Comments: The Lure it's self is my go to bait year round from creeks lakes and fast current near the dams on the river. It flat out catches fish. Now the hooks and split rings are absolute garbage. There is no way 2-3lbers should be tearing a split ring loose and the hooks been and break more than a number 6 Aberdeen hook. Please upgrade both before take advice from me I have lost several fish being cheap and leaving the bait as is

From: Brandon: FL 4/26/23

Comments: Been using these for years and they are awesome. I've prob caught nine different species of fish with the Shadow Rap. I keep wanting to try my different colors but I've had the same one tied on for two years and it still hasn't broke after many catches. Yes, the hooks bend easily, loosen your drag.

From: Ruff : Missouri 12/31/22

Comments: One of the best, if not the best, affordable jerkbaits! Rapala absolutely knocked it out of the part with these, I mean the price and action are amazing. This bait caught me over 20 fish in a day! And three of those fish were over 4lbs. The SINGLE shadow rap I used is still in working order and will continue to catch more fish. THANK YOU RAPALA

From: Vance: New Jersey 3/22/22

Comments: Again, this jerkbait will receive another positive review. Because this lure is so affordable, I have at least 10 color variations for the Shadow Rap. The standard minnow (Silver/Black Back) produces well in stained to muddy waters of my local Tenn lakes. Like most jerkbait fishermen, I replace the stock trebles with Gamakatsu #6's. The stock trebles on these jerkbaits are probably the main reason the lures are so affordable? Both the Shad and Minnow models work well. Thus far, I've had no issues with these lures cracking or leaking. If you pitch these lures close enough to rocky cover, you will eventually crack one. One advantage of the Shadow Rap over the Lucky Craft Pointer is the mirror finish. I appreciate the action of the Pointers, but the Shadow Raps have encased finishes that hold better up to wear.

From: John: Hendersonville, TN 3/29/20

Comments: Sad! For such a great fish catcher. The quality is pure junk. Have multiple with cracks in them. I am extremely disappointed that rapala has let this go on.

From: Unknown: 3/4/20

Comments: Really good bait for cold water. With this having 3 trebles, I lose a surprising amount of fish on them. I've caught pickerel that I've had to cut the hooks out with wire cutters so I didn't tear the fish up. At least the VMC hooks cut easily and are cheap. When the water is in the mid to low 40s I use 2 g finesse hooks and they do as good as 3 VMCs. They come in some good colors and the price is reasonable.

From: Rusty: NJ 9/1/19

Comments: Caught my PB here in FL on this jerkbait last week, a 10.2! Awesome bait with good action and excellent durability, however those stock hooks are extremely weak. Once you change them out though, you are good to go! I always add a feathered treble on the back because it makes this bait look 110% better. Best colors I've had luck with are bone and clown.

From: Pete: Sarasota, Florida 12/10/18

Comments: This thing has the magic touch, swapped the hooks out and use them for snook. I've never had any problems with them cracking and I've got a box of them in most every color plus a few back ups. The stock hooks bend yes, but so do the 3x mirrolure hooks I swapped. 

From: Jack: Florida 6/5/18

Comments: These Jerk Baits are the real Deal ! They catch everything ! from ice out to ice up. They are also a awesome cold water 38-39 degree Jerk Bait for Muskie ! Last November I caught 3 in one day !  Just go buy some any color , but match color of bait in your lake to the jerk Bait and your good to go catch fish after fish.

From: Jason: wisconsin 3/1/18

Comments: Learned to fish the jerkbait on this lure. Has a very slow sink and noses down on the fall. Puts serious numbers in the boat! The hooks are razor sharp but don't pry on them too hard. I broke some pulling them out of their mouths. They are a little bit fragile as far as the cracking goes but well worth the money at 1/4 the price of the Vision 110. I'd rather have 4 of these no question. Great bang for the buck. Just be gentle with them.

From: Travis: Daytona Beach, FL 1/13/18

Comments: These are amazing baits and I almost always throw one and almost always catch them on this bait. The action is amazing and flat out catches fish. I love fishing jerkbaits and these certainly have gained a spot in my tackle box.

From: Grant: IL 12/28/17

Comments: I bought two, one in Blue Ghost and one in Mossback Shiner and fish love them! I've found that fish love these baits no matter how you fish them, fast or slow and if fish are biting jerkbaits they will eat a Shadow Rap for sure! I've caught three 4 lb largemouth with the Blue Ghost and even a nice 12 inch crappie on the same jerkbait. Definitely a 5/5!!!

