Shad Raps

[BassBest]

Boy what a good early spring bait, I have a few q's for you.
Jointed or non-jointed?
and what makes those rattles sound different from other rattling baits?

[mkspw]

try the blue and orange short bills for spring

[Chubminnow]

Both styles serve the purpose in different situations but I prefer jointed if I had to choose only one...I think it gives more action, represents an injured bait fish more...

As for colors, they have some good one's but I prefer the trout colored. I have no idea about what makes the rattling sound different from any other bait...

[Devils Horse]

The shadraps that work best for me don't have rattles. I like a #5 non-jointed in silver/blue if it's sunny, or red craw if it's muddy or not sunny. The #5's small hooks will do a long distance release a little more often than the bigger cranks though. Throwing it on a limber spinning rig with the drag set pretty light helps some with that.

[dpage70]

try taking a suspend dot and putting it on the side of the bait during the really early spring. shad are still dying an this gives them a really weird sideways action that looks like a dying shad. i slayed them on barren like that last spring. won't work on a jointed one though.

[Devils Horse]

That's an excellent idea dpage. Seems like it would work in the late fall when the cold water die off starts too.

[BassBest]

Thanks guys,
This is one of my primary early pre-spawn patterns. I'll have to get me a couple non-jointed raps, I haven't looked for them because since my success on the jointed ones last spring, I was stuck on those. I like the idea of the suspend dot, I try this with the suspending jerk baits as well, although I wish they would work better with the dots in front of the jerk baits, but the bill I suppose doesn't let the head drop below the tail. I tried three dots in the front of a Mo Zuri jerk bait and the thing sank level. I think maybe if the head would fall below the tail, and an upward pull presentation would duplicate a shad kill better, need more practice.
Good luck and take care

[mkspw]

There is another Rapala worth trying in late April and May this a fluorescent orange # 7 countdown Rapala.It only seems to work about a month in the spring.Just about any fish that will eat a minnow will hit this lure.

[dpage70]

i like the idea with the suspending baits never thought that. try the dot on top over the head. never tred but it sounds good lol

[apple557]

>try taking a suspend dot and
>putting it on the side
>of the bait during the
>really early spring. shad
>are still dying an this
>gives them a really weird
>sideways action that looks like
>a dying shad. i
>slayed them on barren like
>that last spring. won't
>work on a jointed one
>though.