Rapala Report

Rapala Shad Rap Elite

With the new Shad Rap Elite, Rapala turns up the power on its legendary Shad Rap fishing lure to deliver premium features that super fans of this highly effective and productive lure will appreciate.

Introduced in the early 1980s, the Shad Rap went on to become one of the most successful fishing lures of all time. Today, Rapala is introducing a next generation of the Shad Rap – the Elite – which is loaded with new features that freshwater fish everywhere will find hard to resist.

Built around the popular and proven original Shad Rap, the Elite consists of premium balsa wood, a profile shape of the natural shad baitfish, and the swimming action of a wounded minnow.

Equally effective cast or trolled, performing from ultra-slow presentations to super-fast without fail. Slightly heavier than the original, the new Shad Rap Elite can be cast longer allowing this bait to be fished in harsher conditions or on a bait cast. Forged, flattened, one-piece, through-wire construction improves durability as it battles all species around the world.

Premium, high-definition color patterns with a metallic gilded face give the Shad Rap Elite a total game-changing, ultra-natural look.

This new lure is the perfect freshwater multi-species bait. The wounded-minnow action remains consistent whether retrieved nice and slow or super-fast. Depending upon the type of fishing line used and retrieval speed, the No. 55 runs 8 to 9 feet deep, and the No. 75 runs 9 to 11 feet.

The lure features two sticky sharp VMC® Inline Hybrid Treble 2X hooks and heavy-duty split rings.

The new Shad Rap Elite is available in 12 color patterns, including: gilded blue gill, gilded chartreuse, gilded crawdad, gilded fire tiger, gilded hot steel, gilded Helsinki shad, gilded night aurora, gilded perch, gilded purpledescent, gilded silver, gilded twilight zone, and gilded yellow perch.

The lure is available in two sizes. No. 55 has a body length of 2-1/4 inches and weighs ¼ oz. It runs 8 to 9 feet deep based on fishing line used and retrieval speed. It features two No. 8 VMC super sharp treble hooks. No. 75 is 3 inches long, weighs 7/16 oz. and includes two No. 6 VMC treble hooks.