Scatter Raps,need to find the love

[Spankey]

I'm a Rapala freak, junkie, fanatic all wrapped up in one. Do I use others? Yes. But, overall my favorite line of crankbaits. 

 

A couple of years ago I jumped on the Scatter Rap band wagon by picking up a few color patterns that are sure fire patterns that I love to fish. 

 

I guess I sort of expected to kill it right out of the gate fishing these. Didn't quite work that way for me. My results were not too great. Not skunked but certainly not setting the world on fire either.  Certainly a confidence killer to a brand I like. 

 

Became a head case over it. Not sure if this has happened to you ever. So I laid off of them. 

 

I'm going to revisit these Scatter Raps this year. I have to. I have to make them work with better results. 

 

I'll leave every very stitch of my tackle on my boat at home and take (6) of these out on the water only and force results. Can only be good or bad I suppose. 

 

I know they work. They have to. Some of you guys have to be killing with them. Just my rant for the week I guess. Thanks. 

[Bluebasser86]

I have done well on them over deeper weeds and in clearer water.

[mllrtm79]

I got a scatter rap shad in Ike's Mardi Gras in a MTB last summer, I caught more fish on that lure late last summer and into the fall than any other lure other than senkos. 

Even this little fella  

 

[fishballer06]

I never did well with them. They have long disappeared into one of my Plano boxes of lures I never use...

[Spankey]

I sort of believe my issues was  I didn't start out like a house on fire with them. And the erratic action which was more than any crankbaits I've ever fished, and some how I sort of let that turn me off. All I can do is get back on that bicycle and try to ride it. My colors are spot on. Using the same colors as my favorite DT's, Shad Raps, Countdowns and Jointeds. As said I'll leave all my stuff home and go fish 4 or 5 hours with a half dozen Scatter Raps that will force me to never give up. 

[mllrtm79]

I saw a lot of hits before moving it and on first move, maybe I just wasn't used to throwing a crankbait and was fishing it slower, but if I was doing something wrong the fish didn't seem to know it. 

[Cgolf]

I actually did really well with the scatter crank on my local river in 1 to 4 feet of water. The current is pretty swift and it seemed to handle it just fine. The only thing I have noticed is you can't crank them super fast.

[Cmiller]

I cleaned up on the local river system with the deep model last year. Craw and shad colors.  Fished on 10lb flouro they have awesome action. Musky seem to love them too, caught three while bass/walleye fishing. They deflect really well off the small round rocks in the river I fish. 

[jr231]

I wasn't a fan of the jointed scatter rap or scatter countown. I like the originals much more.. but the scatter crank shallow was an absolute beast for me this past season. I got one so banged up (blueback herring color) that I'm surprised it still swims well. I caught two 4+ pounders on the scatter rap shad in yellow perch. One time it was muddy high water. And another time I was doing long opposite , slow sweeps around an island in about 8 feet of water.  

 

I like em. Got about 15 or so. 

[burrows]

More like scatter crap!

[jr231]

I wouldn't call em crap... They catch fish.. and that's the whole.point right. Not really a game changer tho... Some are nice. 7.5/10 for me. 

[Guest]

I bought a few and didn't really like the bait I gave em a good chance and ended up giving them away, maybe I'll give em another shot?

[jr231]

1 hour ago, Pilot. said:

I bought a few and didn't really like the bait I gave em a good chance and ended up giving them away, maybe I'll give em another shot?

I've only had luck on the scatter shad and scatter crank shallow.. no dice on the jointed or countdown... 

 

I'm as big of fan of rapala as anybody on this site... I'd try the scatter crank shallow in places you would use a dt-4 or dt6 ... You just start with a steady retrieve. And then a couple quick turns of the handle will make it kick to the outside. One time last year I caught 4 bass in a row off the same bend .  Which is awesome for me because I don't have any electronics currently. 

 

Could another lure have caught me those fish at that moment ? I'm sure ! Maybe more ! Maybe less... All I know is I've caught fish with em.

 

My favorite will always be the jointed shad rap. Tweaked with a suspenstrip. 

[MassYak85]

I have one and the pickerel absolutely kill it but I haven't had a whole lot of luck for bass yet. Haven't fished it a whole lot though. 

[Spankey]

I use the jointed Shad Raps. I have a place for them. This is a typical situation for me on a day out that I use the river current for a slow drift while bank fishing. It's common that I have a DT, Shad Rap, Countdown and a Jointed Shad Rap all tied on. I'll just throw one awhile and switch up. Than switch up again. I'll change up the color patterns of the different styles and just fish on.

