I've been reading reviews about Rapala's Shadow Rap, the one with the gradual vertical fall. Seems a lot of the reviews mentioned they catch a lot of fish all right but they're having problems with them breaking and also taking on water causing no action and causing it to sink rapidly. Has anyone tried the Rap and if so what's your opinions/experiences? Thanks. 

I've got three and they're all holding up well. I love jerkbaits but my home lake is pretty murky. I went with the carbon color and it's been effective. Moss back shiner is great on the river.

3 minutes ago, thebillsman said:

I've got three and they're all holding up well. I love jerkbaits but my home lake is pretty murky. I went with the carbon color and it's been effective. Moss back shiner is great on the river.

I'm going to use it on a local lake that's pretty clear. Also going to Lake Ozarks in a couple weeks. 

I have a few and have done well with them. The only issue I have had is that toothy critters have walked off with a couple of them. So far I haven't seen any leak or break. 

I have used them for a while now and have no issues and they have produced for me.

Since you asked, I thought I would share a video I found...
 

Currently, I haven't had any issue as I only have limited use with the bait, but it's something I'm going to keep my eye on...

WolfyBrandon
 

I haven't had any major issues with any of mine. I straightened out the split ring on one whenever I caught a 4.5 pounder, but it wasn't an issue because the other two sets of trebles were in him. 

13 minutes ago, WolfyBrandon said:

Since you asked, I thought I would share a video I found...
 

Currently, I haven't had any issue as I only have limited use with the bait, but it's something I'm going to keep my eye on...

WolfyBrandon
 

sorry but that is the stupidest "test" i have ever seen.  He basically subject the bait to pressure that it would never see in normal fishing situations and squeezed a hollow section of the bait.  I would bet that yo could do this same "test" on a ton of different baits and have the same result.  You could clearly see that the bait was flexing and then broke.

I have fished mine for a while and banged them off rocks and have zero issues.

I just bought a couple. I'm going to try them out tomorrow. 

I have two shallow & two deep. No issues so far.

I have a lot of these and I got them after my first one had caught 11 fish, and out of all of them I used I still have yet to get a crack. Now, to be fair he was pushing really hard, his thumbs were white and his hands started to shake right before the thing cracked, squeeze just about any bait with that much pressure for that amount of time and I bet a lot more will crack. I'm not defending Rapala because I'm a fan boy, I like my Rapala baits and if these had a flaw I'd be right there spreading the word but I have never had the desire to apply that kind of pressure to a lure to see if it is indestructible. I have cracked LC Pointers from banging them off rocks and I didn't start crying about a critical fail, I knew that a plastic bait hitting rocks can end up breaking and it did, my own fault and if my Shadow Rap broke and it did so without me hitting it or squeezing it, then I'd be more willing to think this video has something but when you squeeze so hard you begin to shake, well that tells me the bait is hard enough to face whatever it may encounter under the water.

I used a couple today and they took a beating by some pretty nice largemouths and a bunch of big hard fighting whites. So far no issues. 

  I agree, and the test has no comparison to real world fishing.  I use these, and like them a lot! 

Other than they don't catch me any fish I haven't had any problems with them 

I'll admit to being a bit of a fair weather Rapala bait fan - some I have work well, others not so much. 

And I'll accept at least half the blame there - both ways.

But the video included in this thread of the human bending the jerkbait & breaking it ? ? ? 

That simulates exactly nothing in my fishing.

That whole production gets my "Snapperhead Seal of Approval" 

Which from this point forward will be abbreviated with the acronym SSOA.

A-Jay

 

 

3 hours ago, A-Jay said:

I'll admit to being a bit of a fair weather Rapala bait fan - some I have work well, others not so much. 

And I'll accept at least half the blame there - both ways.

But the video included in this thread of the human bending the jerkbait & breaking it ? ? ? 

That simulates exactly nothing in my fishing.

That whole production gets my "Snapperhead Seal of Approval" 

Which from this point forward will be abbreviated with the acronym SSOA.

A-Jay

 

 

Woah, reviving an old thread huh A-Jay?

Just now, flyfisher said:

Woah, reviving an old thread huh A-Jay?

I couldn't help it ~

And you'll be glad to know that I'm starting a new tackle testing business.

So send me any lures or even rods that you would like to have 'tested'.

I'll snap them all in half and get them right back in the mail to you.

And all for a very reasonable rate - plus shipping & handling of course.

SSOA.

A-Jay

If you are looking for a mentee, I'm your man.  I have experience in breaking stuff of all types and am looking to venture more into the fishing world.

16 minutes ago, flyfisher said:

If you are looking for a mentee, I'm your man.  I have experience in breaking stuff of all types and am looking to venture more into the fishing world.

I don't know

This could be Big.

Let's Do This.

A-Jay

 

Boy, it's a good thing bass don't have hands or they'd be breaking all of our baits! Stupidest video ever possibly? 

Hmm, interesting, but I don't think they see that kind of stress in the water. Now the husky jerk on the other hand... That's another story. I can't tell you how many I've had that have literally snapped clean in half in the river for walleye in the spring. Even brand new ones after only a couple casts. Emailed Rapala, and they wouldn't do a thing, said that it was odd, but they wouldn't do anything. Storm Thundersticks for me now!!

 

 

I have the shadow rap shads and I have cracked one doing the same thing as the guy in the video. However I have caught many bass and snook on the ones I have and have not had any issues with breakage.