I might have missed this topic but oh well. I just bought one and herd they are amazing. How do you like them? How and where are you fishing them?

They can indeed be amazing. The key is to check out each one to determine just how well it suspends. Not every one will act properly. I use Storm's suspend dots to tweak these baits. It usually takes no more than one or two strategically placed dots to bring the bait into balance. Most of them will rise when paused. If you get one that sinks, send it back, they'll send you a new one, no questions asked.

The key to the retrieve is the pauses in the action. Cast it out, crank it down slowly for 5 or 6 turns of the handle to get it down, and then start a cadence. I like a twitch, rip, pause. Vary it up until you find something the fish like. The pause is important. The colder the water, the longer the pause. In warm water, a short pause; one to four seconds, is usually long enough. In very cold water, a minute might be too short. It's much more critical that the bait be balanced to suspend perfecty in very cold water.

Also, keep these things away from cover. I use them along outside weed edges and around wood cover, but not in it. They do not deflect off cover at all, and will get hung up easily.

I caught a lot of fish with these last year, in both the spring and the fall. There are better baits to use throughout the summer. I did not get in much time on the water this spring, but I'm ready for fall to put the X-Rap back into the mix.

Cheers,

GK

a good way I find to fish these is a jerk jerk pause retrieve.

If you check out rapala.com under the xrap lure they have a picture of a couple diffrent retrieves you can try with it.

It's an amazing bait with amazing action.  Just started using it this year and it's easily outfished all my other jerk baits.  I've found it doesn't work as well using softer action rods like I use for other jerkbaits, a faster tip action seems to be the ticket to getting that bait to dance.

Hey, sorry for hi-jacking the thread, but, i was planning on getting one this weekend. What weight would you recommend for MF rod with a baitcasting reel spooled with 12lb hybrid?

8-)