I was wondering what your best discontinued crankbait is?

I have an old Cordel, not sure the model but it is good for at least one bass each time I use it. (silver w black back)

I have an old wooden river runt that also triggers many strikes. (silver)

I have heard some of the old 70's bagleys are good and some of the old bombers also.

Lets hear yours, model and color if you know it. Thanks.

Rapala CW colored cranks and Excaliber fat free cranks with the mirror finish inside.

Allen

The older Smithwick Rogues (floaters) and the "Big Jim" crankbait.

Rapala Fat Raps

Rapala Fat Raps

Same for me.  Especially the #5 shallow runner.  My #1 early season smallie crank of all time, by far.  I have 1 left, dating back to the 70's and it's beat up pretty bad now.  Wish I could get another dozen of these.  

Rapala Risto Raps and Rattlin' Fat Raps are the ones I miss most, as well as many of the old colors for the Cordell Super Spots.

It's more of a minnowbait than a crank, but the one I miss most is Rapala's Jointed Countdown.

Rapala Fat Rap

Rapala Rattlin Fat Rap

Rapala Shallow Fat Rap

Heddon Sonic & Super Sonic

Those are the ones I miss the most.

cordell suspending spot in chrome/blue, orange belly.

The original Cordell Big O. The ones that came in the egg carton. Not sure what the color name is, but it is a shad type color.

rapala's   fat-free- fry    cranks

Heddon "shalla-minnow" in sucker color,Dance's Craw, Normans Little Scooper, Bombers (wood from the 70's)white coachdog and christmas tree, Timber-buzz spoon, Jethro's spinnerbaits (local).

Rapala Risto Raps and Rattlin' Fat Raps are the ones I miss most, as well as many of the old colors for the Cordell Super Spots.

It's more of a minnowbait than a crank, but the one I miss most is Rapala's Jointed Countdown.

ristos and fat raps X2.

Does anyone know, in a general sense, why lures are discontinued? I've heard almost nothing but good things about the Fat Raps/Down Deep Rattlin' Fat Raps and the original Excalibur Fat Free series, so I can't imagine they would be poorly-selling baits. Why the decisions to discontinue them?

Discontinuing the Risto Rap and Fat Rap is Rapala's biggest mistake IMO. If they ever bring them back I hope they do it right and make them from balsa like the originals.  

Does anyone know, in a general sense, why lures are discontinued? I've heard almost nothing but good things about the Fat Raps/Down Deep Rattlin' Fat Raps and the original Excalibur Fat Free series, so I can't imagine they would be poorly-selling baits. Why the decisions to discontinue them?

Good question !

The Shad Rap is as old as the Fat Rap and the Shad Rap is still going on while the other is not. Strange.

Other times when a company is bought by another it 's the "brass" who determines which brands or lures in the group are going to dissapear ( like when PRADCO took over Heddon lots of heads were chopped, no more Sonics !  > ), based on what ? you got me on that one.  :-/

Here is an interesting article about fat raps. If you read the comments section it talks about how their sales never went down. They were basically cut to make room for new baits in the lineup.

http://tackletog.com/battisti/2009/03/21/what-were-they-thinking/#comments