Wicked Matte Finishes for Clear Water!
When the Bassmaster Classic was last held on
Oklahoma’s Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees, Mike Iaconelli led after Day 1 and
Brandon Palaniuk finished runner-up. Returning to that waterbody with a new
Rapala® bait has both anglers envisioning a slightly different
outcome.
“Last time we were there, a jerkbait played a
huge role in my second-place finish,” says Palaniuk, a six-time Classic
qualifier. “So going back with the Shadow Rap Shad in my arsenal – a bait I
didn’t have before, and something the fish have never seen – could be a huge
key factor in trying to win this thing.”
Iaconelli is optimistic also about his Classic
chances with a Shadow Rap® Shad.
“I haven’t been this excited about a brand-new bait
for a long time,” says Ike, the 2003 Classic Champion and 17-time qualifier.
“Hands down, it’s going to be a player this year.”
Iaconelli, Palaniuk and fellow Rapala pro Ott
DeFoe all appreciate the Shadow Rap Shad advantage they’ll enjoy in the Classic,
which will be contested March 4-6.
“Knowing that I’m one of the very few guys who’s got
it this year is going to let me fish with confidence,” says DeFoe, a five-time
Classic qualifier and the 2011 Bassmaster Rookie of the Year. “Fishing
something different will help me catch more and bigger bass. With the action
it’s got, man I just totally expect this thing to be a big hit there at Grand
Lake this year.”
Similar to the original Shadow Rap, released at
last year’s Classic, the Shadow Rap Shad is taller in profile than its
predecessor, but not as long. And, rather than slowly sinking on the pause — as
an original Shadow Rap does — a Shadow Rap Shad slowly rises when stopped,
slightly wobbling and perfectly mimicking an injured shad.
