Indeed moonman the longer profile is typically very attractive to walleye but what is so appealing (at least to me) is the much wider profile than say a husky jerk or original rapala). It gives the lure a bigger "feel" and quite probably a bigger vibration while in the water.

After they discontinued the original husky lure (balsa, no rattle) I was lost for a while. I was not a fan of the loud plastic husky jerk lures and struggled to find a replacement that fit the bill. I had been eyeing the f-18 original rapalas (an excellent  night time trolling lure) and had already picked up a few. I also like the x-raps in the larger version but I actually prefer a quieter presentation. Alas, I was missing the original husky.

I can foresee these big flat raps and I having a long and lasting relationship . Quite likely I will stock up lest I be without one but first I will give them a better test drive. They have 1 tiny rattle which I think might just be enough to wake them up without putting the big ones off.

it took me a while but i found that thread talking about the flat rap lip issues. i already had linked it to the qj site at some point apparently...
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as for the rattles, i personally like them. i like the rattle in the trolls to series the best, on the smaller size with a nice little 'ping' noise. the rattles in x raps are too big and too clumsy for my taste.

also from my info gathered on what caught fish and what didnt, 80% of the fish we caught were on lures with rattles. but that doesnt mean overly much as most of the lures we do troll have rattles. only one guy in our group trolls a rattle-less crank frequently, a silver/black fat rap, and that lure is tied for 2nd most fish caught. but again, skewed because its almost the only lure he does troll, so it sees the most time in the water. which takes us back to (i think snow_dogs) the point that the lure thats in the water most catches the most fish!

i think you guys are on to something here with the flatraps. i hadnt used them until this past weekend when i picked one up for the wife from the clearance bin. i saw it as a perfect lure for her because she manages to snag bottom so often, what better to not get hooked on bottom with than something that only dives a couple feet! i was amazed at how well the things casted and they have some pretty nice action. she caught a small bass her first time out, so she was excited about fishing! my usual haunt of fleet farm doesnt carry the really big flat raps, but im considering picking up the next biggest size and giving that a go.

recently i got the muskie itch, so ive been tossing big stuff on heavy gear, a far cry from my norm, and even though ive come up empty everytime, its still fun and new.

so unfortunately these flat raps are something that interest me, so thanks again MT, my wallet is going to be thinner. luckily the new job pays better than the old one!