As I said before, I've used these lures over a long period, and they continue to perform very well. If I'm trolling shallow shoreline, most likely that is what is on my line. I tend to stick to black and silver, but I've had very good luck with blue top and chartreuse, especially in darker water. I've been to lakes that are cloudy and you can't see bottom easily in 8 feet of water on a sunny day, and had good luck fishing walleye at that time with a chartreuse Rapala. A friend of mine always seems to end up with a pike when he puts on blue. Just like jig heads, feel free to test out different colors - you never know what mood the fish are in, and often one color will perform better than another on a given day.
Likewise, Rapala offers different models with regards to size and number of treble hooks. I tend to like the bigger two and smaller three hook models. I don't like fishing with huge lures, because I've never had trouble getting big fish on smaller bait, so why limit yourself and risk not catching a smaller fish as well? The smaller fish taste better usually anyway!
If the fish are slow, you might want to try something with a rattle or maybe a jointed. I've swapped between jointed and straight floater and found them equally performing. Both provide good action, although the jointed tends to have a bit more pull on the line while trolling.
Regardless of spring, summer, or fall, the Rapala always gets wet at some point when I'm fishing, and has netted me many walleye over the course of my years fishing. They do great with bass and pike as well, and I've caught the occasional surprise whitefish while fishing a 30 foot bay too. Don't think of them as just trollers either - I've used mine to get bass from out of structure by just playing them on the surface of the water close to shore while casting. They can be ackward to cast though, and tend to snag your line in the air, so it can take some patience and failed casts.
One last thing on Rapalas. They are durable. Yes, they will get mangled in time, and I have a couple that have seen pike and walleye aplenty, and show it in teeth marks, but the paint is still good and doesn't scratch off easily. One thing - don't let them dangle in the water as you go from spot to spot at high speed - you will tear off the plastic dive scoop. Treat them well, and your Rapala will likely serve you until a fish or underwater structure steals it.
Next week I'll visit Storm Lures Hot N Tot and discuss some pros and cons for walleye using those.
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