Fish_Rapala

I was wanting to buy tackle in bulk, but cannot find a place that sells what I need. I am looking for Bomber Fat As and Rapala X-Raps. I searched Ebay and found nothing, and searched Google and nothing came up. Anyone know of a place where I could buy 10-20 at once for a better price?

I really didnt know how to phrase search words to search for the answer, so I apologize in advance if people ask this sort of thing all the time... I want to start making my own baits, but I dont want to re-invent the wheel. I've got some designs and colors in my head for a soft plastic bait, but there is no way to buy that design from a store. My question is, can I use something like clay or play-dough and shape it out, and pour plaster of paris over it? I assume you can, I just need to know what material will pull the creation out of the mold nicely after the mold has set... Also, I've never attempted one yet, and was wondering if there is a site where I can purchase a starter kit package deal...? I've visted lurecraft.com but feel like its a cheap generic site, like I cant trust I'm going to get a quality product from them. (Nothing personal, could just be the site design...)?

I use #3 red EWG Gamakatsu for everything under 7.5", #4 for everything over 7.5".

I would rather throw a tube than a jig in any situation. They are so versatile, unlike a jig. You can fish them weighted, weightless or top water. Also, you can slip rattles into them for an extra edge in murky water or a night. The only issue would be the hook set, it's always easier to set the hook with a jig, than a weedless tube (in my experiences)...

40lb test Whoa, that's insane strength. I stick to 8lb test on my spinning gear. But yeah, like he said, just drag it, bump it, jerk it, swim it until you get a bite. Pay attention to how you are working the jig on each retrieve. How long you are pausing, how far you are jerking it, etc... Because when you get that bite, you want to keep fishing it the same way you did on that retrieve because now you know it works... Also putting a crawdad, or other flapping soft plastic on the hook as a trailer doesnt hurt...

I just came back from fishing and nailed 3 on a GYCB Senko (Junebug and brown with chartruse tail). Then I threw on a Wave Runner's Tiki Stick (Christmas Tree color) and didnt catch a thing. Playing with the two baits up close, the senko has a much wilder action on jerks before the fall. The Tiki Stick just kind of moved up, and then fell back down horizontally. I ordered some *** trick sticks a couple days ago, and I hope they have the same action as the original Senko, because I'd love to find a cheaper alternative to the GYCB. But that does go to show that you get what you pay for... Anyone else notice the differences between the real thing and knock offs?

Never knew you could mix them just by having one bleed onto another. I'm going to have to try that out...

If you are going for small mouth, I would throw the smaller Bomber Fat A's they are chronic small mouth bait. Especially crawdad color...

Yeah, similar to a spook, but they dont sit on top of the water, you make them walk the dog slightly below the surface. Rapala has a video on their site on how to work it and what is the best setup for it.

Because the guy mentioned smallmouth, and I've gotten better results fishing those for small mouth than I have Pins Minnow. They are both crankbaits, just different profile, one's fat and short, one is long and slender...

I get more results from jerking the rod downward and making the gulp sound, than jerking it sidewways and getting just a splash. I have heard that the splash is supposed to resemble the sound of fleeing bait fish, but I havent gotten great results fishing it that way...

Coffee Tubes 3.5" version. I like the dark green, and the light purple with silver flake... Also, throwing in a tube rattle in wouldnt hurt anything. Use a 1/16th - 1/8th bullet weight...

To me anything over 8pound test messes with the X-Rap's action, I throw them on on 8pound Sufix Camo, on light spinning gear.

I've had good luck with Pin's Minnow Black/Orange. I also had a Blue/Black/Silver and never caught a thing... They run pretty shallow, and I get better results from a Fat A or Rapala DT...

If they preform perfectly right out of the box, everytime and all the time, I would say they're worth it. But I pay good money for a Rapala and am a huge fan, but get ticked when one out of the ten I buy, has a offset eye, or doesnt run right, or the feather dressing falls loose... If LC does preform better and no one has ever got a defective product, I would definitely make the switch...

I'm a little confused and need some direction with soft plastics. I've never really used any soft plastics before this year, I've always thought I've been fine with crankbaits, and topwater pop'rs, spinnerbaits, etc... Until this year when I started slamming fish on tubes. And that is pretty much where I am stuck. I know how to fish a tube and catch fish almost every time I throw one on, but the tube is like a grain of sand on a beach of soft plastic designs... I've read all about the senkos here and bought some and had some decent luck with them, I'm not as good with a senko as I am a tube, but I'm getting there. I just read a post about a soft plastic jerk bait and then one about a Rapala swim bait, but I was under the impression that a swim bait was a soft plastic that you constantly reeled in and it resembled a bait fish? Am I wrong? And how exactly do you work soft plastic jerk baits? I know the senko is one, but do you fish that shad thing like you would a senko because they are both jerkbaits? I'm rambling but basically when I throw a soft plastic, no matter what kind, I do the bump, bump pause, method. Is that how you fish every soft plastic?

For worms I always use a blood hook but never tested it. On crank baits I have thrown one with regular hooks and got no bite, then the same one with blood trebles instead, and got one...? Ever since then I've been sold and use blood hooks on everything. Why not use every advantage you can...

Anything dark and opaque for soft plastics. I find that gold reflections work better than silver on spinnerbaits and crankbaits...

Is storing plastics important? I've never heard of this, and I leave all my plastics in a plastic tray in my tackle box. I notice they arent as slimy as they were when I purchase them, but how much of a difference does that make?

my mistake, I searched but only searched a week back. I have no idea why no one has made coffee flavored anything else? It would make them more money, and put more fish on my pole...

What do you guys think of the X-Rap? And how do you fish them? I love them, and fish them with a skip, skip, pause to the left, and then to the right, kinda like a extended walk the dog technique...

Hello all! I'm new to the board, wanted to say hello and see what others thought about Strike King's new tube, the Coffee Tube. My buddy saw an add in a magazine, and picked a couple packages in various colors. From the ones I've used, they beat any regular tube I've ever fished. The fish hold on forever, I've got a fish out of the water before he let it out of his mouth (the hook was jammed in the plastic or he'd never got it out). I like the 3.5" rather than the 4" Flippin' version. I rig mine Texas style with a 1/16th oz bullet weight and #3 Gamakatzu blood hook. One of the most chronic rigs I've ever fished. Anyone else had as good of luck with em?