Rapala Crankbaits

Rapala Crankbaits: It all began with a hungry Finnish guy and a carving knife. It was the 1930s when a simple fisherman made an observation of simple genius: Big fish eat little fish, especially little fish that are wounded. So begins the greatest fishing story ever told. As Lauri Rapala fished the waters of Finland's Lake Paijanne, he quietly rowed and watched. And what he saw was how hungry predator fish would dart into a school of minnows and attack the one that swam with a slightly off-center wobble. Over and over again.

Lauri realized that if he could craft a lure that mimicked the movements of a wounded minnow, he could catch more fish, earn more money, and not spend time constantly baiting lines. So Lauri set to work. He whittled. Carved. And shaved. Eventually a lure began to take shape. Using a shoemaker's knife and some sandpaper, he created his first successful lure from cork in 1936. Tinfoil from chocolate bars formed the lure's outer surface. Melted photographic negatives the protective coating. But most importantly, it perfectly imitated the action of a wounded minnow. Legend has it that Lauri sometimes caught 600 pounds of fish a day with that new lure. And as word of his abundant catches spread, the lure's reputation grew. The rest, as they say, is history.

Rapala DT Series Crankbaits - Rapala DT (dives too) Series crankbaits, designed by crankbait authority David Fritts, all dive faster and stay in the strike zone longer than any other crankbait on the market. Numerous tournament wins and record catches in the series' maiden year attest to its superior design and fish-catching function. DT Series crankbaits are made from the top seven percent of select balsa wood. Perfectly consistent wood combined with carefully placed internal weights, a tapered fuselage and a thin tail creates the ultimate crankbait action. The Rapala DT 10 series are 2 1/4" in length, weigh 3/5oz and are available in seven different colors. The Rapala DT16 series are 2 3/4" in length, weigh 3/4oz and are also available in seven different colors.