2 Rapalas break in 2 days!

I was running the rapala elites this year pretty heavy. 5.5 and 7.5 size shad raps. Mostly the 5.5’s. They are great!!

I have a couple 5.5’s that have caught well over 100 walleyes each and they are still running. I had to replace hooks on one and the other got a bit waterlogged from the exterior finish getting tooth holes. But they still run good! These baits have wire through construction from front to back. Thats a big help!!

Count me as one who both loves and hate’s rapala. They are no where near the quality they once were. Then again a lot of things are also like that. Each year I try other brands but so far nothing catches as many fish as the rapala’s do. that reminds me I need to place a order online, The best colors are all out of stock locally.

They are a mass produced tool. There are going to be issues with them every once in awhile but if you wanted Rapala to improve their quality to the point they never fail no one would be able to afford them.

I abuse crank baits as much as anyone here. I’ve had a few failures in the past…broken bills, back half’s of jointed raps busting, etc. But, I have a lot more Raps that you look at and wonder what the original color even was because they have been so thoroughly worn out.

And for the guys who slap the weeds off a crank at a hundred miles an hour against the surface that you might as well crack em off the boat. The force is about the same. Don’t do that.

Oooookaaaay Matt. ok,ok

CaptainMusky wrote:

Why would you be spending 300 per year on cranks? I haven’t bought a new one in years unless I lose it.

What? That is blasphemy.
There are new colors and cranks every year. If I don’t buy them who will…
Crank bait section of any store and I turn into a 5 year old walking down the candy isle.

I love buying cranks, every year I say I have enough, every year i buy more.

tim hurley wrote:

I love buying cranks, every year I say I have enough, every year i buy more.

Me to. And then I realize I have so so many that haven’t even seen water because I use the same handful of colors and styles.

2 in two days, you’re beating the average. I’m just glad joe posted a picture of a real fish.

crawdaddy wrote:

2 in two days, you’re beating the average. I’m just glad joe posted a picture of a real fish.

Yep, we had two spots where we would have to clean out these darn green carp before the baits would get down to waldo… It was kind of fun. Some big ones in there to help make sure my knots were tied good.

Never had any of my flicker shads not run true. Interesting

Ripjiggen wrote:

What? That is blasphemy.
There are new colors and cranks every year. If I don’t buy them who will…
Crank bait section of any store and I turn into a 5 year old walking down the candy isle.

I have so many that I dont use already why buy more. No rippin raps, etc for ice fishing I spend some coin on that. I never even ice fished last year.

grizzly wrote:

Never had any of my flicker shads not run true. Interesting

Me neither. And I own alot.

CaptainMusky wrote:

I guess I don’t lose many baits or they don’t break you guys want to buy mine because they are durable unlike the new crap apparently. I have close to 1000 cranks and haven’t used one in years.

My guess is you’re not losing cranks because you haven’t used one in years.

CaptainMusky wrote:

Why would you be spending 300 per year on cranks? I haven’t bought a new one in years unless I lose it.

I have a number of baits that are outside my skill sets for painting or can not get the blanks. So, I’m forced to buy retail. However to make matters much worse, it seems like I dial in a lake or river with a specific bait. Not one that is good or frequently bumped – I mean the ones that are just crushed and eaten all day/night and regardless of weather conditions. Then when those baits duplicate to other bodies of water, I stock up and make sure I have a half dozen or so on hand all the time. Well, everyone that knows me well, knows I have a seriously high probability of having a love for a bait that is/will be discontinued. Sure, sometimes come up on highway robbery ebay or some other collectible site. But I’m way too cheap to pay 25-30 each in those cases.
So, when I know one of my favorites are being discontinued, I chase down remaining stock in distribution. Often I am buying 75 to 100’s of them. As an example, many years ago when I was on the Live Target staff, I found out my all time greatest bait – 1/2oz lipless Gizzard in pearl shad was discontinued. Factory still had almost 400 between the lipless and lipped. I bought them all. Then I contacted every manufacture Rep, and bought their sale samples. Seems crazy, right?? Well I’m down to about 40 or so left. If I’m very lucky, I have about 15-20 years life expectancy left (wife probably wants it much shorter). So that’s less than 2/year remaining. between wing dams, logs, PIKE, MUSKY..other people keeping them..I go through about 20 a year and thats just 1 bait. Add in the other 25 or so baits and my life is a discontinued mess.

CaptainMusky wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Ripjiggen wrote:</div>
What? That is blasphemy.
There are new colors and cranks every year. If I don’t buy them who will…
Crank bait section of any store and I turn into a 5 year old walking down the candy isle.

I have so many that I dont use already why buy more. No rippin raps, etc for ice fishing I spend some coin on that. I never even ice fished last year.

Here is a couple if you have them in 75mm – I want them all

would like to know how some people load pics on here so easily……

Easiest way for me is to take a screenshot of the pic. Otherwise the website blocks the original pic

CaptainMusky wrote:

I guess I don’t lose many baits or they don’t break you guys want to buy mine because they are durable unlike the new crap apparently. I have close to 1000 cranks and haven’t used one in years.

Hard to loose them if you ain’t using them