 

Depending on my results I'll pull the same drift with cranks again or if I think the bite is real slow I'll go back through with soft plastics. And over the years I've nailed some nice Smallies that were looking for plastics. My first thought was to not go back through. But was glad I did.    

[jr231]

11 minutes ago, MassYak85 said:

I have one and the pickerel absolutely kill it but I haven't had a whole lot of luck for bass yet. Haven't fished it a whole lot though. 

 

I'd battle some pickerel all day and be more than content 

[Spankey]

I don't have an in with Rapala I have to buy my $#it the same way you guys do and some times I sort of have them on some pedestal. But believe me I've done as well with Bandits and Bomber. Strike King puts out a few variations I really like and have been doing well with. Some days I don't even throw a Rapala. But every once and awhile I'll buy a Baker, Lucky Craft or Live Target in something similar to a DT or Shad Rap style for a comparison and they in my opinion don't fish as well. To each his own.

 

I'm as serious as a heart attack in stating that the Live Target and Baker stuff I've fished sucked but to each his own. I'll get those Scatter Raps to work. I could have been fishing them too fast. I'll slow it down, thanks for the advise. 

[jr231]

Never tried a baker... the livetargets I own have caught a few nice ones.. even that stupid sunfish. But mostly on their lipless crank.. I don't own many cuz they cost too much and others much cheaper produce. 

 

I second the bomber. 

 

And yea. You'll get em to work. 

[MassYak85]

59 minutes ago, Yeajray231 said:

 

I'd battle some pickerel all day and be more than content 

Don't get me wrong they are fun to catch but when you hook into a 28 - 30" pickerel and are expecting to see a 5-6lb bass on the end of your line it's a little disappointing. Those suckers fight hard. That being said if a 3 or 4 lb pickerel follows a bait back to me I'm going to put in a little bit of effort to catch it if I know it's in the area. It was strange though, during the spring I couldn't keep the pickerel off my line but come summer I'm not even sure if I caught 1. 

[snake95]

On 2/2/2017 at 9:36 AM, Spankey said:

I know they work. They have to. Some of you guys have to be killing with them. Just my rant for the week I guess. Thanks. 

Several varieties of Scatter Raps have worked well for me in shallow, stained to clear water.  

 

Have caught bass on the smaller size 5 scatter rap shad in gold, bleak, and bluegill, and size 5 scatter rap crank in bluegill and Helsinki Shad.  

 

Cast close to vegetation or fan cast over shallow areas where bass are cruising around.  

 

I know these have had mixed reviews, and I think its because they don't fish like a conventional crank.  When reeled slow and steady they wobble and hunt and then scatter erratically as you increase the retrieve rate.  The advantage is that they act like a bait that has deflected off of cover, but without needing the cover.

 

Yes, they get unstable, "blow out" and skid sideways through the water when you reel too fast, and I think this limits their versatility and popularity.

 

On the other hand, they look convincingly like a darting baitfish, and certainly work for slow to moderate retrieve rates.

 

 

[Mumbly]

Dick's has the scatter rap shad on clearance for $4.97 if anyone is interested. A quick look online is only showing 2 colors/sizes left. In store might have better selection.

[snake95]

20 minutes ago, Mumbly said:

Dick's has the scatter rap shad on clearance for $4.97 if anyone is interested. A quick look online is only showing 2 colors/sizes left. In store might have better selection.

Yes and their clearance is buy 5/get 5 free at this point, so you could clean out their Scatter Rap selection for $2.50/each.  I think that reflects their lack of popularity.  Many stores have been picked over by this point.

[wdp]

I've got a scatter rap shallow crank. Caught a few on it, but I haven't really fished it a lot. 

 

My my biggest complaint is that it does cast very well. 

[snake95]

10 hours ago, wdp said:

My my biggest complaint is that it does cast very well. 

Good point.  Agreed, they are tough to cast as any light balsa lure, and especially the deep-bodied crank styles.

 

I've had the best luck with the size 5 and 7 shads with 6lb test mono or YZ hybrid on ML and M spinning rods.

 

[wdp]

5 hours ago, snake95 said:

Good point.  Agreed, they are tough to cast as any light balsa lure, and especially the deep-bodied crank styles.

 

I've had the best luck with the size 5 and 7 shads with 6lb test mono or YZ hybrid on ML and M spinning rods.

 

Yeah, last summer I was throwing it on a baitcaster with fluoro. Might try it on one of my spinning outfits this yr.