Rapala Fishing Tackle

Lauri Rapala

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Lauri Rapala was born in 1905 November 27 and as the story is told, the birth was an accident. He was burn out of wedlock to Maria Eerikintytar. Lauri Rapala was born on an island in lake Paijanne, the largest lake in Central finland and part of the Sysma Parish, in the village of Rapala. Lauri never met his father, but story says his father name was Kalle Sten. Times where hard for them his mother did find work it usually was as a maid or domestic help, and that was how she was able to take care of them both.

Lauri Rapala was called up to military service on September 11th in 1925 and finished his military service on September 3rd of 1926. He served as an infantry soldier and was stationed in the army barracks at Kouvola some 37 miles east of Lahti. When his service was over, he returned to live with his mother on the tommola farm in Sarkijarvi.

When Lauri was living with his mother a young lady came to work on the farm by the name of Elma Leppanen. The young lady was about two years younger then Lauri, and love blossomed between them. On September 29th 1928 they where married on the farm of Mattila and then they moved to a home in nearby village of Riihilahti.

When Lauri and Elma moved to Leppanen all the work theu could find was farm work for Lauri and Elma did the same type of work as Lauri mother did and that was maid and domestic help work. In the winter Lauri worked in forestry, felling trees, trimming branch’s and cutting firewood. Life was hard for the both of them and their income so low that it was almost impossible to buy decent clothes for the winters of Finland. Any free time Lauri had he would go fishing and us that to help supplement the usual diet of potato soup and pork stew.

In 1929 they had a son named Reino and in 1932 they had another son Risto and in the year 1933 Lauri and Elma decided that the way of life to which they had become accustomed was not for them. Lauri and Elma worked for pitiful wages and they decided the best course of action would be to find work for themselves and live by their wits. Lauri had become a successful fisherman and he could also turn to farming and forestry work. Lauri wife also had skills, Elma could make brooms and brushes from plants such as Christmas tree decorations from pine cones, which Lauri could sell on his fish stall in the nearby Lahti market.

Lauri would do his commercial fishing and he would have to row 20 miles each day weather permitting. He would fish all day or even into the next day and if Lauri had a good fishing trip he would take the catch to the market in Lahti and he would also take fish home to he’s family. One time Lauri went fish and he’s wife’s two cousins went fishing with Lauri and they had brought some lures with them. This is where the idea came to mind about carving his own lures. Lauri had two friends he stayed with when he went on he’s fishing trips and he talked with them and they started to carving and whittling new shapes for lures from locally available materials, such as cork and pine bark, experimenting with various shapes in the quest for the perfect lure.

But it wasn’t until 1936 before Lauri Rapala had carved he’s first lure out of cork. The lure that produced an off center and enticing wobbling action. The story of Lauri’s hunt for the correct action is well documented. He studied the habits of pike in the clear waters of Lake Paijanne, and noted that they would take a slower or off balance bait fish in preference to apparently more healthy fish. The lures carved by hand by Lauri and his friends were unlikely to travel in a perfectly strait line anyway, as they were all slightly off centered and the person carving the lure would incorporate ideas into the basic pattern. Lauri Rapala first successful lure was made of cork and this was extremely buoyant. Its buoyancy necessitated the use of an oversized swimming lip to get the lure to dive. The lure was sealed with a varnish containing flecks of gold colored metal. A number of coats were applied in order to seal the cork and achieve a reflective gold finish. The lure was painted black along the top. The first Rapala lure had been born.

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The Most Realistic Fishing Lure

When we use fishing lures as bait, it’s extremely important that we’re using the most realistic fishing lure that we can. When it comers to fishing lures, the choices arte almost endless. They come in seemingly every shape, color, and size, and yet finding one that truly looks realistic is difficult. Some are more realistic than others or course, but some are truly remarkable in their realistic appearance. When I refer to the word realistic, I’m obviously referring to whether or not the fishing lure looks like the bait fish that it’s attempting to mimic.