From: Uknown - 12/22/17

Comments: I bought a couple of these jerkbaits on sale at a local hunting/fishing retailer. I immediately replaced the stock trebles with Gamakatsu hooks. I like the slow sinking action of this lure, and the bait suspends well. I usually fish 2-treble jerkbaits, but I been having great hookup success with these 3-treble lures. I measure all jerkbaits by Lucky Craft Pointers, and for the price, these lures perform just as effectively. Good selection of colors too. 

From: John - Knoxville, TN 11/19/17

Comments: This bait rocks. I know guys are so worried about changing the lures action with new and different hooks. But, I think we as bass fisherman over think too many things. I put Gamakatsu EWG short shank #6 or Mustad Triple Grip KVD short #6 on this bait and bass still slam them. You can hardly tell a difference in the sink rate. I put these same hooks on the Rapala Shadow Shad Rap and it still rises. I have caught tons of bass with that lure. However, I do save the original hooks and put them back on at the very beginning and end of season in the North country. When water hits 40 degrees or below the fish are lethargic and their mouths get hard. I don't worry about the original VMC much then. I just make sure they are sharp. The Shadow Rap is a killer jerkbait at a great price.

From: Butch: Champion Ohio 11/10/17

Comments: Pure junk. Cracked after a day of use. Can't believe they would let this junk hit the shelves.

From: B: ontario, can 10/15/17

Comments: For all the people complaining about the hooks bending or breaking. If you're bending out any hooks on a jerkbait your drag is too tight. You can't horse a fish in with small, thin jerkbait hooks. I've fished this bait for years and the hooks only bend out when I have to pull a fish out of the grass. I also don't replace the hooks because it makes the bait sink faster, which I don't like.

From: Jacob: Wellington 8/31/17

Comments: Got this lure about 4 months ago, caught so many bass & pickerel I can't even estimate. Lost a 8 or 9 lb. bass in Fla. because hooks bent. So change them !!  This lure works from Fla. to upstate NY. pickerel took 3 last week in NY. I'm ordering more now, thought I'd write a review. Molten (gold) seems to be the one for me, but I like a few colors.

From: Jim: Florida 7/9/17

Comments: Horrible hooks!  Have two baits with broken hooks, and others with bent hooks.  Really disappointed in the quality of hooks on these baits, hook up and land ratio is awful with these.  I fish on 8lbs flouro and a rod I specifically built for jerkbait fishing, so as to not rip the trebles from the mouths of these fish.  Have lost too many fish that should be buttoned up, and broke too many trebles in just a year.  Swapping out the hooks.

From: Jay: NY 5/19/17

Comments: Awesome jerkbait. That being said, the hooks are of poor quality, which is common for Rapala/VMC; I just don't understand why they make such poor hooks for such great baits, and the fact that they are mentioned in the same breath as Gamakatsu, Owner, etc, etc, is an insult to these companies. However, Rapala makes such good baits that I continue to buy them and just put new hooks on them. I have used the standard and deep versions and it is one of my favorite/most affective jerkbaits. Worth buying, just swap the hooks out and you'll be fine. P.S. The people saying the bait is cracking or "falling" apart should practice their casting so they don't hit riprap or dock pilings...

From: Kyle: Illinois 5/18/17

Comments: I've been crushing them right after ice melts, I have probably lost as many as I have caught.. As others said, these hooks are complete JUNK!!! I would rather pay $1.00-1.50 more just for quality hooks, instead of having to purchase, and take the time to swap out for new ones.    They are cheaply built, after a dozen fish they will probably be trash, caught a handful on one and it doesn't look too good.

From: Brett: Rochester, NY 4/4/17

Comments: Waste of money!! All 3 hooks bent or broke on the first fish I hooked up with. the bait had great action but lacks quality. Read all the other reviews, everyone has similar complaints. I reached out to Rapala only to get some generic and deflecting response. Didn't even get a "sorry you had a poor experience" they just defended the bait. With that said save yourself the poor experience of having this bait fail you and the poor customer experience. Go buy 6th Sense or Lucky Craft.

