Minnetonka, Minn. (July 17, 2002) - Knowing where the fish are is the key to a successful day on the water. Anglers need an assortment of lures to ensure they are covering the water from top-to-bottom, but how can anglers select the right lure for a specific depth or structure? It's simple with the new Rapala Tackle Box Guide. The Rapala Tackle Box Guide (suggested retail price - $4.95) is a pocket-sized guide, packaged in a re-sealable, waterproof, plastic bag, that contains trolling and casting data exclusively for Rapala lures. With this guidebook, anglers can select lures to match target depth and contours, enabling anglers to identify precise strike zones and catch more fish with their favorite Rapala lures.
Developed in partnership with Precision Angling Specialists LLC, the Rapala Tackle Box Guide is a comprehensive guide to Rapala running depths. Precision Angling founders Dr. Steven Holt and Mark Romanack, authors of the Precision Trolling and Precision Casting publications, are the definitive experts in the study of "dive curves" for fishing lures.
In the past, anglers had to determine precision crankbait placement through years of trial and error, snags and lost lures. Finally, in 1986, Dr. Steven Holt decided to harness his knowledge of structure and crankbait performance by actually going underwater and recording the diving depth of his favorite lures. The results represented a quantum leap in angling innovation - casting and trolling success without spending a lifetime learning how to fish with specific lures. Now in its fourth edition, the Precision angling publications are invaluable tools for experienced guides and novices alike.
"Dr. Holt and I are pleased to be associated with the legendary Rapala lure family," says Romanack. "The Rapala Tackle Box Guide is a must-have resource for referencing dive curves and applying precision data to any Rapala lure." Drawing from Precision's comprehensive volumes the pocket-sized Rapala Tackle Box Guide contains casting and trolling charts and a lure-to-species selector exclusively for Rapala lures. Each Rapala lure has been designed as a tool for specific fishing application. The swimming depth of a lure is dependent upon several variables, like line weight and trolling/retrieve speed. Two of the most important variables are the type of swimming lip a lure has, and if the lure is a floating, sinking or suspending lure.
"It's seldom the objective to 'get as deep as possible'," says Mark Fisher, head of Rapala's Pro Staff. "Instead you want to get the lure to the fish at whatever depth they are located - to present the fish with the opportunity to strike. With the Rapala Tackle Box Guide, anglers can cover the water like never before." Type of swimming lip affects both depth and action.
In general, the longer the swimming lip, the deeper it will swim. The angle of the lip and the position of the line-tie eyelet are also major determinations for any Rapala. When the line-tie is located on the lip, it will cause the lure to swim even deeper.
The size, shape and material of the lure will affect the buoyancy of the lure's body cavity. Increasing the buoyancy of the body cavity by making the lure larger increases its stability, allowing a greater depth. With most Rapalas, the larger sizes of a particular lure will dive deeper than the smaller sizes of the same lure type.
Each Rapala lure with a swimming lip has been hand-tuned and tank-tested, to guarantee it has the trademark Rapala "wobble." It's important for anglers to always check a lure's action at boat or dockside to confirm the proper speed and achieve the best action possible. By varying the rate of retrieve, anglers can find the optimum speed at which the Rapala performs its off-center wobble the best. Floating, Sinking, Suspending and Rattlin' Rapalas Many Rapala lures contain internal weights and rattle systems. The primary purpose for internal weights is to properly locate the lure's center of mass in the optimum position, so the lure will perform as desired. In addition, a lure can be weighted to change the way it can be fished.
"For example, the Original Rapala Floater and CountDown have similar body styles, but have different applications," says Fisher. "There is little difference in the operating depth of these two lures when steadily retrieved. However, the angler can allow the CountDown lure to reach a greater depth before starting the retrieve. In other words, you can fish the CountDown lure from the bottom upward to its normal operating depth rather than from the top downward toward its operating depth as with the Rapala Floater."
Another objective of Rapala lure designers is to attain "neutral" buoyancy so the lure will "suspend" at its natural horizontal position in the water when forward motion is stopped. Suspending lures, like the Rapala Husky Jerk, Shad Rap RS and Jointed Shad Rap are designed to contain precisely the amount of weight necessary to bring the specific gravity of the lure to the same specific gravity of the water.
To find out more about how Rapala covers the water from top to bottom, buy the new Rapala tackle box guide at fishing tackle dealers or online at www.rapala.com. Its suggested retail price is $4.95.