At first the Rapala Flat Jig looks pretty darn similar to the OG Rapala Jigging Rap…’til you get one in your hand and realize it’s waaaay wider, and actually weighs about 80% more than a similar length J-Rap. Check this shot from NWT pro Dylan Nussbaum matchin’ the perch profile:

That ^ #6 Rapala Flat Jig is 2.5″ yet weighs 1-3/16 oz! The #4 Flat Jig runs 1.5″ and 9/16 oz. For comparison:

• #9 Jigging Rap = 3.50″ and 7/8 oz
• #7 Jigging Rap = 2.75″ and 5/8 oz
• #5 Jigging Rap = 2.00″ and 5/16 oz

Believe the Flat Jig was originally designed for heavy current or ultra-deep water — works great for both! — but don’t overlook using it in your favorite Jigging Rap spots….

Gives fish a little different look in shallow water too ‘cuz it’s way less “darty” than the original Jigging Rap…can get it to glide 4-8’ out to the sides [!] with a slightly harder rip and longer pause.

Same bait Dylan used to win the artificial-only Champions Tour on Mille Lacs last fall…the first ever MLF format (catch, record, release) walleye derby where every fish over 1 lb counted towards their total. Dylan won it with 67-15 on 26 fish (that’s a 2-10 avg). Note: He’s from PA and had never fished Mille Lacs before…!

Dylan caught ’em fishing skinny water with the #6 “flake parrot” Rapala Flat Jig:

Was fishing ’em on small 7-10′ gravel humps — with scattered weeds on top — where walleyes were feeding on perch. Said running big, heavy baits up shallow is something they do a ton back home in PA.

I watched him fish the bait and noticed he paused a bit longer between snaps than what would be considered “normal.” Me being a fish-nerd, timed his rips and he had up to a 2-second pause between most of his snaps. The longer pause lets the bait shoot out farther to the sides, so Dylan said he could basically cover the entire top of a hump from one spot.

Gotta warn ya: If you think slinging a Jigging Rap makes your arms sore, you better start training now for the Flat Jig (catches that much more water). Jigging arm will feel like you’ve been doing this all day:

#WorthIt

Alex Poliquin (@poliquin10) caught 29″ of THICK, trolling bottom-bouncers with Northland Tackle Butterfly Blades and big creek chubs at 0.8 mph in 30-35′:

Tiana Chapman (@tianachapman) cracked this night hawg chucking an Original Jointed Rapala on the rocks:

MN’s Lake of the Woods kicked out another 30″ bruiser — one of many! — for the folks fishin’ in guide Nick Dunn’s rig outta Ballard’s Resort:

I’ll never be able to read the name “Ballard’s Resort” without my mouth uncontrollably watering…. Not sure if they still do it, but we always used to bring in our cleaned walleye fillets from the day, and they’d cook ’em up on a huge platter with fries for us. Need to make a fishin’ road-trip there again soon!

Troy Lindner (Al’s son) is one heck of a multi-species stick — which I think is a prerequisite to carrying that last name — but this catch was maybe even a little “out there” for him:

Plucked outta the Missississippi River with a #6 VMC TechSet Live Bait Hook and some bread. Anyone else find it weird there’s a fish species out there we specifically target using things from our pantry??? Think about that for a second:

Troy said it bit like granpappy tryin’ to eat corn on the cob without his dentures in…. Okay, he didn’t actually say that…but I’d imagine it was something along those lines.

Well, this one did anyways….

Awesome shot of a 24″ brown-eyed girl that Rese McGaughey (@redbeardangling) snatched from a small PA creek/river. #ShaLaLa

Said he caught it chucking a jig + plastic combo on light Yo-Zuri TopKnot MainLine Fluoro in the clear water.