From: Mauro: California 4/3/17

Comments: Unbelievable action, horrible design.  I have a pile of these that are cracked, and sink like a stone.  Also, the hooks are absolute garbage and will straighten in a stiff breeze.  That being said, I have never seen a better cold water bait until it fails.  I can load the boat over, and over in 34 degree water.  Replace the hooks, and hope gators dont crush them, and this bait will bail you out every time.  I really hope they improve the design

From: Toby: Templeton Ma 3/22/17

Comments: This is the best jerkbait for your money! I've caught many fish on this in many colors. the only downside is that the stock hooks bend easily. I've accidently hit them on docks and they still work fine.

From: Juan Diego: NJ 2/7/17

Comments: One of the best jerkbaits I've found. The action is hard to beat, I would put this lure second only to the Megabass jerkbaits. The hooks, however, are sticky sharp but bend very easily. I haven't had a hook break yet, and I am constantly bending my hooks back in after catching a fish. But they bend very easy. Worth it for the action this lure puts out though. 

From: Ashley: AL 1/12/17

Comments: This jerkbait is dope! On a cloudy day, maybe windy, clear water, pressured water, this is the bait to use. It's ability to float instead of sink turn the feeding on! The spotted bass on Lake Keewee and Hartwell can't get enough!

From: Wesley: Central 1/26/17

Comments: These things are deadly on river smallies in the fall, but you have to modify them. Take off the trash stock hooks and replace them with size 6 triple grips, change out the split ring at the nose with an oval ring and its money. These baits are fragile and don't handle landing on rocks. Wish rapala would have made them a little more substantial. The lips will chip if you dig into ledges or rocks and then they are done. All in all they are a good bait.

Comments: The Shadow Rap performed well for me. I'm not an experienced jerk bait fisherman, but it worked out well for me. One windy day, it was the difference between me getting skunked and catching fish. We were dealing with high winds and waves and, although it doesn't cast particularly well in the wind, I was able to persuade several smallmouth to give it a try. When they hit it, it was a violent hit and the hooks (as most people mention, the hooks aren't very durable) stuck really well.

From: Jim: OH 10/2/16

Comments: The hooks break off and bend way too easily. Very fragile lure. I have a wall full of them. The very best jerkbait I have ever used. I have caught fish with this lure since I first started using them this spring. I even caught two fish at once with the Ghost Shiner!

From: KLD: TN 9/13/16

Comments: The Shadow Rap saved the day for me! The weather had turned cooler, along with strong winds & the bite seemed to turn off. We relocated to a spot out of the wind & began fishing points. I was able to pull in 4 smallmouth in just a few minutes when my partner wasn't catching anything! Love this bait!

From: Jim: Lucasville, OH 9/10/16

Comments: This bait is a game changer for me. It has a great action, it suspends perfectly, and it will catch the mess out of fish when they're on a jerkbait bite! Hooks do bend out but mine lasted 30-40 fish before bending out. If you replace the hooks be sure to test the bait in a sink to make sure the replacement hook weight didn't change the way the lure suspends!

From: Jeb: AL 8/22/16

Comments: This lure has the best action out of every rip bait Ive ever used including Megabass, although the lure catches anything that swims (even large channel cats!) the hooks are the worst Ive come across. Even a small bass can bend the hook 90 degrees. Great lure just put on your own hooks & you'll be set.

From: Calvin: Green Bay, WI 6/18/16

Comments: I picked one of these up & I catch everything out of local lake with it. It preformed great especially throughout the whole spawning faze. You know your jerkbait is good when it catches bluegill

From: Anthony: MI 6/5/16

Comments: I love this bait. It looks great in the water. The action is amazing, it does what it supposed to. I am disappointed with the hooks. They are supposed to be VMC hooks which I thought were reliable. First fish on and it bent out the front 2 treble points. I bent them back with with ease. Not happy with the hooks. Love the bait though. I know I will be changing out my hooks.

From: Noah: QC, Canada 5/3/16

Comments: Went fishing this past sunday with the perch colored Shadow Rap & absolutely killed them. 34 bass in 4 hours, unfortunately biggest bass was only 3-1/2 pounds. It was really cool because I was able to sightfish roughly 1/4 of them! Agressive downward rip with a 1/2-1 second pause was getting CRUSHED. For the ones that i sightfished it was closer to a 1 1/2 second pause. The shadow rap's ability to slowly glide forward as it sinks drives the fish insane! Great spring bait, get yourself one!

4/18/16

Comments: Mine cracked like the others but still seems to work. I wish they had some non-transparent colors so I can fish these things in cloudy water. Action is unlike anything I've ever seen. I'll be buying more.

