A MINNOW IN TROUBLE MAKES DANGEROUS MOVES.STRUGGLING, IT LUNGES IN JERKING MOTIONS, THEN IT FALLS SLOWLYWITH A QUIVERING FADE...JUST LIKE THE SHADOW RAP.
Introducing the new Rapala Shadow RapĀ®, the minnow that combines a horizontal struggle with a vertical fade that perfectly mimics a minnow in trouble. Rapala has perfected the natural minnow action in this new jerkbait that triggers fish three ways: on the kick, on a slow fading fall, and on the snap back to life.
MINNETONKA, Minn. (Feb. 17, 2014) ā At dayās end, a shadow doesnāt die, it slowly fades away. So it is with Rapalaās new suspending jerkbaits, the Shadow RapĀ® and Shadow RapĀ® Deep. Combining a horizontal struggle with a vertical fade, the lure perfectly mimics a minnowās final, quivering moments before its end of days ā triggering unforgettable strikes as predator fish move in for an easy meal.
āThe Shadow Rap does something Iāve never seen another bait do ā I call it the ādeath quiver,āā said three-time Bassmaster Classic qualifier and 2014 Forrest Wood Cup Champion Randall Tharp. āWhen you pause it on slack line, it shimmies from side to side as itās suspending there. So even when itās sitting still, it looks just barely alive.ā
Tharp and fellow RapalaĀ® pros Michael Iaconelli, Brandon Palaniuk, Ott DeFoe and Jacob Wheeler will all be armed with Shadow Raps later this month at the 2015 Bassmaster Classic on South Carolinaās Lake Hartwell. The baits will be unveiled there to the public for the first time, but the Rapala pros have had them for months. And they are impressed. Big time.
āIt could win the Bassmaster Classic,ā said Palaniuk, the 2013 Classic runner-up. āYou can bet that the Rapala Shadow Rap is going to be in my boat.ā
Wheeler, a FLW Forrest Wood Cup champion and runner-up, is equally enthusiastic about the Shadow Rap heading into his first Classic.
āThat fading away action I think might just be the ticket to getting those fish to bite down there at Hartwell,ā said Wheeler. āThat bait does stuff that not another bait out there in the market does.ā
While most jerkbaits follow a forward trajectory with each twitch of the rod tip, the Shadow Rapās action stands out. āNot only will it dart side to side, but with a certain jerk, you can make it spin around almost 180 degrees,ā Tharp explained. āBut it also moves vertically too ā it will dive down, then move up.ā So a Shadow Rap will trigger bites on its initial kick and its snap back to life, as well as on its slow-fading fall.
āItās perfect ā itās exactly what I want,ā said Iaconelli, the 2003 Classic Champ. āI want that bait to have these little tiny movements ā little tiny flashes and rolls. Then, on the pause, I want it to be just barely lurking out ā just barely going down.ā
Featuring a minnow body profile, flat sides and metallic finish with textured scales, the Shadow Rap is designed to target bass and other gamefish in two-to-four feet of water. The Shadow Rap Deep targets fish in four-to-eight feet. Both models come armed with three No. 6 VMC Black Nickel Round Bend Hooks and are available in 14 color patterns: Albino Shiner, Blue Back Herring, Blue Ghost, Bone, Bud, Carbon, Clown, Ghost, Ghost Shiner, Moss Back Shiner, Olive Green, Purpledescent, Silver and Yellow Perch. Each measures 4 3/8 inches and weighs 7/16 of an ounce.
āThe Shadow Rapās going to be a player for me ā both the regular Shadow Rap and the Shadow Rap Deep,ā Iaconelli said. āThese lures are great at imitating what those fish are feeding on.ā
Asked to describe the Shadow Rap in one word, each Rapala proās personality was apparent in his answer.
āTrick,ā Iaconelli replied. āBecause it does things that are very tricked out.ā
āFreak-Nasty would be my word of choice,ā Palaniuk said.
āNatural,ā DeFoe answered.
āLifelike,ā Wheeler replied.
And Tharp?
āItās āFrickinā awesome!āā he exclaimed. āWhoops, thatās two words!ā
The Rapala Shadow Rap and Shadow Rap Deep are available at sporting goods retailers nationwide. For more information visit www.Rapala.com or connect with the brand at www.Facebook.com/RapalaUSA.