Jigging Raps

[Master Angler]

I think I am cursed when it comes to using these.  I have never had any luck at all with them, not even one fish, (I usually try them for walleye), I used to think it was because I only used them when some of my other confidence lures weren't working, and therefore nothing else would either, but I tried them the other day again when catching some small pike, other jigs and spoons were working great, it didn't seem to matter much so I figured now is the time to catch a fish on one right, well, NOTHING, I actually wasn't too surprised.  I switched back to something else and started catching again.  Any special jigging techniques you guys prefer with them? I use a vex and I can't even get a fish to come look at one. 

[Pail Rider]

I have had the same experience with them.

[nepa old man]

My buddy uses them on a large lake in PA & gets smallies on them. Me, I have no patients for them.

[Wellsy]

They work o.k for me 
Not my top choice every day but a producer none the less.
maybe it's technique, I've seen people use them like a pimple......but it's not a pimple.
If you want to give it another try, I always use my jigs in open clear water and watch it work to get my technique down.Heck I have used the pool before to tune my floating rapalas for night fishing. I'd use the toilet if it meant catching more fish.


Good Luck,
Wellsy

[putback]

If you mean the rapala horizontal they have been my top lure since the late 70's. Trout, walleye, perch, and the cursed northern. They all take them. Used to be instructions on back of bubble pack. #1, match lure size to line and rod. A little w2 on 4 lb. A w5 on 6/8 lb, and on up. Deeper water needs a heaver lure to "swim right". lure MUST run free to be effective. Tie line direct to lure with a loop knot to "swim right", no clips or jam knot. Generally you want lure 6 to 10 inches off bottom at rest. Now either raise or "flip" rod up 1 to 3 ft, return rod to rest position. For up to 20 seconds that lure is either turning consecutively smaller circles, or swinging back and forth as a pendulum. CONCENTRATE, a bite you will feel. Very often you will feel nothing but you will see the line stop motion in the hole as the fish inhales it. Seems the larger fish get in front of lure and let it swim into their mouth. Its a real rush to see that line stop like the lure hit bottom and set the hook on a 8 or 12 lb walleye or laker! Play with it, learn to make it swim. There are many presentation options with this lure. You can bump and stir bottom. very speed. play keep away, in 25 ft of water with a #5 you can cover a radius of about 6 ft. In 30 plus years I'm still finding new tricks. Oh yea, the northerns eat raps like candy, but you use a leader and you kill the action, without the leader you loose the lure!

[littlesturgeonguy]

i have had some good luck with the smallest size for perch.

[calvin21]

I'm am not trying to disagree with anyone but when i use a full 1 to 2 foot jig with it I don't catch anything.  When I use a rapala i just twich it about 2 to 4 inches this causes it to swim way less but that is how i catch fish with them.  Usually i use the smaller sizes for perch but a walleye will still take the little sizes.  Also make wure you tip it with a minnow.

[mcully]

Just a slow lift and drop will get it swimming and make sure you pause often. If you get a looker twitch and slowly lift it and you'll just feel weight. If you have clear water look down the hole and watch it for a minute and see what it's doing so you'll have an idea of how little rod action you need to make it swim.

[skundl]

Was with a group of guys on Simcoe last year and I was the only one with the rap, and the only one producing decent fish.  Had it tipped with a minnow head.  But I usually dont do so well with it.

[lotwfisher]

Master Angler, you are not alone. I cant get these things to work either. I have tried all the techniques for jigging them too. I love the jigging shad raps tho. The only fish I have caught on the jiggin rap is one a snagged by accident when I jigging aggressive.

Robin

[BlueDuck]

Last year I had  a friend join me on the ice.  He started using one.  I smiled to myself because I had never had any luck with one.  Sure enough he started catching fish.  I now have some renewed confidence in them....  I guess they do work.

[river_scum]

i use them all the time,they work great! i make 1-2 ft jumps with them(about 5 reps) then twitch or slow jig about 6in. like said pause for 10-20 seconds between jigs. i few years ago i starrted glueing glow tails under the back hook. i believe my strike ratio went up,so they all got the tails now. even at rest the tail will ungulate enticingly!

dont give up on them,they do work!

[creekncabin]

river scum,  tell me more about these glow tails you put on the back of the jiggin rap.  do you put them on any size rap or just sevens and nines.  do you just tie them in front of the tail fin or on the back hook?  how long of a glow tail do you use?  i use raps for walleye mostly.  i have used stinger hooks, minnow heads, and full minnows, but the glow tail will be a new twist. i jig very aggresive and have had the best luck with just a plain old rap.

[river_scum]

well creek, the tails i got a G.M., they are thin strait tapered green glow. they are about 1in long and as big around as a tooth-pic. i glue one on with super glue,under the tail fins of the rap/nils. i use them on all sizes of my raps. if you send me a private message with an address ill snap a pic for you, i dont know how to post pics on this board. sometimes im sure it dont matter,other times im sure it did. you know when they come on screen stay a bit then swim off. just that bit of movment at rest they cant resist.

[littlesturgeonguy]

i was fishing this past weekend with the smallest one in perch color and hammered the perch on it after they stole my minnow head i kept dropping it back in as fast as i could get the fish off with no bait i was pulling them up one after another my friends sitting next to me was shocked but hes was catching fish to so i can't see if it was the jiggin rap or the fish were just that active.

[dkfry]

I use Jigging Raps, Shads, Chubby Darters and other swimming lures. They work great for bringing the fish in and if the fish don't take the lure I'll drop a small jig down. The fish I have caught always hit the bait hard, especially the toothy critters. Swim lures are fun to use and I always have at least one rod with one tied on. I have been replacing the hooks with red 3X gap hooks in a slightly larger size which helps hook the fish better. I like using the #7 and #9 rapalas in bright and chrome colors.

[river_scum]

thats a great tip too DK! thx

[Master Angler]

I totally forgot all about this post I made.

I have had the same experience with them.

Master Angler, you are not alone. I cant get these things to work either. I have tried all the techniques for jigging them too. I love the jigging shad raps tho. The only fish I have caught on the jiggin rap is one a snagged by accident when I jigging aggressive.

Robin

Good to see I am not the only one.  I too have tried every kind of jigging techinque I can think of, as well as watching the lures in the water to see how they swim with different techniques.  They look really good in the water to me, the fish I am fishing for think otherwise.  The one thing I don't think I have tried yet is tying direct with no snap.  Maybe I'll keep experimenting from time to time, MAYBE!  Or maybe I'll just give the jigging shad raps a go.

Thanks for the replys everyone.

[BlueDuck]

I had really good luck with one today on perch.  What helped me was that I was fishing shallow and inside the shelter it was dark enough I could see the lure work.  Just a short jigging action and it swims around in a circle and worked great.  I have carried them around with me for years but now Im using them and they are going to be a favorite.

[putback]

Another point on raps, or any other baitless ice lure. If you have any auger fuel residue on your hands and transfer it to the lure it can shut you down unless the fish are super active. On slow days with a rapala I've filmed the lure and a foot or more of line with smelly jelly or the equivalent. It shure seems to make a difference.