Help with rapala and other hard baits

shamrock · 03-28-06, 10:30 PM

hi
im new to the forum but not new to fishing. ive been fishing for about 4 years now and havent had ANY luck with rapala lures or any other jerkbaits or hardbaits. what kind of conditions are you supposed to use these baits in, and how are you supposed to reteive them??

thanks

Rebbasser · 03-28-06, 11:44 PM

Welcome to the forum!

The answer depends on the type bait. The classic Rapala minnow that floats is a good topwater-twitch it on the surface.

A suspending jerkbait like a Smithwick rogue-work it around cover with a jerk-jerk-pause retrieve.

A lipless crankbait like a Rat-L-Trap: I usually use a straight retrieve-just chunk and wind. Another good technique is to drop it into grass and rip it free.

A lipped bait like a shad rap-think contact. You want it to hit rocks, stumps, flooded trees, etc. My favorite techniques are to take a crawfish colored crankbait that runs deeper than the bottom and fish it along gravel bank letting it dig into the bottom or a square-lipped bait through flooded timber-the square lip keeps them from getting hung up.

That's a very nutshell description, but I hope it will point you in the right direction. Just go out and throw one-eventually you WILL get bit.

betursweetbass · 03-29-06, 02:47 PM

I know in my own experience, it was my impatience that kept me from using crank baits and other hard baits as often as I could have. I knew that I could catch bass with my soft plastics, but I had no faith in the baits with all them nasty looking treble hooks all over them, all I would catch was weeds and plastics bags now and then. That along with being primarily a shore fisherman, and losing a few rattle traps or crankbaits. But if you can find the patience to use them and water deep enough and not restricted by weeds and otherwise limited waters....do try them....and work them useing a number of different retrieves...ie...fast or slow or jerkin them, then pausing them. Do try them now and then and have faith, it's kinda like the movies "if you use them, they will come"

Good Luck

zooker · 03-29-06, 07:17 PM

as reb said contact is one of the keys speed is the other.. as reb said let it hit bottom craw color or not it works with the right color choices...

zooker

I_Bass_Fish · 03-30-06, 12:21 AM

I caught a good number of bass and an occasional pike using a firetiger Jointed Rapala on a cloudy/windy day. I think those are the ideal conditions for it.

03-28-06, 10:30 PM	#1
shamrock BassFishin.Com Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 2	Help with rapala and other hard baits hi im new to the forum but not new to fishing. ive been fishing for about 4 years now and havent had ANY luck with rapala lures or any other jerkbaits or hardbaits. what kind of conditions are you supposed to use these baits in, and how are you supposed to reteive them?? thanks

03-28-06, 11:44 PM	#2
Rebbasser BassFishin.Com Premier Elite Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: San Antonio, TX Posts: 10,141	Welcome to the forum! The answer depends on the type bait. The classic Rapala minnow that floats is a good topwater-twitch it on the surface. A suspending jerkbait like a Smithwick rogue-work it around cover with a jerk-jerk-pause retrieve. A lipless crankbait like a Rat-L-Trap: I usually use a straight retrieve-just chunk and wind. Another good technique is to drop it into grass and rip it free. A lipped bait like a shad rap-think contact. You want it to hit rocks, stumps, flooded trees, etc. My favorite techniques are to take a crawfish colored crankbait that runs deeper than the bottom and fish it along gravel bank letting it dig into the bottom or a square-lipped bait through flooded timber-the square lip keeps them from getting hung up. That's a very nutshell description, but I hope it will point you in the right direction. Just go out and throw one-eventually you WILL get bit. __________________ It's happened to the best of them: John 21:3

03-29-06, 07:17 PM	#4
zooker BassFishin.Com Premier Elite Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: denton nc Posts: 13,441	as reb said contact is one of the keys speed is the other.. as reb said let it hit bottom craw color or not it works with the right color choices... zooker __________________ the godfather.. aml in remission since 7-20-09

03-29-06, 02:47 PM	#3
betursweetbass BassFishin.Com Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 646	I know in my own experience, it was my impatience that kept me from using crank baits and other hard baits as often as I could have. I knew that I could catch bass with my soft plastics, but I had no faith in the baits with all them nasty looking treble hooks all over them, all I would catch was weeds and plastics bags now and then. That along with being primarily a shore fisherman, and losing a few rattle traps or crankbaits. But if you can find the patience to use them and water deep enough and not restricted by weeds and otherwise limited waters....do try them....and work them useing a number of different retrieves...ie...fast or slow or jerkin them, then pausing them. Do try them now and then and have faith, it's kinda like the movies "if you use them, they will come" Good Luck

03-30-06, 12:21 AM	#5
I_Bass_Fish BassFishin.Com Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Weston, WI Posts: 33	I caught a good number of bass and an occasional pike using a firetiger Jointed Rapala on a cloudy/windy day. I think those are the ideal conditions for it.

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