Here’s a question….I troll lead core with #5 Raps and can get them to the bottom in over 10 feet of water or more if I need to. How do you long line trollers get these little gems to run more than 5 feet deep?
The #5 trolls down to 9′ with 10 lb. test… I normally either use super line or lighter mono to get deeper than that, somewhere around 9-12’… the trolling bible is a good source for trolling depths.. rapala has a chart out also that differs slightly on depths.. I think they have the #5 trolling down to 13′ on 10 lb. line, which I don’t believe is as accurate as the trolling bible…. I wasn’t running 13′ on 4 lb. line even…
I have #5 Shad Raps running 14′ or so on 14 lb fireline if I am trolling downriver. Into the current, about 11′ is tops.
I agree with Dave. I get about the same resluts.
Just out of curiosity………………and not having an answer myself……………..how do you guys determine how deep you’re actually getting the lure down to?
Are you guys talking about trolling the standard #5 deep diving shad raps made of balsa? Or the R.S Shad raps which is the plastic version with the rattles in it? It has to be the plastic version (R.S Shad Rap) because I in no way can get a #5 balsa shad rap down to those depths in the river with out a snap weight or lead line.
Just wanted to know for sure.
Thanks guys 
Your right Dustin, it is the RS series. I’ve got some #5 jointeds that get down to 11 feet max.
Kid,
The best/only way I know of is watch the depth closely and when you feel the lure bangin, your hittin’ bottom. Now this isn’t an exact science, lord only knows how far the lure may be behind you when trolling. My best results have been when trolling long flats where the depth varies just slightly. This method obviously doesn’t work well when trolling the river banks on Pepin.
The #5 Rattling shad raps I can get to 16′ or so w/ the current and 12-13′ against the current w/ 14 lb Fireline. If I feel the crank hitting the bottom, then I feel that I am running that deep-easy to tell w/ super lines. Also-I am usually trolling pretty fast, 3-5 mph.
In fairness, if I am long lining in 16′ of water w/ 100′ on line back, maybe the lure is only in 14′ instead of 16′. But I feel that I have done it enough that the averages work out.
I gain about 2′ going from regular shad raps to suspending rattling shad raps.
the #5 balsa shad raps dive to 9′ according to the trolling bible I believe and the rapala charts show it down to 13′. I’d need to double check that, but I seem to think the trolling bible is closer than the rapala guide (not sure how that could be)… I think those are both with 10 lb. line…
In the lake with little current, it seemed we were getting down to roughly 10′ with the balsa #5, just based on frequency of bottom contact… definitely not pounding the bottom at 10′.
The jointed are another story. The jointed #5 was definitely running deeper, it was banging the bottom pretty good at 10′. I would say they run closer to 13′ depth…
of course this all depends on how much line and what weight line your using… according to the charts they do flatten out at a point when enough line is let out – an exponential curve… I let a good amount of line out to where it is flat in the curve and I’m using light line – either 2 lb. diameter superline or 4 lb. mono. 
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