RipNRap one of those historic baits

This weekend just cemented the RipNRap as my number one go to lure. I have known how versatile it was but when nothing else could get them lookers to commit and the RipNRap drew the most attention I dug my heels in and just started trying to work it in different ways until that first 12″ crappie had to take a poke at it. once I found the action that would not scare them away and actually make them strike it was game on. And when the eyes would happen by and inhale it that was just a added bonus. Down side of the day I lost my favorite color but was able to still get strikes with a subtle change in technique. Well from now on when there back in stock I will have at least 2 if not three of each.

Have you tried them in open water conditions? I am going to try them in Canada this year and would like to know other peoples experience and techniques.

I’m playing the Devil’s Advocate here, but what do you suppose would have happened if you dug your heels in with your 2nd favorite bait and experimented with that till you found the jigging cadence that would have drew fish in and caused them to bite?

I don’t have any of these baits. Wondering if they really ARE that much better than anything else, or if they are just producing because everybody is using them so much (self fulfilling prophecy).

Remember the Chubby Darter craze several years ago?

Just thinking out loud (well, typing in public I guess).

Tucker

I had two of the #5’s this spring and they were great on the river I used them in. Was white bass fishing, and wanted to try something different as we knew walleye were running in the same areas. Eventually lost them both to snags, but before and after, never found a bait that would work. Clam shell area with a lot of rocks and crap on an outside break with current. The walleyes were there and we never knew it until I tossed the rap.

curleytail wrote:

I’m playing the Devil’s Advocate here, but what do you suppose would have happened if you dug your heels in with your 2nd favorite bait and experimented with that till you found the jigging cadence that would have drew fish in and caused them to bite?

I don’t have any of these baits. Wondering if they really ARE that much better than anything else, or if they are just producing because everybody is using them so much (self fulfilling prophecy).

Remember the Chubby Darter craze several years ago?

Just thinking out loud (well, typing in public I guess).

I did try my go to and got snubbed no matter what cadence or they wouldn’t come in to the cone of the LX-7 but putt down the rap I they would appear chase even look twice finally slowed down to almost dead stick and they would nail it.

I’m not going to say it will be the hot bait every time out but I have found when the bite is tough it will perform for me when all else fails. The number 5’s where good but the new smaller profile seems even better. I really wonder what Bull gills would think of a 1″ version. I have never had the results from the darters that I have had with the Rippin Raps. I think the vibration you get out of these sets them apart from the darters.

To rferguson: This will be used in open water for me with no doubt, I prefer jigging to other styles of fishing. Even in the boat you can find me on a calm morning jig pole in hand and LX-7 over the side of the boat’

Cool, thanks for your reply. Sometimes just a change in cadence is all it takes, but there’s no doubt sometimes a bait will just draw more attention. I imagine these will be easier to find next year. I’ll have to give one or two a shot – or maybe get one for the open water season this year.

Thanks,

Tucker

Thanks for the replies. I have to think some of the tight lipped walleyes would like the action in deeper water when a fast running spinner rig is not what they want.

rferguson wrote:

Have you tried them in open water conditions? I am going to try them in Canada this year and would like to know other peoples experience and techniques.

They work very well in open water. Caught my PB eye on a number 7 rip’n rap. After dark pitching up to shallows and working back just staying off bottom has produced some Giants for me.

curleytail wrote:

I’m playing the Devil’s Advocate here, but what do you suppose would have happened if you dug your heels in with your 2nd favorite bait and experimented with that till you found the jigging cadence that would have drew fish in and caused them to bite?

I don’t have any of these baits. Wondering if they really ARE that much better than anything else, or if they are just producing because everybody is using them so much (self fulfilling prophecy).

Remember the Chubby Darter craze several years ago?

Just thinking out loud (well, typing in public I guess).

Tucker

I thought the same thing tell I cut open a perch the other day and found a more or less exact match of the size and shape of one of those UL#4s even the color was spot on so the next time out I figured I would give one a shot and low and behold it brought in the big girls in from a far to smoke it when they wouldn’t move on anything els and I used them vary affectively to move and turn on some cold front eyes so they have me sold so far can’t wait to see what happens on late ice with them and I am also wondering if they made a 1inch version how perfect my panfish arsenal would be HINT HINT Rapala!!!

Wondering what action is producing success with these for panfish? I tried using a silver/black one for slabs last sunday, but couldn’t entice any to bite. I was using a medium light rod with 4lb p line. It only seemed to vibrate/rattle when I ripped it six inches or so. This didn’t produce any bites. I tried little hops and jigs, but that didn’t work either. I did have some fish come up to the lure, but didn’t hit. Some may have been sunfish, as there were plenty around. I threw down my usual hot lure and iced crappies in the same hole that the ripping rap didn’t produce. Could be the fish just didn’t want a lure that big or were not that aggressive. I will have to wait till open water or next ice season to give these a workout on walleyes.

I have noticed with the big perch that if you do slow 6 to 12in pulls instead of rips and little 1 to 2in bounces on the way down it tends to get them to get interested more for when I start pulling it away again for the strike and some times you just have to get them interested and do the thing IceAsylum dose and just barely get the bbs to tick inside for them to commit…. Its all about playing with it and getting it just right the fun happens when the want the big bait and come up and slam it

Thanks for the input Dave.

Fish them all. I do not mean to imply that this is the do everything at all times bait. There are going to be times the fish are feeding on different forage and will not even think about minnows per say. But this lure has been my go to lure when nothing else works. This past weekend I stopped by to visit with a friend that immediately he said look at the graph. It was a 5-6 foot Christmas tree of fish that would not bite on his jig. Now this guy is a exceptional stick that will usually out fish most. I asked him if he wanted to try my rod with a Rippin rap #4 on he said sure, so I went and got it and handed it over. He started working it and as I watched he was working it to aggressive. I had him get one to chase then said slow it down almost to dead sticking and in a couple of minutes he iced a crappie. Couple of minutes latter he had a 14″ eye on the ice.
There have been times I had to switch color or more aggressive action to ignite a strike. As any lure or bite you have to try the gambit until you find what works the best. But in the end when things are not working I personally find that if all else fails usually the Rippin raps will come thru for me.
Some times you might move these so slow and try not to let thee BB’s make any noise.