Shallow Diving X-Rap 10
The Rapala X-Rap 10 is a classic lure. It has almost everything that a lure of this size could want - a great action on a steady retrieve and give it some sharp twitches with a long pause in between then it becomes a killer. You can also slash it aggressively and it comes alive as a frightened, fleeing baitfish. It is also relatively cheap - much cheaper than the likes of the Japanese lures that are so popular (the Japanese lures are actually very good and effective fish catchers but not everybody has that kind of money to risk losing one on snaggy shallow ground).
The X-Rap 10 is also quite a good caster if you get the timing right. It suspends in the water column on the pause (the X-Rap saltwater version has larger, heavier saltwater grade hooks that help the lure suspend in saltwater where the freshwater version would just float up to the surface) and you can feel the vibration through your rod tip as you work it. A great lure that everyone should have in his lure box.
So I said that the X-Rap 10 is a lure that has almost everything. So what's missing?
It has a diving depth of about 1.2 meters - which is fine if you fish waters that have that kind of depth but what if you want to fish it over shallow reefs?
I managed to get the X-Rap 10 to dive to around 30~40cm with the rod tip down and a very shallow 10cm with the rod tip up.
So how did I do it? With some patience and a small fine hobby file.
Modified X-Rap 10 Lip
When doing any modifications do it slowly and carefully.
I took 3mm off the front of the lip, keeping it straight without rounding the corners at all and purposely didn't touch the sides as I wanted to retain the X-Rap's impressive action. You can see the modified one next to an original the the photo above.
So how does it perform?
With the reduced lip length it first of all casts a little bit farther and, as I only removed material from the front of the lip, it still has a very impressive action, both on a steady retrieve and in twitching and slashing. It also swims at a depth where I have no worries about fishing it over the shallow reefs that we have here in Israel.
Over all I'm happy with the results such that I did the same modifications to another one in my collection.
Now all I have to do is get out and catch on them.....
Tight lines!
No comments:
Post a Comment