Lauri Rapala

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    Posted: 26 Jun 2019 at 9:39am
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"The sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever." - Jacques Cousteau
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Mudfish marquand Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 26 Jun 2019 at 7:30pm
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I had an association with Rapala Oy in Finland during the late 1970s and early 1980s, when I tested their lures mainly in Fiordland on southern bluefin, albacore, kings and thresher, and in Niue on tropical gamefish. They are very proud of their history, and a Rapala lure even appeared on a Finland postage stamp. They were very professional to deal with and each Christmas, a present would arrive in the mail, crystal glass plates, knives, leather goods, and so on, to show their appreciation. The vast majority of the lures that I tested never made it to the market and I guess the ones that I have are now collectibles. Their lures were and still are deadly fish catchers.
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Alan L Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27 Jun 2019 at 5:27pm
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They have become an indispensable part of my game tackle box.
Skirts, flies, poppers and ............always rapalas. Can't count the number of fish caught on them - dogtooth tuna, Yellow fin, wahoo (lots), mahi (occasionally) and even a sailfish.
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote spin king Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27 Jun 2019 at 5:49pm
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Originally posted by Mudfish marquand Mudfish marquand wrote:


I had an association with Rapala Oy in Finland during the late 1970s and early 1980s, when I tested their lures mainly in Fiordland on southern bluefin, albacore, kings and thresher, and in Niue on tropical gamefish. They are very proud of their history, and a Rapala lure even appeared on a Finland postage stamp. They were very professional to deal with and each Christmas, a present would arrive in the mail, crystal glass plates, knives, leather goods, and so on, to show their appreciation. The vast majority of the lures that I tested never made it to the market and I guess the ones that I have are now collectibles. Their lures were and still are deadly fish catchers.
would love to see some photos
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Mudfish marquand Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27 Jun 2019 at 6:21pm
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Ok spin king, I will take some photos of them and get my boy to post some of them next week. On 11 April 1976, I landed a 148 pound southern bluefin on 20lb IGFA gear off the mouth of Thompson Sound in Fiordland. The fish was caught on one of the old CD18 Rapalas and the treble hooks disqualified it for a World Record claim. From 01/01/1978, IGFA changed the rules and in February 1978 I landed a 68.5 pound southern bluefin on 20 pound, and a prototype Rapala, and this weight was equalled by a friend a couple of months later. I think the NZ Record still stands. Rapala Oy were very good to me and I always looked forward to the huge parcels of their lures for testing. Time changes circumstances, and I understand that Rapala is now part of a huge marketing group. Incidentally, the early CD18s used to blow up on thresher sharks and bluefin, so I was instrumental in getting them strengthened. Cheers
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Mudfish marquand Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04 Jul 2019 at 7:55pm
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Regarding Rapala lures, there will be have to be two posts because my bloody computer froze a few minutes ago. The photo of Rapala prototypes will be in the second post. I was test fishing Rapala prototypes for Rapala Oy in the 1970s and 1980s. With the lures came survey papers requesting certain information with room for comments, ideas for improvement, success with the prototypes, and so on. An employee of Rapala Oy, Sirpa Glad-Staf told me that I was their first test fisher in Australasia. She told me that they had been considering discontinuing the CD18 model and that my successes with their lures on Fiordland changed this. The early CD18 lures used to pull the stainless steel belly wire out of the lure.  (continued)
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Mudfish marquand Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04 Jul 2019 at 8:15pm
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The wire pulling problem was solved by stapling the belly wire in front and behind the belly hook. The CD18 was the lure of preference in those days for southern bluefin tuna and were trolled only a few metres from each stern quarter. The CD18 was particularly deadly on thresher sharks, especially the fluorescent red/orange colour. If trolled really slow, the thresher would eat the lure and at a faster speed, the thresher would belt the crap out of the lure until it foul hooked itself by the tail. The four Rapala lures in the photo are typical prototypes and didn't become available to the public, obviously, they failed the test. The largest is 18cm.
 
 
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote spin king Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04 Jul 2019 at 8:56pm
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man that's cool, you should mount them on the wall
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Mudfish marquand Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04 Jul 2019 at 9:02pm
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Yeah, I have more packed  away in boxes. So much stuff, I don't really know what I've got. Thanks for your interest. Cheers
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Uncle Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04 Jul 2019 at 9:05pm
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Thanks for posting  Dick...some good historyBig smile
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote John H Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19 Jul 2019 at 8:23pm
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Nice slice of of history Dick.
New Zealand has been a test bed for other lures and innovations, local and overseas.
Early adopters some would say.
 
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Mudfish marquand Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19 Jul 2019 at 9:24pm
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Thanks John. I found some more prototype Rapalas while sorting through boxes last weekend. Big lures that feature three double hooks. One of them shows wahoo attack scars from Niue. I'll get my boy to post a picture sometime this weekend. I'm from the school of those who are handicapped by technology. Cheers
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Mudfish marquand Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 20 Jul 2019 at 9:50pm
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Here are some prototype Rapalas that I was test fishing for Rapala Oy in the early 1980s. They have a body length of 26cm, not counting the bib. The one at the bottom bears evidence of a Wahoo attack. I am unsure whether or not this model was manufactured commercially. These are for you spin king. Cheers
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Keith C Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 20 Jul 2019 at 10:02pm
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Interesting MM that most, if not all, of those colours prototyped are still in production and effective today.
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Mudfish marquand Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 20 Jul 2019 at 10:13pm
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In the 1970s, I can remember the CD18s coming out in blue and silver/white, black and silver/white and fluoro orange. In Fiordland, I caught southern bluefin on all of them. The threshers preferred the fluoro orange. The two most unusual captures that I made on CD18s were a groper and on another day, a blue shark. The mackerel type patterns emerged in the late 70s / early 80s. Cheers
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote spin king Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21 Jul 2019 at 7:00am
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awesome!! interesting how close the bib is to the nose, keep them coming I love seeing old lures
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Mudfish marquand Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21 Jul 2019 at 8:19pm
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Around 1977, Rapala Oy sent me these two IGFA legal CD18 lures factory fitted with single hooks and a plastic tail. From January 1 1978, Rapala lures with treble hooks were legal under IGFA rules for trolling. What do you think of these two spin king? Cheers
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote spin king Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21 Jul 2019 at 10:19pm
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wowow the plastic tails I haven't seen before on a rapala, interestingly lots of lure makers are going single hooks now.. man those are cool
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