In my experience some fishing lures look realistic, some don’t. They all tend to look quite realistic out of the water, but what’s important is how they look under the water. This is where cheap imitation fishing lures aren’t worth the couple of dollars that they cost you. For this reason, it’s important to stick with quality manufacturers or actually see what a fishing lure will look like under water, before you spend any of your hard earned money on it. The most famous manufacturer (that makes very realistic fishing lures) is Rapala. Rapala makes fishing lures that are very realistic, and any money that you spend on Rapala lures will not be wasted.

One of the most realistic fishing lures that I’ve ever encountered is called the KickTail Minnow. This minnow/shad imitation lure looks as realistic as any fishing lure that I’ve ever seen. There are videos of this lure underwater, which allow you to see exactly how the lure looks before spending a dime. And let me tell you something…this fishing lure looks as much like a bait fish as a real bait fish. It really is amazing, and I would have to say that the KickTail Minnow is the most realistic fishing lure.

When attempting to catch a fish, we don’t want our lure to not look like the kind of bait that we’re trying to mimic, and either any form of Rapala or a KickTail Minnow are your best choices when it comes to purchasing a truly realistic fishing lure that looks as much like a real bait fish as it’s probably possible. Check either of these fishing lures out for yourself, and see what you think? You’ll be glad you did, and don’t forget; if they cost you a few more dollars, don’t worry about it, the fact that they’re so realistic is the reason.

Why The Bass Fishing Season Has Never Been Better

Studies indicate that the bass fishing this year is expected to be very hot, especially in the traditional hotspots for bass fishing. This is expected to be particularly good in the bass fishing regions of Pennsylvania.

The regional supervisor of the Fish and Boat Commission said that fishermen can expect a large population of smallmouth and largemouth in the fishing rivers, and that bass are abundant in the main braches of most rivers. Normally, the fish population remains pretty steady, especially the bass population, he said, but now the populations are up and ripe for an excellent bass fishing season.

As far as what is expected to work best this year for bass lures, some strategic tips were offered, although he stated that bass fishermen “pretty much know what they are doing, and you can rarely give them advice”, he said with a smile. He suggested minnows and rapala lures when doing your bass fishing on lakes and ponds, and artificial lures such as Mr Twister jigs when on the river. He also noted that Stone Cats are working very well, claiming “those are dynamite for bass”.

The reason that bass fishing is expected to continue to be good around the country in the traditional bass fishing spots is thought to be weather related. Some preliminary studies indicate that a relatively mild winter, and the warmer spring weather starting earlier in the year has given bass a jump start on breeding this year. Although almost all fresh water fish are in this same situation, it is interesting to note that the bass population seems to have really liked the weather this year, especially the much earlier thaw of most northern ponds and lakes.

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Surf Fishing Lures – 3 Lures Every Surf Angler Should Have

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Metal Spoons

The object of the large metal spoon is to resemble a large bait fish such as menhaden or mullet, and most are chrome or bright silver. When using a large metal spoon most surf fisherman will be after bluefish, but almost any fish will take them. These streamlined 2 to 4 ounce spoons will reach most outer bars with ease. Jigging the spoon on a medium fast retrieval tends to bring good results. If you are after bluefish remember to attach a 12 inch wire trace before the lure.

Lead Head Soft Plastic Tail Jig

The great thing about this type of lure is the variety of combinations available. The action of the lure on retrieval will vary with your choice of tail, so always carry a few different colors and sizes in your bag for a quick change. Changing your choice of tail is a simple matter and can be done quickly and easily. You can use many types of retrieval when using the combination jig, but employing a slow and steady retrieve will see the most takes. Heavy mono-filament line will effect the jigs performance so try and use a short length of light weight leader.

Small Metal Lures

The smaller metal surf fishing lures are great for use with light spinning tackle, a 7 to 9 foot spinning rod and a reel loaded with 10 to 12lb mono-filament main line will allow you to use this type of lure to its full effect. The lure itself is designed to resemble a minnow and when used on a fast retrieve will attract small to medium sized bluefish. A very slow retrieve keeping the lure close to the bottom will produce trout and smaller striped bass.