From: Joe: USA 4/11/16

Comments: Pros: Great action, Great suspension & great fish producer. Cons: DURABILITY. Casted into a rock on accident and the bait broke in half. Most baits would suffer a crack or paint chip but this one just cracked all the way through. Will buy another but have to be careful with it.

From: Jack: TX 3/14/16

Comments: The action on these baits are outstanding. Because of this I will probably keep buying them, however they have very poor components that make them. You must replace the hooks immediately out of the box because if you hang a large fish off but them you will lose it, the hook straighten out with 10 pound test Line like nothing. Additionally the plastic used to make these baits seems to be inferior also. I have had to return several of them because they crack & water gets inside, this clearly affects the action. I sincerely hope they continue making this bait but with better components. I would not mind spending a few extra dollars for a bait that I don't have to return on a regular basis .

From: Adam: AR 3/10/16

Comments: Best bait i've ever owned - hands down. Make sure you replace the treble hooks with a #6 & go over the belly seam with clear nail polish to stop it from cracking & letting water in. Since I started using these, I haven't been skunked. Now I own about 10 because they're that good. Proof is in the teeth marks all over my baits.

From: David: FL 2/26/16

Comments: well I bought a lot of these when they first came out. Tossed them for pre spawners, 6.14 lb largie inhaled the perch one in may. Used it today. Moss back shiner. Got a 3 pound largie and 4 17 in browns. Superb jerkbait I.M.O.  however, I have had 5 crack on me including the one i recently used. going to try and repair it with some clear nail polish. Or super glue.. with it. Yes. just gotta be kinda gentle when you land a fish

From: Dustin: Spokane, WA 10/26/15

Comments: WOW! i cant believe how great these are! i was kinda iffy on getting these because i usually use a different brand of jerkbait... but after the fist time out i have only used these! i have never used a jerkbait that gets chased and hit as hard as these do! if there is a big fish in the area, it will hit this! i only use the shallow one even in 30 feet for smallies. walleyes love it too! they see it and charge it! the action is like nothing i have seen before. the only problem i have had is with hooks breaking after a couple fish. may have just been a crap batch tho. 10/10 for these. great job Rapala for giving me a reason to come back to you.

From: Nick: Atikokan, Ontario Canada 8/25/15

Comments: This bait is responsible for my Personal Best. First time out using it. The action is remarkable. Something about the flat sides just gives it the little extra that other jerk baits don't seem to have. Have bought just about every color now. They work wonders. Especially in colder waters. Thank you Rapala

From: Andy: IN 7/23/15

Comments: This lure really produces fish. I have caught rock bass, bluegill, smallmouth, largemouth, walleye & muskie on it. The only downfall to the bait is that the hooks bend or break easily. Otherwise it has become my go to lure.

From: Mike: Frostburg, MD 7/3/15

Comments: This jerkbait is perfect. If I'm not ripping a vision then I definitely will have a shadow rap tied.

From: Clint: Parker Strip, AZ 6/21/15

Comments: Amazing! i brought this out to a golf course pond, and casted into a school of baitfish and ripped it. Caught a fish almost every cast! My favorite pattern is the Olive Green, I think it works really well in Texas waters.

From: TheBassMaster: Woodlands, TX 6/13/15

Comments: fish day out, I killed it with the shadow rap. second day out, I outfished the guy next to me 6 to 1. I even caught two fish on the same cast. unfortunately it filled up with water and started sinking like a jerkbait filled with water. in all fairness I was fishing it pretty hard around rocks. the hooks do need to be replaced and I had a problem with a split ring opening up on me but otherwise this is a fish catcher

From: Creepyfishmanguy: CA 6/8/15

Comments: Excellent bait. The primary forage in NH and ME lakes is perch, and the perch color is one of the best i have used. Casts excellent and the action is second to none. I have caught tons of bass and a few big pike on it already and the finish is holding up incredibly well. Only complaint is the stock hooks bend VERY easily, but i plan on switching them out before using them in a tournament so its a non-issue.

From: Jack: Hampton Falls, NH 5/26/15

Comments: This bait worked good after ice out but it is now my favorite post spawn bait. The males are still guarding fry and while everyone was catching them I went to the first drop off and started wacking the larger females. Caught over 22 today on this bait. My best five were over 20#. 3 day cold front just went through and dropped the water temps down to 60. Water clarity is key and must be fairly clear. I could see bottom on 5 feet of water. I was also using very aggressive snaps of the rod and only pausing for a second or two. I watch two of them come from nowhere and hit it right at the boat on the pause. My wife was throwing a KVD Jerk and caught some but nowhere near what I was catching

From: Bart: IN 5/22/15

Comments: This bait is awesome, have gotten smallies & big Lake Michigan browns to come up and completely inhale this. Only issue I have had like previously stated was one to fill up with water but I think I cracked it on the breakwall when a fish shook the hook.

