Home Forums Fishing Freshwater X-Rap is this year's top lure for bass

A while back there was a thread asking which lure has caught you the most fish. I am changing my mind on my previous answer.

Beginning in late March with surface water temps in the high 50s to more recently with temps hitting high 70s the #8 X-Rap in silver caught approx 80% of the 535 bass I caught so far this year.

It is fished as a jerkbait exclusively. It used to be a chore to constantly jerk till I purchased a 6' Shimano rod with the new Pfluger Arbor reel. 6lb fireline with this combo is awesome.

The lake I fish is Roosevelt lake in Az. Largest fish was a 27". Smallest was a 2"

All I can say is try this lure. IMO It is one of the best ever made.

My experience of over 40 years using rapale designed baits has been positive.

bass , pike stripers snook love the xrap.

You tip your x rap with live bait?

No that was a largemouth that went after the lure! Caught it last week.

I agree Rapala makes fantastic lures. I was watching In Fisherman and Doug Stange was talking up Rapala's new lipless lure called the rippin rap. Going to have to get a few.

i've been using the olive/silver X-Rap and doing well with it. I still think I get more strikes with the original floater than I do the x-rap.

I've got a couple of those #8X-Raps. I've got to give them another try. They're described as 1/4 oz weight but don't cast that well with my baitcaster compared to a couple of other 1/4 oz lures I use with it so I haven't used them that much.

Which model/# Arbor reel are you using? The retailers reviews say the Arbor is good for distance, does it get that much more distance than other good quality spinning reels you've used? Do you think mono would work as well with it or do you believe Fireline is a big factor too? Thanks.

The #8 throws a mile with an open face and 6 lb fireline. I have watched guys on TV fishing shows work jerk baits with a bait casting reel but my attempts no matter how I hold the outfit just don't get that fast twitching acton I can get with a short rod and open face.

Is it a suspending bait? I to found it hard to get the movement needed out of a baitcaster.I'll take my shimano open face any day of the week!MAN! I've caught 6lb'rs that were 22-23", what
did that 27" fish weigh??

CNYArcher

Didn't weigh the fish guessing around 8? I was near deep water and quickly twisted my trolling motor to 100% and moved away from shore. It was the grouper manuever....

The lure does suspend. As for action sometimes they like a slight pause other times as fast and as eratic as you can do it.

Unfortunately I think my fishing is over till early October. Daytime highs will hit 107-109 in Tucson beginning next week. Roosevelt tends to be the same as Phoenix. Imagine being out there dry heat or now with 110-112 temps! Surface water temps will be 85 or more. Some guys fish nights but it just isn't the same. Enjoy your season

thanks, you too!

That Arbor is a great reel. Nice to finally see the reel makers catching up with modern super lines. Those wide arbor, small capacity reels were modified/created FOR flouro's and unifiber stuff like FireLine, Nanofil and lighter braids. I have personally switched most of my gear to wide-arbor style reels this year, but I have been using Bass Pro's Qualifier series, 20-30$ cheaper then the Pflueger and damn fine reels, I am really happy with them. Nothing against Pflueger, that is what I swore by for many, many years and still have several...just some nicer features for the price on the BPS house brand

Oh forgot to add, personally I've never caught a thing on an X-Rap but I keep buying the damn things lol. However I did finally pony up the cash to buy some Lucky Craft jerk bait this year...go figure I've caught some really nice bass with it. First time I cast it out I told my friend watch, this lure is gonna SLAY the bass and then I'm going to have to start shelling out 17$ per lure grrrr....

yea im afraid to buy a lucky craft too because once I start I will end up with a whole tackle box full.

$17.00 is nothing . Two years ago the imported Vision 110 from Mega Baits was going for $90.00 when you could find some. They finally settled down to $32.00 at LOZ.