How many of you can’t stop using the Rippin Raps and sharing them and the Results with everyone you can. I’ve been averaging about two walleyes on Rippin Raps to 1 walleye on dead stick (and that’s two dead sticks to one Rippin Rap in the holes). -14 yesterday when we hit the ice, figured the bite would be next to nothing but ended up with 25 shorts, 5 keepers and only one slot between 2 of us.
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how do you jig them? i tried for first time this weekend and didnt have luck, did better on spoons.
Maybe im doing it wrong?
i was just bouncing it trying to make it rattle.
James has a clip on IDO Insights on fishing them. His basic message is don’t over work them, which I tend to do. My plan is to “calm down” on LOTW next weekend
James has a clip on IDO Insights on fishing them. His basic message is don’t over work them, which I tend to do. My plan is to “calm down” on LOTW next weekend
That’s a really good video. I can’t find it.
My catch rate on these types of baits doubled after seeing that. I was really overworking the bait with twitches that were too hard and too long.
Love this bait for carappie. I’ve been tipping the rear treble hook with a waxie.
I’ve watched the video too and have this follow up question to it: Are you lifting them so subtly that you don’t feel any vibration feedback during the lift, or is a little vibration ok? I’m sure it depends somewhat on the day but generally speaking.
I just started using these and had no luck yet but have not had much fishing time with them.
Okay hope this will help, I’ve helped out 4 others work on there technique so far this season and people enturpret things differently. So I hope I can help.
I would say you have four actions to work with.
1) Ripping the bait upwards.
I do this usuall starting from about 2 foot off the bottom with a 2-3 foot rip. You should be able to feel your bat vibrate as your doing this. Do not do this when your marking fish on your locator. It will usually spook them. It is only used a a attention getter outside of your cone angle.
2) Jiggling the bait to get your bb’s to rattle. Again this is to draw the attention of fish outside of your cone angle not to be done when your marking fish.
3) Suttle rocking of your bait. I use this when fish are just coming in and to coaks them into following the lure.(This you will have to play with figuring when to rock and when to just slowly pull it away from them).
4) once you get them to achnoldge your bait slowely move bait away without triggering bb’s or causing vibration. They will usuall close the distance and ( this is when the fun begins) deal the deal).
You have to play around with these actions as the temperament of the fish will change due to weather patterns and light. Bitter cold yesterday we sometimes had to draw them to the lure and just stop taking it away from them and let them strike.
I should also note this is more of a stained water bite I fish. Clear water you may really try to avoid making the bb’s from making too much noise. For really dingy water I like the glow and UV collars.
Hope this helps.
James does an excellent job in this video. My discrption is different than his and I’m good with that. Just shows how you have to play around with what works. But all in all these Baits have upped my fish numbers and make my time on the ice more enjoyable and interactive rather than just waiting for the fish to strike a minnow.
Ben using them past couple seasons. Love em. Have become my go to.
Just haven’t got into the rippin, slab rap now, that’s a different story 
Every lake behaves different but I agree with your take in stained water. For me, the lakes I fish, the fish spook too easy when I try them. I have had better luck with them open water targeting schools of crappie. Also I use subtle rips as I have never had a bite ripping them more than a foot. Just drop one in the water a few feet down and see how it behaves with subtle vs big rips. Pretty cool how you can hear them 10 plus feet in the water.
I’ve never used them before, but am going to start. Do you tip them with a minnow head or waxie, or something?
I have a few I’ve never had luck with on open water… may try ice in a couple weeks…. either way, this is a great conversation and love the video.
Like the rippin rap but don’t overlook the slab rap. Just wish they made the slab rap in the ghost finish. Most guys over work these lures. Guys that use subtle gentle lifts on the whole do better. Only rip hard to get attention use sparingly.
Thanks for the tips, going to Upper Red next weekend. James did an excellent job on the video.
I’ve never used them before, but am going to start. Do you tip them with a minnow head or waxie, or something?
