New Rapala Lures

[jwo1124]

As many may have noticed, over the past couple years Rapala has increased there line of lure with some pretty great additions. The X-Rap is a big hit. Catching on in bass fishing as well as pike fishing as I hear. They now have an X-Shad. This is a 2" crankbait with the same properties of an X-Rap. The DT line of crankbaits have also been a great hit. These baits seem to allow anglers to fish cranks more confinately, knowing there bait is getting down the the correct depth and staying in the strike zone.

My question is, since the new addition of DT series that go from 4', 6', 10' and 16', does anyone bother still using Shad Raps or tail dancers? It seems to me that there is really no need for these cranks anymore. Do you think Rapala will discontiune these? ( especially when you consider the new minnow rap that has just about the same diving specs as the shad rap.)

[Raul]

My question is, since the new addition of DT series that go from 4', 6', 10' and 16', does anyone bother still using Shad Raps or tail dancers? It seems to me that there is really no need for these cranks anymore. Do you think Rapala will discontiune these? ( especially when you consider the new minnow rap that has just about the same diving specs as the shad rap.)

Benn catching fish with Shad Raps for more than two decades, it 's a proven fish catcher, Tail Dancers have a unique wobble not found in any other bait except for the Storm Thundercrank and a lure you have probably never heard about called Smoo by Bagleys, that banana shape gives out the good vibes. DT 's because of the shape are not like Shad Raps, first of all they have rattle, balsa wood Shad Raps don 't, the DTs wobble, the Shad Raps wiggle, different vibration. Different lures, different appplications for different conditions.  

[Cory20]

I like the shad rap.  It's a little light for the size and can be tough to cast and the minnow rap looks to improve on that.  

I don't like the red hooks and red bill, seems like too much and gimmicky.

This summer the shad rap in perch worked better than it's short and fat counterpart.  Maybe because perch are actually long and slender not short and fat?

[Stringjam]

Like Raul said - the Shad Rap is COMPLETELY different than the DT's....their actions are quite different.    It is one of the all-time great finesse cranks, and one I doubt will ever be discontinued.

The only thing I've used that similarly cops that vibe is the Lucky Craft US Shad 65.....but I digress...

Smoo, Raul?   I haven't seen one of those in years!    

[Raul]

Smoo, Raul? I haven't seen one of those in years!

You know you are an old fart when you mention the name of a bait and only a couple out of 11,000 members remembers the bait. Gee  :-/, I 'm getting old !  

[bass109]

I would have to agree with raul, those kinds of crankbaits are some of my favorite ones. I prefer a rapala tail dancer over a shad rap, anyday.

[Avalonjohn44]

I've never been a fan of the bagley smoo.  I only had a couple, and they are both at the bottom of a pond that has since been bulldozed over to build a strip mall somewhere in Ashburn VA.  If you want a smoo, or see what one looks like, there are always a dozen or two on Ebay.  Not expensive either.  I think people view the smoo and the et lure by bagley as gimmicky and therefore junk... (I caught fish on the ET though)

[senile1]

The shad rap is a classic!  There will always be a place in my tackle box for them.