don't tend to be my go-to bait.  This year I'm going to give them their due.  I bought a KVD 1.5 square bill and a Rapala X-Rap Shad Shallow crankbait tonight while I was waiting for my wife to shop at Wal-Mart.

 

Regale me with your success stories and strategies for fishing shallow cranks.

[flyfisher]

Xrap shallow is more of a suspending jerkbait than a crank. I have a few and they work well. The key to any shallow cranking is to bang the bait off stuff. It could be tree limbs, docks, rocks etc....you want that deflection to trigger a good reaction strike.

They are fun and you can cover some water with them for sure.

[Tuckahoe Joe]

I love shallow cranks!  Probably my favorite technique.  The KVD 1.5's are great.  I haven't tried the xrap shallow but I have a shallow shadrap (http://www.basspro.com/Rapala-Shallow-Shad-Rap/product/2850/?cmCat=CROSSSELL_THUMBNAIL).  First trip I used it on was a slow day and I only caught one fish but it was a nice 3lber.  Caught several fish on the 1.5's this past fall.  Deflecting them off cover is a great way to trigger strikes (the squarebills will deflect better) but you can also just burn them in or use a yo-yo type retrieve.  Crank them down, let them float up a bit, crank them down, repeat.  If your gonna burn them, try moving the tip of your rod from side to side or give a little twitch now and then to make the bait change directions.  Expieriment and see what works best for you.  Most of the cover in the lakes I fish is weeds along the shore and a lot of my fish were caught just burning along the weedline.

[tbone1993]

I like fishing the Shad rap sr7 in really shallow water right behind dams. I will throw it in about 2ft of water and drag it along the bottom and almost always get a strike.  Its a good cold weather bait that you can find for cheap. 

[Sam]

I throw the #5's and #7's and they produce very well.

The KVD 1.5's are excellent as are the Bandit 100's.

[Perch]

I just started bass fishing last summer and have had most of my success with worms and swimbaits on a jig.  This weekend, I was getting no bites using worms and Gulp simbaits when I noticed lots of bait fish swarming at the top of the water line in relatively deep water.  The bait fish were silver with black backs, so I took out an x-rap with similar colors, cast just beyond the baitfish and reeled in quickly. I think I caught a fish on my second cast.  I wound up catching several fish within a two hour period, including a six pounder and an 8 pounder (on my last cast of the night!).  I will note that I tried multiple rapala shallow water crankbaits and they all had a similar color to the baitfish and all did well.  The 8 pounder was caught on a rapala "flat rap" in chrome. 

 

I will say that taking the hooks out of a fish caught on a crankbait with treble hooks is much more time consuming and cumbersome than with a worm/jig.  I was happy to be catching them though!

[gripnrip]

I just started bass fishing last summer and have had most of my success with worms and swimbaits on a jig.  This weekend, I was getting no bites using worms and Gulp simbaits when I noticed lots of bait fish swarming at the top of the water line in relatively deep water.  The bait fish were silver with black backs, so I took out an x-rap with similar colors, cast just beyond the baitfish and reeled in quickly. I think I caught a fish on my second cast.  I wound up catching several fish within a two hour period, including a six pounder and an 8 pounder (on my last cast of the night!).  I will note that I tried multiple rapala shallow water crankbaits and they all had a similar color to the baitfish and all did well.  The 8 pounder was caught on a rapala "flat rap" in chrome. 

 

I will say that taking the hooks out of a fish caught on a crankbait with treble hooks is much more time consuming and cumbersome than with a worm/jig.  I was happy to be catching them though!

That's why you always have a good pair of pliers while cranking! :-)