How to Make Your Own Great Wide Mouth Bass Fishing Lures

Making your own fishing lures can be a great way of saving yourself a bucket load of money on shop bought lures, it can also be very relaxing and can become a great new hobby for those times when your not out fishing. You don’t need a large workshop for doing this just a small work bench or even your kitchen table will do. Lets take a look at some of the tools your going to need not having the right one’s your going to struggle to make your lure having the correct tools will make the whole process easy and an enjoyable hobby for you and all your family if you want to get them involved as well.

You will probably find that you already have most of the tools that you will require, and is not going to break the bank buying the rest you need for making your bass fishing lures. First off your going to need a vice for clamping your work you can get small clamp on vice at most hardware stores that you can just clamp onto your work station. If your going to be making metal lures you will also need an anvil for working the metal fishing lure if you invest in a larger make of vice some will come with a built in anvil on the back of the vice.

You should start off by making a simple fishing lure first till you gain confidence and get used to using your tools, a simple one to start with is the wobbler this is an old time favourite with fishermen. It is a simple shape and does not require a lot of carving skills perfect for the beginner, it is generally 4 inches long and 3/4 of an inch diameter these are normally classed as bait casting size perfect for spin casting and spinning.

Once you have cut your timber to length you will need to carve to a round shape along its length and round one end, then on the other end cut a 45% angle you will then need a gauge chisel to form a groove on the end you have just cut to 45%. to finish the fishing lure you will need 3 treble hooks and 4 screw eyes, you should make pilot holes before attaching the hooks and screw eyes you do this using a brad awl, attach the treble hooks to 3 of the eyes then attach one to the rounded end of the fishing lure then attach the other 2 at about a third of the way in from either end. The attach just the eye to the 45% end you cut earlier now all that is left is to paint your fishing lure to your requirements.

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How to Fish With Plugs

Plugs are wooden, plastic or metal lures designed to imitate the prey of predatory fish. There are now four basic types of plugs: floating divers, floaters, slow sinkers and suspenders. It is important to match the lure to the quarry and take note of the conditions, too.

Floating Diver Plugs
An old, established and well-known example of a floating diver plug is the Big S, which comes in a wide range of sizes. These lures carry a diving vane on the front, creating the dive effect when they are wound in: the faster the retrieve the deeper the dive. By altering the vane angle, the steepness of dive can be controlled. A small, steeply angled lip on the plug indicates that it is a shallow diver, and a deep-running bait will have a quite shallow-angled lip. A useful feature of this type of plug is that once you have submerged it with a sharp pull, say to 2 ft (60 cm) below the surface, a steady, constant retrieve will keep it at that depth, which is very useful for searching shallow, weedy areas.

Plugs with the ability to run at a set level at a controlled speed are the ones to select when you are searching a large water by trolling – towing the lure behind a slow-moving boat. Many plugs are now made in hollow plastic, and the body cavity tilled with multi-reflective surfaces to mimic silver fish scales. They are also filled with ball bearings so that they rattle, increasing the sound attraction. A further refinement in the floating diver category is jointed plugs, which have two body sections that can move independently, increasing even further the action and disturbance as they are brought through the water.

The Rapala is one of a family known as minnow plugs, which are all successful lures. Drifting a floating minnow plug downstream can help you fish at a further distance than you could probably cast with a light lure. Probably the best known is the Devon minnow, which is a finned, revolving variant well loved by salmon anglers.

Floating Plugs
All kinds of weird and wonderful designs are available, to imitate almost every animal, insect or reptile. Some of these are ideal for chub fishing as well as for pike. With these surface lures, a very erratic retrieve -stopping and starting in a jerky fashion to make them pop on to the water – can produce spectacular takes.

