Best Rapala Lure for Bass [2021]

best rapala for bass

There is a proof that fishing has been around even longer than humans. A legend has it that the Homo erectus caught fish by hand and Neanderthals speared fish. As early as 23,000 years ago, hooks were product of shell and bone. The Bronze Age was the birth of the bronze hooks that are still used today. It wasn’t long before the early humans discovered that luring a fish to bite a hook was much easier than spearing or clubbing them. Live bait was the apparent way to entice a fish to bite a hook. It was very successful. Around 2000 BC, some Asians thought that live bait should be caught, preserved, and it doesn’t really look “alive” when impaled on a hook. They tried to make artificial lure, probably from wood, shells, and bones.

These artificial fishing lures were not produced commercially until the early twentieth century. Before then, most fishermen simply made their lure; it was considered part of fishing. Fishermen shared their favorite designs with each other, and the first commercially available lure was copies of these designs. The first commercial lure was designed and sold by beekeepers James Heddon of Dowegiac, Mi, in 1902. His first lure, and his first commercial lure, was a wooden topwater lure that looks like a Chugger and was named Dowegiac Casting Bait. Since then, thousands of lures fishing lures have been marketed to the public, some are successful, and others are not. In this article we will take a look at the best rapala lure for bass.

Rapala Fishing Lures were introduced to the market in 1936 and have remained one of the best-selling lures in the world. These lures are the first lures being made of cork, a genius fisherman created the lures in the 1930s. After observing the habits of fish in Finnish water, he recognized that large fish eat small fish.  Then he created a lure that wobbled and wiggled in the water and started catching more fish. And to date, all lures designed by Rapala are tested to ensure that they swim in perfect condition out of the box. In fact, there is no lure that holds the best records for the biggest fish caught than Rapala lures. These lures have become more stylish over the years and some are equipped with sounds.

Rapala lures are made from balsa wood. The trees are mainly found in Central and South America. These lures are available in all sizes, shapes, imaginable and are very durable. Some styles are designed to bounce off rocks, bump against the bottom of streams and lakes, as well as ripping through thick weeds. Certain styles will deliver an incredible distance in each case. Some are designed with a sound chamber that transmits vibrations and sounds. The sound is known to increase curiosity in fish. And any sound combined with a wiggle will sound like a dinner bell to bass.

Today bass fishing has become one of the latest sports among fishermen. Like golf, bass tournaments are popular and are becoming popular because the stakes in the tournament are high. These aggressive fish are found in almost every body of water in the United States. Large and small mouth bass are generally warm water fish and are more likely to hide in the cover in order to attack their prey. Bass lures comes in many sizes, shapes, and colors to help fishermen imitate this prey.

These are perhaps the most purchased of all fishing lures today. For novice bass fishermen just starting fishing, coming back from a break or on a tight budget, it may be frustrating and difficult to choose which bass lures to focus on with a lot of options available. And getting the best fishing lure can be a bit tough. So to help you out, we have compiled a list of the best Rapala lure for bass that is effective on any water all through the year.

These Are The Best Rapala Lures For Bass

Rapala Husky Jerk 10

For more than 75 years Rapala has been making lures for every fish in fresh and saltwater. The Rapala Husky Jerk is an excellent topwater lure for catching bass, just like the other lures, but what makes it special is its sound. When jerked across the surface of the water, this lure will give a loud rattle followed by a loud whoop on contact with a fish. This is an excellent choice if you want to target bass that is aggressive or wary and need something with subtle motion to call them out of their hiding spots. The quality construction and attention to detail make this one of the best choices out there for your next fishing excursion on land or in fresh or saltwater. It is available in a number of sizes and colors that will work for any season and location.

Rapala X-Rap Jerkbait XR10 Fishing Lure

This is an interesting lure to fish with, it erratic action does a good job of imitating baitfish, depending on how the fisherman works it. Fishermen who bought this lure gave it five stars rating for durability, excellent movement, and general quality. Rapala X-Rap Jerkbait is packed with great features from tip to tail, internal holographic internal long cast foil, textured translucent body, 3D holographic eyes, Rapala “wobble” action, flash foil teaser tails. All topped off with quality VMC black nickel hooks, each tank-tested and hand-tuned to guarantee top-performing action from the start.

