Rapala Fishing Lures - How They Developed

Rapala Fishing Lures first appeared on the market in 1936, still found in an angler's fishing box today as an essential item. At the beginning, the Rapala Fishing Lures were hand carved using cork and native balsa wood by Lauri Rapala, an avid fisherman from Finland. He noted how fish had a tendency to head towards any injured baitfish and bite aggressively, so he designed a lure that was lightweight and mimicked an injured fish as it moved through the water, so this made the ideal lure.

These first fishing lures were experimental, produced using materials that were accessed from the home. The carved cork with the wood was coved using ordinary tin foil, which produced an even greater result as large fish would make more strikes thinking they had struck lucky with an injured fish. Rapala melted photography negatives which was used as a clear coating to cover the fishing lures to make them waterproof and to seal the tin foil covering. This proved amazing results, in a part of the world that was used to daily fishing events.

All the original Rapala Fishing Lures were handmade and were tested in person by Rapala himself as he had invented them. The demand grew so soon more people were hired to help with production, with the same attention to detail and personal handmade that became Rapala's trademark for each lure that was sold. Today, all Rapala Fishing Lures go through the rigorous testing in a tank before being passed on for sale so as to ensure that it does have the correct movement of an injured fish in water.

Between 1936 and 1965 the Rapala floater was the original and only Rapala Fishing Lure available on the market, then came the balanced jigging lure and the introduction of the saltwater floater. A jointed diver was newly produced in 1974 and in the 1980's came the production of the shad lures.

From 1999, a newer version of Rapala Fishing Lure has been introduced just about every season. These lures are famously sold in over 140 countries worldwide in many stores that sell sporting goods, and with the internet even more have been sold globally. Each year sees a turnover of more than twenty million Rapala Fishing Lures that are sold, which just reflects the actual new ones that are sold in retail outlets. Rapala has also introduced many more fishing gadgest like a fish and fillet knife which came out in 1964, and then came the handheld digital weighing scale in the year 1989. The company, Normark, the owner of the Rapala line include in their product range - rods, reels, accessories and other fishing tools.

Today, the Rapala Fishing Lures continue to be mostly made and tested by the original method of Lauri Rapala's first lure made in his home in 1936, and is still a bestselling lure around the world.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Abhishek_Agarwal

Rapala Fishing Lures

Rapala lures have been around since the 1930s with the very first lure being made of cork. These lures have become much more sophisticated over the years and some come equipped with sound, some with vibration, and others with a wiggle and wobble action that is sure to tempt even the most discriminating fish.

These are one of the most realistic looking lures you can buy. An ingenious fisherman created the first lures in the 1930s. After observing the habits of fish in the waters of Finland, he realized that big fish eat wounded little fish. He created a lure that wiggled and wobbled in the water and he started catching more and more fish. And to this very day all Rapala lures that are made are hand tuned and water tested to make absolutely certain that they swim in perfect harmony right out of the box. Actually, no lure holds more records for the biggest fish caught than Rapala lures. These lures are made of Balsa wood; Balsa trees are found primarily in Central and South America.

Rapala lures come in every size and shape imaginable and are very sturdy. Some styles are made to bounce off rocks, bump against the bottom of lakes and streams, and rip through thick weeds. Some styles will deliver an amazing distance in each cast. And some are actually designed with a sound chamber that transmits sound and vibration. Sound is known to heighten curiosity in fish; so any sound combined with a wiggle will sound like a dinner bell to a fish.

Rapala lures are great for ice fishing too. Rapala offers a lure that will swim in tantalizing circles directly in the middle of deep game fish. They also created a lure with a slow circle down action that works very well.

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Spinner Bait Lure

The spinnerbait has been around for a long time. Crafted in the early 20th Century, The Shannon Twin Spinner, which was produced by a former company in Chicago, Illinois was known to be a very versatile lure by catching bass both shallow and deep with modifications to the blade size and head weight. The Shannon design is still around today with some companies producing a modified version of the Twin Spinner.

During the 1970's decade, the spinnerbait became very popular. Many professional bass tournaments were won with spinnerbaits. Rick Clunn, Tommy Martin, and Jimmy Houston, to name a few, gained fame by tossing spinnerbaits to shoreline cover. This popularity has lead to the many innovative designs that we have available for us today.

A spinnerbait is made up of a bent wire that holds a spinner or a blade over a lead body. Paint, colorful skirts, and sometimes rattles are added to make the spinnerbait more attractive to bass. There are basically three types of spinnerbaits. 1) the Single spin. 2) the Tandem spin, and 3) the Twin spin. While each of these three types of spinnerbaits each have their own advantages and disadvantages, the Tandem spin type is, in my opinion, the most versatile of the 3 types and my personal favorite.

Spinnerbaits come in all sizes (1/8oz. - 1oz.), shapes, and colors, as do the spinner blades. How do you choose the right spinnerbait? Let's keep this as simple as possible. If you fish in clear water most of the time use a smaller lure with smaller blades. If you fish in water that is colored or stained use a bigger lure with bigger blades. Another determining factor is the season. Switch the size with the season. Use smaller lures in the spring. Use bigger lures in the fall. The most common sizes are 1/4, 3/8, and 1/2 ounce. The 3/8 oz. size is the most versatile and I use this size most of the time. I will go to 1/2 oz. if it is windy. I try to pick spinnerbaits that have medium sized, willow leaf blades. I primarily use only two colors depending on the time of day, white/chartreuse during daylight, and black in low light conditions.

