Rapala sent us their new products for 2011. We're getting them wet, photographing them from all angles so you can see all the quality components and details in each bait long before anyone else. We debuted with the Clackin' Crank and now the next new Rapala lure for 2011 is the Clackin' Minnow.

Like the Clackin' Crank, the Clackin' Minnow features the same unique Clackin' Cadence chamber but in a jerkbait / ripbait form factor. The Clackin' Minnow is sort of a cross between the X-Rap and the Clackin' Rap. It's got great side to side erratic action and a very unique sound among other jerkbaits. The sound is somewhere between the high pitched rattles you get with small beads like a Smithwick Rattlin' Rogue and the duller one-knocker sound you might get with a Lucky Craft Pointer. But the Clackin' Minnow sounds seem to emit further, enabling it to draw fish from further away at times.

It's not the prime time for jerkbaits in our part of the country, but we're really looking forward to reviewing it when the fish are going strong on a jerkbait bite to see how it compares to the other baits in our arsenal.

The bait will be sold in two sizes - 09 and 11 - and will come in 16 colors to start. It features a big VMC SureSet Flash Feather Teaser Tail for a rear hook and a standard Black Nickel VMC round bend hook on the belly. Each bait is hand-tuned and tank-tested prior to packaging.

One other important note is that the baits are slow sinkers. This should make the bait more of a fast moving application jerkbait as opposed to the dead of winter type jerkbait. The CNM09 is 3 1/2 inches and will run 3 to 4 feet deep, while the CNM11 is 4 3/8 inches and will run 4 to 5 feet deep. These new Clackin' Series lures will be available the end of December or early January.

Here are some exclusive photos of the new Clackin' Minnow from Wired2Fish: