Rapalas

[12inchlunker]

[bobhappy]
Quick and easy question. Looks like Rapalas are going up in price again. Does anyone know a cheap website out there that has good prices on Rapala?
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[lavaman]

I'd be interested in this as well.

But I have a feeling the days of the $3 rapala are long gone.
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[TopH2O]

You might want to try eBay. Sometimes people find them on sale somewhere and then offer them for sale in bundles of 3 to 6 lures. You can sometimes find a deal that way if you need the ones included in the assortment.

Mike
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[SmokeOnTheWater]

Have you tried Jet Tackle? Not the variety offered by Rapala but hard to beat the price! I bought several over the winter to try so I don't know how they run but using them for bass and tigers was worth a try. See what they have?

[url "http://www.jettackleonline.com/servlet/StoreFront"]http://www.jettackleonline.com/servlet/StoreFront[/url]
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[kochanut]

[quote SmokeOnTheWater]Have you tried Jet Tackle? Not the variety offered by Rapala but hard to beat the price![/quote]

this!!!!

when i still had my boat i was going this route, still have quiet a few of them for a rainy day if i ever decide to rest the fly rod and bust out the casting gear.... if i still even have any
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[americanforkdude]

So i'm new to the downrigging stuff but always heard of guys slaying fish off rapalas and downriggers. What kind of Rapalas do you guys have the best success w/? I bought some shad-wraps the other day and a couple jointed ones. Also what depths to you prefer for them to dive? Pm's are accepted as well.
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[12inchlunker]

[bobhappy]
Thanks for that website.....I checked it out. I won't go crazy. Buy maybe 2. I couldn't find really anything out about these lures at all........tried to find out more about them on there website but could only really find that they were started in Jan 2010. Will have to see.
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[SmokeOnTheWater]

Tell us what you're fishin for first.

Rapalas typically represent natural forage fish and depending how they're fished represent crawfish and are even painted so.

The downrigger fishing I do is for trout, kokanee, lakers, wipers and tiger muskie. Naturally, size matters depending on the targeted species. I use downriggers nearly everywhere I go including Willard Bay. Willard? Yes Willard! I guess I just like depth control. You can even mark the ball on your fishfinder at times and then you're dead on eye level with the fish.
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[americanforkdude]

I am fishing for trout, kokanee or stripers. I know there's many models and sizes I guess thats more or less what I am asking about. Also another thing I wonder about is if you set your downrigger at 60 feet and your rapala is a 8' diver are you actually down 68 feet deep? Just kinda curious.
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[Honkin]

[quote americanforkdude]I am fishing for trout, kokanee or stripers. I know there's many models and sizes I guess thats more or less what I am asking about. Also another thing I wonder about is if you set your downrigger at 60 feet and your rapala is a 8' diver are you actually down 68 feet deep? Just kinda curious.[/quote]

That depends on how far back from the rigger ball you are.
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[brookieguy1]

Depends on line size and diameter also. Thinner diameter line allows the lure to dive deeper.
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[americanforkdude]

So do you have an example of how deep you are behind the ball depending on how much line you have out? Nobody dares share what lures work for them? Must be pretty top secret I'm taking it?
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[bigfish6]

Don't forget about the speed factor..
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[Plug-puller]

Hey AF Dude,

I don't think it's so much that is top secret, but that there are so many variables, it makes it difficult to give simple answers. Most lures have a known trolling depth based on 10# test line, 100 feet of line out, and speeds between 1 and 3 mph. Generally speaking, most lures will run deeper when trolled then what is shown on the package. That rating is for cast and retrieve fishing, with a few exceptions like the Rapala Trolls-To series. If you want to get exact answers, you may want to look into getting a book called Precision Trolling or request a pamphlet from the lure maker about trolling depths. I am pretty certain that Rapala has a pamphlet you can get that will help you figure out lure depth, based on trolling speed, line diameter, etc. Changes to any of those factors will change the depth of the lure. However, most of the pamphlets are based on flat line trolling and not downrigger trolling.
A good rule of thumb when you are starting out with downriggers is to use floating or shallow running baits (i.e. 0 - 3 ft) so they are at about the same level as your downrigger ball. This should help you control the depth of your bait. If you have two downriggers you should always, in my opinion, use a slight variation between the two, until you figure out exactly what the fish want. I like to start with one rigger within 2 ft of the depth that I am marking fish and the other one 5 ft above that. I also like to vary the lure style and color between the two, as well as the amount of line I let out before hooking to the ball. I usually start with one 50 - 75 ft behind the boat and the other 100 - 150 ft behind the boat.
Some lures that work well for me are as follows.
For trout you can try original floating Rapalas, needlefish, krokodiles, or tube jigs. As for color, it depends on where you are fishing. Matching the natural forage is always a good place to start. For wipers try shadraps, x-raps, pointer minnows, lip-less rattling crankbaits and shad is always a good color to start with. If that doesn't work try something with a bit of flash or brightness. Kokanee are targeted with a flasher or dodger followed up by a wedding ring or a squid. Hope this helps get you started. Fishing with downriggers is a lot of fun and can be very productive once you figure it out. Just don't get frustrated and give up on it. Feel free to pm me if you have other questions, I might even have an answer for you.

12inchlunker, don't mean to hijack your thread. Have you checked out www.overstockbait.com yet? They have a small discount, but occasionally have some decent sales. Also, watch for Cabela's 25 - 50% off sale on Rapala. It generally happens once or twice a year.
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[americanforkdude]

Plug-puller, thanks for the advise it helps a lot. I have only trolled rapalas one time at Matt Warner reservoir and did pretty well but it wasn't w/ downriggers. I always hear good things and I'm anxious to give it a try. I don't know the first thing about it though. There were so many sizes and styles. The shadrap the floating the jointed...etc.. just wasn't sure what the most popular and productive were. I will give them a try. I bought a few that resembled natural looking minnows so we'll see how we do. I also use a yellow and white shallow diver that I used in the past and it's worked fairly well. So it shocked me that I had a rapala that didn't resemble any fish that was in that lake and I was catching them on them. As I look on the shelves at Cabelas and Sportsmans there's a lot that look pretty wild to me but I just always wonder if they'll work or not. Guess you'll never know until you try them. Thanks for the help though, much appreciated.
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[Quicky]

I started making my own lures. Get a hold of some RTV mold rubber. Its a 2 part molding rubber. For about $30 you can get trial sizes. Also get some 7 minute epoxy, 3M Micro balloons (tiny spheres of air filled glass to mix with the epoxy to make lure float), some large syringes and some mixing cups. Clean and remove hooks on your favorite lure size, apply mold release then make a small box to hold the rubber mix. Use wire to lock lure inside the box with the lip just barely under the rubber level. Pour in the mixed rubber and let cure. After curing you are ready to make hundreds of lures. It is somewhat time involved but pretty fun. Just youtube how to make your own lures or diy lures on youtube. You can paint them any way you want or even install battery operated led lights.
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[dupontdrop]

If you looking for rapalas, I have rapalas for sale. email me and i'll give you the specifics.
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[jdawg183]

I know this post is a little old, but I just stumbled upon it. I would love to see one of your homemade lures! It sounds pretty cool. Could you post a pic?
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