Rapala Original Floating Diving Lure

Rapala Original Floating Diving Lure

Welcome to Gerry’s Fishing! Enter the history books with the legendary first-ever Rapala®—and a tool that remains the absolute number one “go-to” lure for predator anglers worldwide. Built around its world-famous, irresistible “wounded minnow” swimming action, this highly versatile diving lure has been fooling predatory gamefish on every continent for decades. Whether you are searching for an erratic surface bait, a steady shallow runner, or a deep-seeking bottom walker, this historic balsa wood masterpiece continues to out-fish modern alternatives season after season.

The secret behind its unmatched, life-like swimming performance lies in its premium balsa wood construction, providing a natural buoyancy and a delicate, vibrant vibration that plastic lures simply cannot replicate. Shaped to a flawless natural minnow profile, it is available in a stunning array of both classic and modern lifelike patterns to match the local baitfish on any venue. Beneath the beautiful finish, the lure is built for battle, featuring an incredibly tough stainless through-wire construction running from nose to tail, and armed with razor-sharp, heavy-duty VMC® Black Nickel hooks. To guarantee that iconic, flawless action straight out of the box, every single lure is meticulously hand-tuned and tank-tested before leaving the factory.

Detailed Specifications

• Core Material: Premium, ultra-buoyant natural balsa wood construction.

• Internal Chassis: Full stainless steel through-wire construction for ultimate structural strength.

• Buoyancy Profile: Floating (dives upon retrieve, rises slowly on the pause).

• Hooks: Equipped with premium, ultra-sharp VMC® Black Nickel treble hooks.

• Action Type: Signature Rapala “Wounded Minnow” wobbling action.

• Quality Control: 100% Hand-Tuned and Tank-Tested for immediate performance.

Examples of Where to Use

• Shallow River Trout & Perch Stalking: Brilliant for casting across and down fast-flowing streams or slower river pools. Retrieve it slowly to allow the lure to dance just under the surface, triggering explosive strikes from hungry trout, chub, and perch.

• Summer Estuary Bass Fishing: An exceptional choice for working over shallow estuary flats, weed beds, and rock gulleys for predatory sea bass. Its shallow running depth ensures you can fish it cleanly above snaggy ground without constantly fouling.

• Multi-Depth Predatory Tactics: Highly adaptable for boat or bank fishing. Twitch it erratically on the surface as a surface popper alternative, pinch a split shot on your line to presentation-fish it at medium depths, or rig it behind a bottom-bouncer to target deep-lying zander and pike.

Gerry’s Pro Tip

Pro Tip: One of the most deadly ways to fish the Rapala Original Floating lure is to utilize a “twitch-and-pause” retrieve rather than a straight wind-in. Cast it out, let the ripples clear, and give it two or three sharp twitches with your rod tip to make it dive and flutter frantically like a dying baitfish. Then, pause completely. Because of the balsa body, the lure will slowly float back toward the surface—it is almost always during this slow, helpless rise that a predator will charge in and smash the lure!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: Does this lure dive very deep on a standard retrieve?

A: No, the Original Floating model is inherently a shallow-running lure when cranked directly. However, its depth is highly controllable; you can easily fish it right on the surface by twitching it, or add split shots/sinker weights further up your line if you need to take the lure down to medium or maximum depths.

Q: Can this balsa wood lure withstand the teeth of a large pike?

A: Yes, absolutely. While balsa wood is lightweight and buoyant, Rapala protects the body with multiple hardened outer coatings and finishes. Combined with the full internal stainless steel through-wire design, the structural integrity of the lure is secure, even if the outer paintwork takes a few battle scars from sharp teeth!

Q: What is the benefit of it being hand-tuned and tank-tested?

A: Mass-produced plastic lures can often track off-centre or run completely sideways straight out of the packet. Rapala literally tests every single one of these lures in a running water tank to manually adjust the metal nose eyelet, ensuring it swims perfectly straight and delivers optimum vibration the second you attach it to your rig.