Rapala Jointed Minnow for Ultralight Fishing

After a quick trip to a few of the retention ponds in my local neighborhood, I began wondering whether or not the 2″ Rapala Jointed Minnow is one of the best ultralight fishing lures brought to us anglers.  I’m starting to think that it is.  I have begun to fall in love with this lure, all over again.
Now that the weather is warming up, it has been the only lure tied onto my outfit the last 3 times I’ve gone fishing, and will probably stay that way for a while.  The size, combined with the lifelike movement make it a killer on all species in freshwater ponds, from Panfish, Crappie, Bass, Trout, and even Catfish.
My Favorite Colors:
There are three main colors that I keep in my box.  The Firetiger, Silver belly/Black back, and the Gold belly/Black back.  I prefer to use the Firetiger when the conditions are muddy, heavily stained, or after a good rain, while the Silver/Black back comes into its own when the water conditions are much clearer.  The Gold belly/Black back is the color I have tied on most often, because most of the retention ponds in Florida have a brown/tan water color to them, and the darker colors of this mini-crankbait helps attract more species and creates a slightly larger silhouette than the lighter colored silver/black.
How I Fish Them:
When it comes to casting and retrieving the lure, it depends greatly on what is biting that day.  If I know that the bass are chasing it, I will cast the lure out and allow it to sit for a few seconds.  Most times, the bass will hit it during this time period.  If they do not, however, I will vary the retrieval speed, and adding in pauses, to figure out what they want, if I know for certain that they are in the area.  When I am targeting panfish, I prefer to be slightly more aggressive with this UL crankbait.  It seems that panfish prefer to hit the lure when it is on the move rather than when it is coming to a pause, so in order to get them to strike you may want to reel slightly faster when you notice one following the bait.
If you haven’t already tried the 2″ or even the 2 3/4″ Rapala Jointed Minnow, you owe it to yourself to purchase one in the colors mentioned above, and give it some time in the water on your next ultralight fishing trip.  Chances are, you are going to fall in love with it the same way that I have!