Pros: In terms of durability, this lure stands out better than the majority. The color and the finish are covered under the body, made of thick plastic; therefore it is well protected even after months of use. The wide range of color selections let lure based your selection on the surroundings and the kind of bass you are targeting to catch. The lure erratic movements are extremely realistic and can easily be mistaken for a wounded animal or baitfish.

Cons: this lure’s dressed hook is likely to be damaged. Some feathers can be lost after a double-digit striper attack. It can also lose some feathers if you tend to use pliers to remove the hook from your catch.

Rapala Balsa Brat

The Rapala Balsa Brat is one of their most affordable fishing lures yet it has a lot of appeals when it comes to fishing for largemouth bass. The lure has a really nice weight and buoyancy that gives it really good action during rips and rolls on its own or in tandem with another lure like a tube jig.

However, the lure doesn’t have a lot of pluck which can annoy some anglers because it is very difficult to get out of the water. This doesn’t fit into the “small” category for largemouth bass, but it does fit in with the “average” category. After a few fish on the Balsa Brat, I started fishing it in tandem with other baits that are more traditional for this season.

This product is going to be in an article about the best Rapala lures for bass.

This review will be about everything you need to know about this product before buying them. Here are some verbiage and images from each section: product review and buyers guide.

Overview

The Rapala Balsa Brat is a lure most used for fishing largemouth bass. The product comes in a few different colorations and some have two treble hooks on the belly and two hooks on the nose. These are very affordable compared to many other fishing lures, so it is great for beginning anglers. The fish are located in groups, so in order to catch them, you need to cast the lures out multiple times until you find the fish that you want to catch. With that being said, it is important that your casting skills are as quick and accurate as possible if you are wanting to catch these fish.

The Balsa Brat comes in a variety of different colors and has two hooks that click together when you hook them. This makes it easy to spot your lure as well as making the lure very durable. The weight of the Balsa Brat is 1/2 ounce which is a good weight for beginners and average bass fishing tackle spinners. With this weight, there is enough buoyancy or weight to keep it floating and spinning on its own. However, if you need another lure to fish in tandem with this one, Rapala has another bait called the Tung Twister that weighs 1-1/4 oz and sinks instantly.

One of the most important factors to consider when purchasing a Rapala lure is the hook length. Some fishing lures come with two treble hooks that are very similar in length which can make it difficult to differentiate them from each other. The Balsa Brat comes with two hooks that are 1/4 inch long and therefore is one of the shortest lures in its line. If you have trouble telling them apart, this might be an obstacle for you on some of your fishing trips.

Rapala Shad Rap 05 Fishing Lures

This is the best running hardbait, it closely looks like many baitfish around the world, with one exception of the legendary wounded minnow action of Rapala lures. Made from the premium balsa, it performing from ultra-slow presentations to very fast without fail, it is also effective cast or trolled. Its accurate action, proven fish-catching patterns and detailed finish make it a must-have lure for all fishermen. It is been hand-tuned and tank-tested to achieve perfection right out of the box. 

The following are some of the great features that make this lure one of the favorites

Rapala Rattlin 05 Fishing lures

You will be amazed when casting and watching these lure swimming action at slow to fast retrieve rates. The sound increases the fish curiosity and triggers investigation. It is this secret of sound combined with the legendary Rapala “wobble” that makes this lure very effective. Long-casting, lipless design makes this lure effective wherever you can fish. Anyhow you fish it, fast or slow, it still sounds like a dinner bell to fish. It features premium VMC black nickel hooks. Each lure is hand-tuned and tank-tested for ultimate performance right out of the box.

