November 20, 2014
By Ned Kehde
Rapala's new Ultra Light Rippin' Rap looks as if it will suit the needs of the Midwest finesse anglers who are constantly in search of a tiny crankbait that they can wield on their spinning rods. One of those anglers is Brian Waldman of Coatesville, Indiana, and another one is Bob Gum of Kansas City, Kansas.
Waldman is the webmaster of Big Indian Bass, a talented multispecies angler, and contributor to the Finesse News Network and In-Fisherman's Midwest Finesse column. And on Oct. 25, he posted a comment on In-Fisherman's website that lauded the various virtues of Rapala's No. 5 Rippin' Rap, saying that this two-inch lipless crankbait, which weighs five-sixteenths of an ounce, is a great finesse bait.
As yet, Waldman has not tried the No. 5 Rippin' Rap's new and tinier sibling, but it is likely that he will be giving it a whirl in 2015, as will other Midwest finesse anglers who like to simultaneously pursue a variety species.
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The Ultra Light Rippin' Rap is 1 1/2 inches long and weighs three sixteenths of an ounce. Like its No. 5 sibling, it is lipless. It also possesses a deep-belly profile and skinny sides. Its head is decorated with a pair of 3D holographic eyes. Its torso is engraved with scales, pectoral fins, and gill membranes. It is fitted with a No. 10 and a No. 12 VMC black nickel treble hook.
It emits a vibrating action when it is presented with either a rapid or a leisurely paced retrieve. This vibrating action is accented by a BB-rattle system. When an angler executes a pause during the retrieve, the Ultra Light Rippin' Rap exhibits an alluring fluttering motif.
On spinning tackle, anglers can cast it a great distance, and retrieve it at a variety of depths. It can be employed around submerged aquatic vegetation and ricocheted off of rocks, boulders, laydowns, and flooded timber.
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It is available in the following colors: Chrome, Chrome Blue, Firetiger, Glow Yellow Perch, Gold Chrome, Green Tiger UV, Helsinki Shad, Orange Tiger UV, Pearl Grey Shiner, and Pink Tiger UV.
Anglers can purchase one for $6.99.