Another exciting surface presentation that produces vicious attacks is possible with an adaptation of the standard surface plug, which includes a small propeller at the front end, so that it actually buzzes when pulled at a high speed through the surface film. These are, appropriately enough, called propbaits. It is better to tie these lures directly on to the line or trace with an open-looped knot without using snaps or swivels. When fishing with these, and in fact all surface lures, always keep your striking arm in check for a vital second or two. It is very easy to strike instantly in the excitement of the moment and pull the lure straight out of the fish’s mouth. Just like the take of a chub on floating crust, let the pike turn with the bait before setting the hooks. Bear in mind that many lures have hook points that are far too blunt and it will pay to spend time sharpening them before fishing, especially when piking.

Diving Plugs
These are probably the least used, and reserved for those occasions when fishing a water of very variable depth with some deep holes to explore. They can be sub-divided into slow divers, like the Kwikfish, and fast divers like the Hi-Lo, which actually has an adjustable diving vane to vary its rate of descent. With divers, the technique is to count a set number of seconds after the plug hits the water before starting a steady retrieve, altering the delay periodically to vary the retrieve depth. Once at the required depth, increasing retrieve speed will send the lure deeper.

Suspending Plugs
These are interesting to use, the general idea being that they are of neutral buoyancy, and just hang “suspended” in the water when you stop retrieving for a moment. Restarting the retrieve makes them dive. This stop-and-go retrieve technique is effective for all species, but is apparently the most efficient way of lure fishing for zander, which are ultra-suspicious predators. When fishing for zander in this way, some of the takes to suspender plugs are vicious in the extreme and at high speed, so do not have your clutch setting too tight.

As fish see surface lures in silhouette, they often miss at the first attempt because of light refraction. Give them a chance to catch up with the lure and have another go. Anglers often mistakenly feel that the pike has deliberately “come short” at the lure when, in fact, it has genuinely missed its target and ends up just as frustrated as the angler.

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Fishing Tackle PC and JohnBoat

Tackle PC and supplys
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Rapala Floating X-Rap Review

www.rapalafishingnews.com The adrenaline pumping X-Rap slashbait has Xtreme attitude with its hard cutting, aggressive darting action now coupled with an Australian designed floating body. The integrated long casting system partners with an irresistible rattle and classic Rapala action. More free fishing videos http
Video Rating: 0 / 5

Lot of 4 Rapala Jointed J-5 Fishing Lures! T&J’s TACKLE

2 Rapala Saltwater X-Rap SXR-14 XR-14 Fishing Lures! **T&J's TACKLE**

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Ultimate Fishing Tackle Segment With Damon Olson

Ultimate fishing presents Damon Olson from Nomad sportfishing shows you how to rig your lures, poppers to catch huge GT’s (Giant Teavally) For more free fishing videos visit www.rapalafishingnews.com
Video Rating: 5 / 5

On the Lakes

On the Lakes
New Melones Lake is currently 1,008 feet above sea level and 80 feet from full capacity. Water temperature is about 52-56 degrees at the surface– warmer in the south side of the lake. Water is slightly stained. There is about a 6-10 foot visibility.
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How Bibs On Lures Work

www.rapalafishingnews.com How bibs work on fishing lures. Presented by Fishing World Magazine and Rapala Fishing News. How to choose the right lure for the right circumstance. For more FREE fishing videos visit our website.

Barramundi Session With Mark Berg At Clearwater Island Lodge

www.rapalafishingnews.com Watch how Mark Berg catches barramundi time and time again with the Rapala Barra Mag – the leader in fishing lures. This footage was taken at Clearwater Island Lodge in the Northern Territory

Huge Tuna Eaten By Shark – Caught On Rapala Skitter Pop

www.rapalafishingnews.com Underwater camera catches footage of huge tuna getting eaten by a shark. Gear used – Okuma, Rapala skitter pop. For more FREE fishing videos subscribe to our FREE newsletter at our website.
Video Rating: 4 / 5