Rapala’s unique new Shad Rap® patterns appear to be part baitfish, part unicorn. Cotton-candy pink, sky-blue, daffodil-yellow and grape-gum purple feature prominently in the whimsically named new color patterns, Black Wonderbread, Glow Pink Squirrel, Juicy Lucy, Moldy Fruit, Headspin and Voodoo Haze.
While these new colors sound like a lot of fun, when you tie one on, they’re all business, designed to deliver more and bigger fish.
The benchmark that other crankbaits are measured by, Shad Raps are innovative where others are only imitative. Built from premium balsa wood, they twitch, quiver and wobble on the retrieve with a lifelike action unmatched by any rival. Copycat crankbaits not made from balsa wood might look the part, but they won’t produce as many bites.
The new color patterns include:
Black Wonderbread – White-silver back and belly, white-silver sides with a large chartreuse, cotton-candy pink and sky-blue blue spot, black head and throat, yellow-and-black eyes;
Glow Pink Squirrel – White back, white sides with four black spots, white belly, cotton-candy pink tail and head, yellow-and-black eyes;
Juicy Lucy – Metallic gold body with three, vertical yellow stripes and red face, yellow-and-black eyes;
Moldy Fruit – Yellow back, pearl-white sides with five vertical white stripes, cotton-candy pink belly and grape-gum purple face, yellow-and-black eyes;
Headspin – Chartreuse back, metallic grape-gum purple belly and throat, chartreuse sides with seven vertical black stripes, metallic cotton-candy pink head, yellow-and-black eyes; and
Voodoo Haze – Metallic grape-gum purple back, chrome sides with three large chartreuse stripes, metallic cotton-candy pink belly, metallic grape-gum purple head and throat, yellow-and-black eyes.
The buoyancy of a balsa body allows a Shad Rap to deflect with an unrivaled action when it bangs into bottom structure and cover. Shad Raps also back out of shallow cover better than copycats, floating up and minimizing snags.
A 2-inch No. 5 Shad Rap will run 4 to 9 feet deep. A 2 ½-inch No. 6 Shad Rap will run 5 to 10 feet.