The following are other great features of Rapala Rattlin 05 Fishing lures

Rapala 06 Clackin 'Rap fishing lure

Rapala Clackin creates a unique sound and vibration that lets fish to zero in. The sound chamber, which is obviously visible from the lure side, makes use of a lone large BB. When this single BB hit the sound chamber wall, it makes low-frequency click which goes further and deeper down, enticing the fish from greater distances. This lure is 3-1/8 inches long and weighs 7/8 ounces and is equipped with a front VMC black nickel treble hook. Apart from the sound chamber, this lure also has a transparent body with inner holographic foil that flash when the lures swim through the water.

This lure creates a unique sound and vibration profile that enable the fish to focus its attention. Its transparent textured body and inner holographic foil generate a very seductive flash. The simple cast enable it to sink to the preferred depth then gradually retrieve.

The following are the great features of this lure

Rapala Original Floating 11 fishing lures

 This classic bait is guaranteed to entice them in no matter the fishing method you use. This lure has constantly proven itself in a variety of situations over the years. Rapala Original still remains one of the companies most popular lures. Whether you jerk it on the top as surface lure or you retrieved as a shallow runner. Made from balsa wood, it can drift out of snags and obstructions, and its VMC hooks offer lightning-fast penetration. Available in a range of proven colors, the Rapala Original Floater is always appealing to gamefish on all continents of the world.

Rapala Original Floating started it all originally designed in 1936 by Lauri Rapala. The honesty of the design makes it the most versatile fishing lure. After nearly 40 years, Lauri’s secret has not been duplicated, it still remains the number one seller. The Rapala floating minnow is the industry standard for landing very large fish, both in saltwater and freshwater. The Rapala is the lure to use for white bass, striped bass, walleyes, largemouth bass, and other freshwater fish. In fact, any lure used for these fish is usually referred to as a “Rapala”. In saltwater, the lure accounts for more trophy fish than any other lure.

This Lure presents a wounded action that entices all gamefish. It has a natural minnow shape and has two no. 12 VMC nickel treble hooks. These lures can be retrieved as a shallow runner, weighted with a split piece of medium depth, or jerky on top of surface bait. Rapala floating fish is the industry standard for landing big saltwater and freshwater fish. For white bass, striped bass, walleyes, largemouth bass, and other big freshwater fish, this is the lure to use. For instance, any lure used for these fish is frequently referred to as Rapala.  Also, Rapala’s lures come with three multiple hooks that increase your possibility of hooking the fish after a good bite. They account for more trophy fish in saltwater than any other lure.

The following are the features that made these lure angler’s favorite

Rapala Ike's Custom Ink DT (Dives-To) Series Crankbait

Experienced bass anglers know their trade. A lot of them have been fishing for years and spend most of their time on the water, perfecting their skills and learning everything there was to know about fishing, this has enabled some of the best professionals in the game to coordinate with fishing gear companies to design leading pieces of equipment. One of these products was recently designed by one of the best Bass fishermen. Ike’s Custom Ink DT crankbaits were designed by Rapala and Mike Iaconelli, the two names synonymous with bass fishing. They came together to create a chain of crankbaits. The DT Rapala series crankbaits are among the most popular water lures on the water for good reason.

Any bass fisherman will tell you that targeting structures like boulders, logs and rocky bottoms at certain depths with crankbaits is one of the most fruitful tactics you can use to land big bass. Mike Iaconelli is a superstar among the bass fishing community and his custom-made DT crankbait project with Rapala will make any fisherman a bass assassin this season.

The following are the great features of this lure

Conclusion

These are selections for the best Rapala bass fishing lures available to bass fishermen. Sure, there are many others that also stood the test of time; however, space limits the number to these few. These are among the most popular and effective bass lures. If you are a serious bass fisherman, then these lures should be added to your tackle bag or box sooner rather than later. They are all effective and have been proven to catch bass in different bass fishing situations. They are not listed in a particular order, because, the best lure differs from bass angler to bass angler. Give these lures a chance so you can determine which one is the best for your personal bass fishing preferences. And remember, the most important aspect of any of these lures is spending time to use them.

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