Shad Raps

[JClay]

I was just hoping for some suggestions on a few of the more productive shad raps, rapalas, etc. (colors/sizes)....It would be helpful..

[No_Net]

what species are you planing on going after. For walleyes and other species I've always have had better luck with blue, black, shad or any other color with silver in it. For northerns the same colors work but, fire tiger and hot tiger seem to be better.

For the size it all depends on what depth I'm fishing in.

If I clould only use one color it would be blue.

[Muddog]

I've had best luck with jointed Grapler-shad jr this year. Colors? gold/black, Gold/Orange for sunnie days when the sun is high in the sky. Perch or crayfish when the light is lower. You name it, I've cought it with this lure this summer.

I fish breaklines, Bars, weedlines and such in 8-12FOW with this lure.

If it has yellow or orange on the bottom it has my vote.

[Team Otter]

For shallow water fishing (i.e. 1 - 6'), I would recommend sticking with the #5 or #7 shallow runnin' Shad Rap. If it's deeper water you're after, as Muddog mentioned, your options open up a bit more. You can go jointed or just stick with a standard #5 or #7 Shad Rap, which are available in both standard or deep diving varieties. As for color, there are several to choose from. In most cases, matching the forage base is the key. For this particular part of the state, crayfish, baby bass, shad, hot steel, purpledescent, black and gold, black and silver, clown, blue and chrome and fire tiger are tough to beat.

[JClay]

Thanks guys....good info...i will mostly be fishing in southern MN, Madison Lake and surrounding lakes so that should be good for there....do you have any info for smallmouth and walleye in the mississippi as far as lures go?

[Team Otter]

Fishing the Mississippi is a whole 'nother ball game. This bite is very "season dependent". In the spring, plastics rule the roost and then as the season wears on, 3-way rigs and live bait are effective as are trolled or casted crank baits. Then, in the fall, when the water temperature starts to drop again the plastics take over along with a multitude of styles of hair jigs.

[French Spaniel]

We have a lure and I'm not even sure what brand it is but it works great for everything. We call it our "clown lure." It is a floating rapala type lure. The thing that makes it unique and why I think it works so well are the colors. It is very colorful like a "clown."

It contains all the major colors against a white background. The colors are in round blotches all over the lure. We just got back from up north and once again it caught everything from bass, to northern to walleye while nothing else seemed to work.

I think if fish are looking for color there is enough of each major color to attract them. I know when you have confidence in a lure you use it more but I've used this for more than 20 years now. I used to have 5 of them. I only have two left. Don't know what I'll do when they are all gone.

[Team Otter]

I think the lure is made by Cotton Cordell. I have a #7 wally diver in a similar color pattern which includes a black bill/nose.

[Muddog]

If it wasn't so old, I would say it's wonder bread.

[French Spaniel]

I think you are right in that they make a deep diver in that color pattern. The one we use most of the time is a shallow runner. I have lots of pretty lures with a nice shine on them,but the last of our "clown lures" are all chewed-up. Not pretty but effective.

[Team Otter]

That's it dude; Wonder Bread!