When in-shore fish show fins in the shallows, you can be sure Capt. Rick Murphy will be flinging two new baits at ‘em – X-Rap® Twitchin’ Minnows and X-Rap Twitchin’ Mullets. “These are going to change our game,” says Murphy, host of Sportsman’s Adventures and the Chevy Florida Insider Fishing Report.
Featuring an aggressive side-to-side, walk-the-dog action just below the water’s surface, these new Rapala® Coastal offerings are fast becoming Murphy’s go-to baits for shallow-feeding inshore fish. “During the spring and the fall, these are going to be baits that really rise to the occasion,” Murphy says.
Proven X-Rap® attitude and flash triggers the attack instinct in all the in-shore species anglers target the most. “And what really makes these special is a slow-sinking action that works extremely well in a foot and a half of water or less,” he says. A glide-and-drop technique puts a Twitchin’ Minnow or Twitchin’ Mullet into pockets where big fish lie and wait to ambush prey.
Both new X-Rap Twitchin’ baits will keep tracking true at even fast cadences. “They are excellent cutting baits — where they cut and dart with a very tight, side-to-side swimming action,” Murphy explains. “They also sometimes will come up, depending on your rod angle.”
Twitchin’ Minnows and Twitchin’ Mullets will cause reaction strikes as well with their realistic baitfish profiles and patterns. “The thing that I am really, really excited about is the shape of these baits,” Murphy says. The Twitchin’ Mullet, especially, will “fill a void” for inshore anglers, he says.
Featuring translucent bodies and 3D holographic eyes, both the Twitchin’ Mullet and the Twitchin’ Minnow are available in 12 color patterns – Albino Shiner, Bone Chartreuse, Blue Sardine, Fusiller, Glass Ghost, Gold Olive, Hot Olive, Moss Back Shiner, Olive Green, Red Belly, Red Ghost and Silver.
Twitchin’ Mullets measure 3 1/8 inches, weigh 7/16 oz. and come armed with two 2/0 VMC® Coastal Black®1X Inline Single Hooks. Twitchin’ Minnows are available in two sizes. Size 10 measures 4 inches, weighs 1/2 oz. and comes armed with two 2/0 VMC® Coastal Black® 1X Inline Single Hooks. Size 12 is 4 3/4 inches long, weighs 15/16 oz. and sports two 4/0 VMC® Coastal Black® 1X Inline Single Hooks.
X-Rap Twitchin’ Mullets and Twitchin’ Minnows are among several exciting offerings in Rapala’s 2017 Coastal category, a line-up of new inshore, near shore and offshore tackle.
“From Key West to Islamorada and up and down the Atlantic and Pacific, fishing is more than a pastime, it’s a passion,” says Murphy, a lifelong Floridian and a Rapala pro for a decade and half. “Our passion is to imagine, create and share the world’s best tackle for every condition. No matter where in the world you chase the saltwater species you love, our new coastal lineup has something special for you.
“You are going to be catching more fish, because we have really nailed it with our new lure selections,” Murphy continues.
Rapala has long been a leader in the coastal market. In the company’s storied history, a Rapala lure has accounted for almost 600 International Game Fish Association world records, many of them in saltwater, including an impressive 231-pound, 13-ounce southern bluefin tuna in 2014. Rapala is the first and only lure manufacturer to receive an IGFA Lifetime Achievement Award, and anglers have caught world-record catches with Rapala lures on every continent but Antarctica.