Rapala Scatter Rap Crank - Staying Hooked Up?

[KU_Bassmaster.]

I fished one of these for the first time yesterday.  Wow!!!!  Loved it.  I hope they expand this line and make some deeper divers and some with some more weight to them.

 

Now to the bad ....

I probably lost as many fish yesterday as I do in a season.  And of course both of the bigger ones I hooked into got off.  One was probably around 5 and another was probably pushing 6.  I also had quite a few small ones get off as well.

 

 

Has anybody else had this experience with this bait?  Maybe it was just one of those days or maybe that is just the nature of the bait.

[flyfisher]

I don't see any reason why it would be any different keeping fish buttoned up as any other crank or treble hooked bait.  The hooks on my scatter raps seemed to be decent and i haven't changed them as of yet so i would guess you are not getting a decent hookset on them or your rod/line combo wasn't allowing enough stretch to keep them hooked.

 

What combo were you using?

[Bluebasser86]

Maybe the color or retrieve speed just wasn't quite right for them. My experience with the bait has been most of the fish that hit it almost swallow it.

[tomustang]

I really don't have a problem with vmc trebles and fish jumping the hooks, have to ask what rod were you using?

[Comfortably Numb]

I almost never change hooks on cranks but found these to be very dull. The bait works great but as said too many get off. I just put some #4 Gama short shank RB magic eye trebles on but have not tried it yet.

 

I also have some nice suspending square bills from Baker lures that have VMC hooks and they are just as bad. Another great crank. Fish cant stand the suspending pause.

[KU_Bassmaster.]

My setup maaayyyy be a little on the stout side, but I opted to use the heaver of my two crankbait set ups because I was fishing around docks.  It is a MH Shimano Sellus Crankbait specific rod with 12 lbs Yo-Zuri hybrid soft.

 

The more I think about it I think Blue is right.  I just don't think I had everything tuned in.  But that was the only color I had, but that is going to change.  I love this crank.

[down4ttown]

What knot are you using to tie these on with? When I try to use them they always seem to stay near the surface for the first couple feet then go under. 

[Grizzn N Bassin]

If you have a fish on already and are losing them.. idm what else to add I guess it just want meant to be haha.. but I haven't had that problem I set the hook at 3 or 9 o'clock.. if I get em I don't lose many

[mikeeasttn]

I have fished the scatter rap quite a bit in the last 3 weeks but change the hooks on them to Owners. The fish that have hit the baits have stayed on so I can not tell you if it is the Owners hooks holding them or if the VMC hooks that came with the baits would have done the same job.

Usually the VMC hooks are good but not as good as the Owners. Any bait I expect to catch fish I always change the hooks to Owners the first thing.

[War Eagle 44]

I've only had my scatter crank in the water once, didn't get a bite, but the first thing I did when I took it out of the package was change the hooks. I didn't like the stock hooks very much and I've had so much good luck using the KVD Mustad trebles that I have them on the majority of my cranks. So therefore I replaced the stock hooks with number 4 Mustads. I'm also really liking the Gamakatsu short shank round bend magic eye hooks. Don't have nearly as much fishing time on these as the Mustads but they've been good so far.

 

I would change the hooks if I were you just to be on the safe side, I hate losing fish.