What "prop" lure is better or just as good as the Rapala Skitter Prop?

Answer 1

Smithwick® Devil's Horse® with a little modification.

I like to say that propbaits are very "tolerant" baits, because there are lots of things I can do with them that I can't do with other baits. For example, when fish are spawning and they're tucked up in a bush, or next to another piece of cover, the longer you can keep the bait around that bush, the better your odds of getting the fish to bite. That's just common sense. You can't do this with a chugger or popper-style bait. Out of all the baits in my box--out of the five styles of topwater hardbaits I fish--I can keep a propbait around that cover the longest.

But the baits need to be adjusted to conditions. To keep the bait around the bush longer, for example, I bend the prop, or props, toward the front of the bait. The more I bend them toward the front, the less distance the bait moves when I snap my rodtip. If I bend them all the way toward the front, I bet I can jerk that bait 15 times and not have it move more than a foot and half.

So now my bait is around that piece of structure where I know a fish is sitting, and my odds are much better that I can get it to strike. On the other hand, if I'm fishing in the dead of summer and want to move my bait extremely fast, I take the blades and bend them toward the back of the bait.
Sometimes, propbaits are difficult to cast. But I seldom let the weather, or wind, keep me from fishing a certain bait I want to fish. Whenever possible, I'll have one style of bait that I can fish when the wind's not blowing, and a different style of the same bait for fishing on windy days.

The Devil's Horse, for example, is absolutely one of the toughest baits to throw on a windy day because the head of the bait is much fatter than the rear. Therefore, when you cast it, you're usually throwing the lightest end of the bait into the wind.

What I do is, unscrew the rear eye of the bait, unscrew the front, then reverse them. I actually put the line tie in the rear, and take the rear hook and put it in the front. So now when I'm working the bait, I'm working it backward. But when I cast the bait, the heaviest end of the bait goes into the wind first, and it will cast forever. Plus, even in wind, it allows for extremely accurate casts.

The Hula Popper is also a very good topwater bait for fishing in or around submerged tree or brushpiles, or right up against structure.

Answer 2

Exert-7 is "right on the money" about the Devils Horse. Great lure! ( I got a guy to make me a bunch of DVH's out of heavier wood so they wouldn't have that casting-issue. And although they work excellent, I only ended up fishing with 2 out of 6 because they were so "perty". Their hangin' on a wall in my Repro Bass Trophys mouth! lol).

I have also had lotsa luck over the years with a "Tiny Torpedo". (Cast this lure with a spinning outfit.)

Hint- Make sure most of your topwaters have some red "color" showing on the bottom of the lure. This is suppose to represent "flared gills" or "blood" and I have noticed my TW's that DON'T have some red color just don't get as many hits.

Hope this helps ya? Good luck!

Answer 3

Agree with everyone, Rapala is an excellent choice of lure. Personal favorite is the original, three hook, gold rapala. Jointed rapala is a close second. Silver or gold are a great choice.

Answer 4

They aren't bad at all as I'm sure others will tell you, personally i really like the rapala over any thing else but that's just my view on these lures they are very versatile.

Answer 5

the 5 of diamonds made by Len Thompson.
make sure that the diamonds are red.