both cold water crankbaits with different actions when would you choose one over the other? 

Both are great in the pre spawn, cold water temps.  The Rap is a spinning rod crankbait, while the wiggle wart is a baitcaster crankbait, better for power fishing.  Wiggle water is kinda like a deep diving squarebill.  Wiggle wart is better for more cover, bigger rocks or wood.  Rap is better for those do nothing banks.   I haven’t thrown a Rap a whole lot, we throw wiggle warts a lot here in Kansas.  Guys catch a lot of fish in our lakes on wiggle warts in the spring here.  

 

Why I pick up a Wiggle Wart, rather than a Shad Rap:

Heavier

Can fish it well around cover

Bigger line

Dives deeper, but can fish it relatively shallow.

 

If you get a wiggle wart, change out the stock hooks.

If I'm trying to imitate a craw, I choose a wart. If I want a baitfish imitation, I go with the Shad Rap, simple as that. 

i have more confidence in warts than shad raps, and when i do crank which isn’t very often, i stick with my confidence. hard to beat the hunting action on a wiggle wart

A bait that is rarely talked about but one of my favorite winter baits. Very similar to the Shad Rap, but it's plastic so it has rattles, more durable, and much cheaper. Runs a little shallower which is nice since most of our lakes are pretty shallow. I use a lot of the standard colors, but the HDs are the only ones carried on TW

https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Berkley_Flicker_Shad_HD_Shallow_Crankbait/descpage-BFKS.html

I just got shad5 and going to try it, I think I am going to get shad 7 as well both same craw color, I heard lots of possessive . going to change my leader to 8lb on spinning for that. lets see what will be the result.

8 hours ago, Bluebasser86 said:

A bait that is rarely talked about but one of my favorite winter baits. Very similar to the Shad Rap, but it's plastic so it has rattles, more durable, and much cheaper. Runs a little shallower which is nice since most of our lakes are pretty shallow. I use a lot of the standard colors, but the HDs are the only ones carried on TW

https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Berkley_Flicker_Shad_HD_Shallow_Crankbait/descpage-BFKS.html

I throw the flicker shad a good bit too, but once the water gets cooler, i have better luck with the shad rap. I think the rattle in the flicker shad can sometimes turn the fish off. There's just something magical about that silent balsa lure. But, i do wish rapala would make a rattling version for more stained and warmer waters.

2 minutes ago, mrpao said:

I throw the flicker shad a good bit too, but once the water gets cooler, i have better luck with the shad rap. I think the rattle in the flicker shad can sometimes turn the fish off. There's just something magical about that silent balsa lure. But, i do wish rapala would made a rattling version for more stained and warmer waters.

I don't use the regular Flicker Shad for bass, I've tried but never had any luck. I use the Flicker Shad Shallow a lot though. 

 

The Storm Smash Shad is a good plastic bait similar to the Shad Rap that I've had good success with though. BPS had them in their spring sale a couple years ago for something like $1.47 each, I've probably got 30 of them in my garage ?

For me the shad rap is a last ditch effort when they won't chase a wart or rock crawler. 

More of a light line finesse deal.  If they won't bite that it's probably time to move out and start dragging something. 

Being one who throws crankbaits from the time I begin my season to the time I pull the plug the Rapala Shad Rap is up there in my top 3 or 4 crankbaits.  Produces all season. 
 

Wiggle Warts a good bait they are. I fish them deeper and a bit harder at bottom contact more like a Bomber, Bandit or XD’s. 

8 hours ago, Bluebasser86 said:

If I'm trying to imitate a craw, I choose a wart. If I want a baitfish imitation, I go with the Shad Rap, simple as that. 

x2, plus the Rap is a colder water bait than the Wart for me. 

Shad raps rock in water up to 50-55 degrees.  I only throw them on a spinning rod.

 

been wanting to get some wiggle warts for  55-65 degree water 

edit: I forgot  that I have had success with spro rk crawlers which, are similar.  That was in the middle of summer though 

14 minutes ago, Mbirdsley said:

Shad raps rock in water up to 50-55 degrees.  I only throw them on a spinning rod.

 

been wanting to get some wiggle warts for  55-65 degree water 

edit: I forgot  that I have had success with spro rk crawlers which, are similar.  That was in the middle of summer though 

I’ve been throwing the 50 Series of that this past season. 5/16 oz. Started also in mid-season. Only worked with two color patterns of it on the river and lake. Got a couple more in Shad colors for X-mas. Had immediate results with it on the river in craw patterns. I’m sure the Shad pattern will work at both locations also. 

rk crawler has been really good for me. not in super cold water but once its 55 or so. phantom brown and phantom green have been outstanding.

On 1/4/2022 at 1:17 AM, Bluebasser86 said:

A bait that is rarely talked about but one of my favorite winter baits. Very similar to the Shad Rap, but it's plastic so it has rattles, more durable, and much cheaper. Runs a little shallower which is nice since most of our lakes are pretty shallow. I use a lot of the standard colors, but the HDs are the only ones carried on TW

https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Berkley_Flicker_Shad_HD_Shallow_Crankbait/descpage-BFKS.html

Those things SLAY the saugeye when they move shallow in the spring.