Are you or a fellow angler the master of 10 feet and under?
Let’s face it, if you want to catch more fish this upcoming fishing season, you need to master the art of the shallows and everything that playing inside the weed line offers, from down trees and boulder-strewn shorelines to dock fishing and a wide variety of weeds.
After all, for a good part of the fishing season, where the baitfish live, tucked away in their structure, the predators will eventually find themselves looking for an appetizer or two.
If you’re looking for a little something-something to tuck into your own stocking this holiday season, or some gift ideas for your favorite angler, Rapala has culled the collective genius of its 20+ fishing pros to get a handful of go-to shallow-water baits that SantaBass will be happy to deliver on Christmas Eve, Festivus, or the holiday of your choice.
These are proven lures and fishing line that will deliver explosive action in the months and years to come, and in the process, make you Master of the Shallows.
Rapala® DT® Series – No. 4, Dark Brown Crawdad
The DT® (Dives-To) series of crankbaits, dive fast to a preset depth and stay in the “strike zone” longer than any than other crankbait on the market. So, the No. 4, dives to exactly four feet – perfect for shallow-water bass, sunfish, crappies and other creatures prowling for a quick snack. Made with balsa wood, the Rapala DT is built with carefully placed internal weights, a tapered fuselage and a thin-tail design, which creates the ultimate crankbait action, found only in the DT family. Ultra-thin polycarbonate lip digs the bait down quickly to desired depth. Swimming with a side-to-side action only balsa crankbaits can achieve, the DT cranks deep, yet pulls with ease. Perfectly weighted to rest in a “quick-dive” nose down position allowing for immediate descent to desired depth, the DT® can be easily cast 150 feet from your boat, kayak, the dock or from shore. And for good measure, an internal baritone rattle drives fish crazy. Each lure is hand-tuned and tank-tested to swim perfectly right out of the box.
Rapala® Original Floating® – No. 9
No angler should be without an Original Rapala Floater in size No. 9 and in gold. It’s that simple. This is one of the most perfect lures ever made and there’s good reason we keep making it 84 years after Lauri Rapala hand-carved his first one in 1936 – it catches fish. Lots of fish. Big fish. Small fish. Fish of every species any where in the world. Whether twitched on top as a surface bait, retrieved as a shallow runner, weighted with a split shot for medium depth or bottom walked off a three-way swivel or bottom bouncer, the wounded minnow action continues to be irresistible to fish everywhere. Premium black nickel VMC® hooks. Hand-tuned and tank-tested to ensure that world renowned action straight out of the box.
Rapala® Skitter Pop® – No. 5
There is nothing more perfect than tossing a Rapala Skitter Pop up toward the shoreline or in front of a stretch of pencil weeds on a quiet summer morning and watching a giant bass inhale it. With its unique loud popping, cupped plastic lip and its balsa wood body the Skitter Pop® creates a commotion with one of the loudest spitting actions. Fished with walk-the-dog or twitching retrieves, the results are the same…crushing strikes from aggressive bass, pike and muskies.
Blue Fox® Classic Vibrax® – Blade Size No. 2, Plated 3/16 oz., Silver/Silver
Next to the Original Rapala Floating® and the Rapala Shad Rap®, every angler should have a Vibrax spinner bait in their tackle ready to go. Running 2 feet to 6 feet, the Classic Vibrax features a patented two-part body that emits low-frequency sound vibrations to attract fish and trigger strikes while virtually eliminating line twist. The Silver/Silver pattern is a darling of multiple species – bass, crappies, sunfish, pike, trout and much more. For shallow water anglers, it is a flawless masterpiece,
Sufix® Siege® – 8 lb. Test, Smoke Green, 330 yards
When you’re playing in skinny water, you need skinny line that is barely noticeable. Here’s the answer, Sufix® Siege® in smoke green to provide the perfect camouflage against weeds. Siege has superior casting distance with pinpoint accuracy due to its proprietary extrusion process. It has up to 15X greater abrasion resistance than other lines on the market and has exceptional knot strength and smooth handling. With exclusive G² Precision Winding™ (4-20 lb.; excludes 3000 yd. spools) line memory is virtually eliminated.