Although spinnerbaits probably do not resemble a natural food source, the combination of vibration, flash, and profile as the lure is pulled through the water make it attractive to bass. The spinnerbait is one of the most versatile bass fishing lures available. You can fish them shallow, deep, and anywhere in between. If you do not have a few spinnerbaits in your arsenal, than I would recommend getting one or two and give them a try. Oh, and one other thing, not only do bass like them, but pike like 'em too. Be ready.

I have been bass fishing for over 25 years, and I have been fortunate enough to go bass fishing on some of the best bass fishing lakes in the midwest and southeast like Lake Eerie, Lake St. Clair, Grand Traverse Bay, Douglas Lake, Lake Jocassee, and Lake Norman to name a few. However, most of my fishing is done on the small lakes, rivers, and ponds of northeastern Indiana.

For more information on the top bass fishing lures , or if you would like to cast your vote for the best bass fishing lure. click here

If you would like some information on a great place to fish for smallmouth bass.

(Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Gregory_Jackson)

How to make a Perfect FG Knot

Not achieving the maximum distance when casting your popper due to the knot that joins the leader and the braided line getting in the way of the ring guides? The FG knot may be your solution.

Albright Knot for Popping?

Before coming across the FG Knot, I used to use the Albright knot to connect my mono shock leader to the braided mainline of my reel during my popping trips. Somehow it was not a smooth casting experience as the bulge in the knot will hamper the line going out from the rod smoothly. This problem was made worse with thicker leaders of 80-100lbs. Imagine having a knot diameter or two 100lb mono leaders to tie the Albright knot! Not only did it not give me optional casting distance, occasionally the knot would get caught at the ring guides when I didn’t trim the ends close enough. Desperate to solve this solution, I researched the internet to learn what anglers did to overcome this problem. That was when I came across the FG knot; widely used by the hardcore popping experts worldwide.

The FG Knot advantages

The FG Knot does not have any bulges caused by overlapping of the mono leader, hence reducing the diameter of the knot considerably. This allows smooth, unrestricted flow of line out from the reel through the rod’s guide effortlessly. Initially I had doubts, if the knot would slip since there was nothing for the knot to slide against as resistance but its strength and integrity has been proven many times. The cross wrapping of the braided line over the mono leader causes the braided line to “bite” onto the mono leader more when pressure is applied on opposite ends of the knot. There have been many occasions during jigging when my jig was snagged onto a wreck or structure and upon breaking off the line, I found a burst mono leader but the FG knot connecting the braided line and mono leader stayed intact.

This knot takes a considerable amount of time to tie but its worth every effort put in. It may look complex but it is in fact, simpler than it looks. Besides its primary use for popping, it is also a suitable knot to use for jigging.

The FG Knot Step-by-Step

click the images below to see the actual steps

1. Make a double of approximately 30 cm from the braided mainline.

2. Wrap the open end of the braided double onto the little finger to form a loop.

3. Spread the index finger and middle finger into the loop to form a taut line between the two fingers.

4. Turn your hand over with the back of your wrist facing upwards. Insert one end of the mono leader into the loop between the two fingers.

5. Without moving the mono leader, turn the left wrist to face upwards. This will create a cross wrap on the mono leader.

6. A close-up view of picture no.5

7. Point the mono leader upwards and twist the wrist again. After each twist of the wrist, point the mono leader end up or downwards depending on the cross wrap direction. After a few twist, you should noticed a wrap pattern developing along the mono leader. It is important to maintain the tension between the index and middle fingers to keep the wraps tight.

8. Make about 10-15 wraps along the mono leader and then release the remaining line from the little finger. Tighten the wraps and while keeping tension, pull the mono leader end slightly forward with your teeth.

9. Tie a half-hitch knot securely onto the mono leader.

10. Continue to tie about 8 cross half-hitches, each with the threading end on a different direction, one after another.

11. After about 8 cross half-hitches, hold the loose end of the braided line with your teeth and keep it tight. Lubricate the knot with some saliva. Wearing gloves, pull the mono leader end and the braided line end.. (text continuation in picture 12)

12. in opposite directions as hard as you can to tighten the grip of the cross wraps and the half-hitches. It is normal to see some cross wraps expand and expose some of the mono leader on the top of half hitches.

13. Continue to make about 5 or more cross half-hitches along the mono leader. Pull hard on opposite end again when done.

14. Snip off the access mono leader to leave the approximately 5mm sticking out. Continue to make 8 or more cross half-hitches, this time, outside of the mono leader onto the braided mainline. This excess is to protect the knot during casting.

15. Fold back the braided end onto the mono end. Using a lighter, melt the mono end of the leader near the knot to form a little bulb. This will insure the knot from slipping.

16-16.1 The completed FG Knot . A virtually knot-free solution to achieve a smoother casting experience.