From: Mike: WI 5/19/15

Comments: Superb action & Rapala went all out with the color and flash.  My only complaint is the hooks are pretty weak.  I've broken or bent hooks on couple of them so far. 

From: Aaron: Broken Arrow, OK 5/6/15

Comments: Mine cracked & filled with water after 5 or 6 fish & now has no action & sinks like a rock. Bait was good while it lasted but does not have any unique action compared to many other quality jerk baits on the market.

From: John: NJ 5/5/15

Comments: From what I've seen, the colder the water is, the better the lure typically does, however; I've used this bait as a jerkbait as well as a crankbait and both work quite well. Impressive lure, great action and flashes too. Mine tends to stay a lot more shallow than I expected as well.

From: Lane: IN 4/24/15

Comments: Great finish, nice action. Still on the fence with the slow sink since we've been conditioned to fishing JB's that suspends truly. However, for the price, you would think Rapala would include a weight transfer system like the Xraps. This bait cast horrible in windy conditions.

From: Mitch: Swedesboro, NJ 4/22/15

Comments: Tried out the shadow rap this weekend for the first time. This bait will flat out catch fish but as said in another review mine filled with water and sinks like a rock now. The others I bought have yet to fill with water so maybe it was one lemon and the others will work.

From: Josh: Birmingham, IL 4/5/15

Comments: by far my favorite lure of the year so far. It works flawlessly for me and both deep and shallow version work. Finish so far is good and nothing has broken. Don't be fooled by the blue back herring color, its the one I've caught most of my bass on

From: Cody: IL 4/1/15

Comments: Awesome jerk bait  the first time I used one I caught 12 bass and a monster bluegill. The fish stopped biting and I looked at the bait only to realize that it had cracked and filled with water. I really hope it was just a lemon but still and awesome bait and have some sick action. You won't be disappointed.

From: Devin: Cary, NC 3/27/15

Comments: Good bait overall best action the only Flaw is the hooks will bend easy

From: Jack: OH 3/22/15

Comments: Just picked up four of these, two regular, and two deep for $8.54 a pop. They seem to be well made, QC is nowhere near any of the Megabass lures. There is variation in the clear coat, little raised portions in the finish, lure to lure. The plus side is you can purchase four of these for the price of one Vision 110 (by the time you switch out the hooks.) IT looks like these will perform just as advertised, as it has a predominately forward weighting system. Overall a decent lure for a decent price!

From: Brett: Ontario, Canada 3/21/15

Comments: Just took this shadow rap for a test drive and once again Rapala comes through. Five bass and two pickeral on ten cast and I believe the hype surrounding this lure. Used the silver color will be buying more in different colors to add to the collection. The action on this thing is amazing, buy some tie on and hold on.

From: Chris: DE 3/10/15

Comments: I didn't believe the hype at first, but I watched Ott Defoe use one of these at the expo this weekend and he couldn't keep them off this thing. Look like it will be a winner.

From: Ryan: Greensboro, NC 3/1/15

Comments: this rap shadow is so true about itself. I got all the  shallow & deep jerk lures and color. everyone run so true out of the box just like all the pro said..and just one more saying if you haven't got one or some.. you are missing one of the best jerk in the market.

From: Pmoua: Fresno, CA 3/1/15

Comments: This is a great new jerkbait! I fished a local power plant lake here in Eastern Kansas and did extremely well.  The color Carbon is what I used primarily. This bait has a slow sink rate and sits nose forward in the water. Hooks are sticky and held up all day. Definitely recommend this bait!

From: Cameron: KS 2/28/15

Comments: outstanding jerkbait! I'm usually pretty leery of new baits that come out with a lot of hype but Rapala hit it out of the park with this one. Deadly shimmy on the very slow fall and very strong walk the dog action on twitches. Does not have a noticeable rolling action like a megabass vision but the action it does have definitely triggers hard strikes even in cold water. Kind of difficult to work near structure because it is a sinker but absolutely works as advertised.

From: Hydrilla Gorilla: Lake Seminole, GA 2/24/15