I tried a minnow head and it messes with the actio and turned the fish off. I see above someon said they put waxies on the back hook.
I have had good luck fishing them in the boat. I pitch them just like you would a jig and minnow. I pull just hard enough to feel the vibration. I have much better luck casting them than I do vertical jigging them.
Ice fishing I have had limited success the past years with the #4s. This year when the #3 came out I knew it would be a killer. I have had very good luck caching perch and walleyes on them so far this ice season. I tip the bottom 3 treble hooks each with one spike. I think the slow fall really gets them charged up. I have had numerous times where schools were coming up 6 feet to swallow the bait before I could even close my reel shut. When I’m fishing it I give very small rips till I mark fish. Once fish come in I jig just enough to make it wiggle. I think those spikes give the panfish an area to focus on because that’s the most common place I hook them.
The two pics are how the perch and walleyes will inhale the bait when they want to eat.
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I use mine as my dead stick and don’t touch it. I let it sit about 3 feet off the bottom and use my other rod with a jig head and minnow to bring the fish in. The fish swim pass my jig and slam the rippin rap. I will be using this system up at LOW this coming Sunday.
I bet I watched that video 5 times and just watched it again. Somehow I missed James talking about just feeling the bait wobble on the upstroke. After fishing these baits just a little that makes a lot of sense. I noticed on a slower to medium speed lift it takes a few inches before the bait starts to wobble much.
I think it’s just a matter of getting on a decent concentration of fish to get these to work.
Lots of good tips from everyone so far.
Tucker
I use mine as my dead stick and don’t touch it. I let it sit about 3 feet off the bottom and use my other rod with a jig head and minnow to bring the fish in. The fish swim pass my jig and slam the rippin rap. I will be using this system up at LOW this coming Sunday.
This is interesting, I may have to give it a try. I’ve always used the opposite approach, and used a rippin rap to try and draw fish into a deadstick.
Like the rippin rap but don’t overlook the slab rap. Just wish they made the slab rap in the ghost finish. Most guys over work these lures. Guys that use subtle gentle lifts on the whole do better. Only rip hard to get attention use sparingly.
The Slab Rap may even be a more effective fish-catcher. I wish they had a little more sturdy hooks, like the Rippin Rap.
Crappie love the #3 Rippin Rap. Don’t over fish it and you will catch fish.
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Have rippin raps in all sizes and can’t get enough of them
I use mine as my dead stick and don’t touch it. I let it sit about 3 feet off the bottom and use my other rod with a jig head and minnow to bring the fish in. The fish swim pass my jig and slam the rippin rap. I will be using this system up at LOW this coming Sunday.
Hmmmmmmmm – now where did you come with that idea? 
I’ve definitely been over working it…with little success may I add. I’m excited to get back out and try this new approach. Thanks James and others for the tips!
I have one that is a smaller one in white and orange. Have caught a few crappies in the summer jigging it. What are the best bets color wise for <strong class=”ido-tag-strong”>crappies ice fishing in stained waters?
I love the UV Pink Rippin Rap, myself. That’ll depend on your body of water. Regardless, in dark water, you’ll probably want to go with bright colors.
<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>31lifer wrote:</div>
I use mine as my dead stick and don’t touch it. I let it sit about 3 feet off the bottom and use my other rod with a jig head and minnow to bring the fish in. The fish swim pass my jig and slam the rippin rap. I will be using this system up at LOW this coming Sunday.Hmmmmmmmm – now where did you come with that idea?
Okay, now this I gotta see. You can demonstrate this feat at the GTG at Mille Lacs. But I think I get it, you and 31lifer just being funny…ha-ha 
I’ll show you how I use my hot dog… 
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Got a bunch of rippin raps. Love ’em. Picked up some Z-Vibers recently that have worked very well on walleye and crappie. Similar style bait with different profile.
I love them for scouting. It is the first thing I put down the hole. The fish may not take it but they definitely want to know what it is. It also tends to sort out the dinks.
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