Rapala Rippin Rap

[Jigfishn10]

Dick's Sports had a buy 1 get 1 clearance, so I picked up a couple of these. They are the RPR06 - 1/2 once. I haven't tried one yet, but my first impression is that the hooks look really small - #6 belly, #8 tail. Usually on 1/2 oz vibrating lures you see a #4 belly, #6 tail. Do any of you folks who fish these change out the hooks to larger size ones?

[fishballer06]

Nice buy! I like these lures. They don't seem to produce as well for me as the original Rat-L-Traps, but I do like how they stay horizontal. 

 

I've never swapped out the hooks. I figure Rapala must think they produce the best with the sizes that are on there, so I left them. 

[smalljaw67]

I haven't used this bait a lot yet but I did get to catch a dozen fish on it and not a single one lost, but I was catching smallmouth and not largemouth so that may be different. I have a River2Sea Crawler that has #10 Daiichi hooks and that bait has hooked both largemouth and smallmouth and it absolutely sticks them, the little hooks are super sharp and get stuck in the flesh so good they are hard to get out. You don't always need big hooks and my guess is the bait has a high front that tapers quickly and it is very compact so bigger hooks would probably tangle but they seem good to me so far.

[Jigfishn10]

The bait looks like a smaller version of the Red Eye Shad, IMO, so you may be right on the money about the hooks tangling. If anything, it doesn't attract weeds on the belly hook as much.

 

The River2Sea Crawler you have, #10 Daiichi? Death Traps? That is small, but those hooks are real sticky. I've been using the Death Traps on a Janns Netcraft Lipless. Been my best bait so far this season. Bear in mind my season started a couple of weeks ago.