New for 2015 is a smaller size Rapala® Scatter Rap® Shad. Measuring 2 inches long and weighing 3/16 of an ounce, the new size is 3/4 of an inch shorter and 1/16 of an ounce lighter than the original Scatter Rap Shad, giving anglers a finesse option when fish get picky. “The most prolific baitfish across the country is mimicked perfectly with the Scatter Rap Shad,” says Tom Neustrom, a Freshwater Hall of Fame Legendary Guide and Rapala pro. “But from lake to lake, region to region, baitfish populations come in different sizes. When gamefish are keying in on smaller forage – or just being finicky – a smaller offering is often what it takes to get them to bite.” Featuring what’s best described as an evasive action, Scatter Raps erratically sweep from wide left to wide right, then back to center again. The action “perfectly mimics a spooked baitfish fleeing attack,” says Rapala pro-staffer Michael “Ike” Iaconelli, the 2003 Bassmaster Classic champion. “Moving from one side to the next, and back again, really triggers reactive bites.”
Equally effective when cast or trolled, the Scatter Rap Shad is a multi-species bait you can keep tied on year-round. Fish it slow in cool water and speed your retrieve when water temps rise. Experiment with changing reel speeds to get additional action.
“I love the Scatter Rap,” Neustrom says. “It’s a great bait, especially when you change the cadence on your retrieve, which will modify the action of the bait. What I like to do is stop and start it, because then it will change the direction of the bait.”
Ike agrees. Varying your retrieve speed from slow to moderate “can trigger a phenomenal bite,” he says.
Equipped with two No. 8 VMC® hooks, the new 2-inch Scatter Rap Shad will run about 5-to-7 feet deep, depending on how you work it.
“You can run them with different retrieves and it makes a big difference in diving depth,” Neustrom explains. “When you temper your depth with your retrieve speed, it gives you better control in shallower-water presentations. And, if you really want to rip it, you’ll get maybe an extra foot or so.”
Both the new and original size Scatter Rap Shads come in 16 attention-grabbing color patterns: Bleak, Blue Back Herring, Blue Gill, Caribbean Shad, Dark Brown Crawdad, Demon, Firetiger, Golden Alburnus, Hot Steel, Helsinki Shad, Mardi Gras, Perch, Purpledescent, Silver, Shad and Yellow Perch.