i finally got up to gander mountain tonight and they had the rapala new for 2013 lures on the shelf. i thought i was finally over my "if you can tie it on the end of your line you gotta buy it" crankbait addiction... then i saw the new BX minnow... and the bx swimmer... and the larger sized deep jointed husky jerk...

the new colors on the BX minnow are insanely awesome. ive heard it said that fishing lures are designed to catch anglers and not fish, and it could be true because rapala sure has me hooked. the size and shape of the BX seem perfect. i bought one of the "blue back herring" BX 10 minnows. at 3/8 of an oz it should cast really well too, not as well as the x rap with the long cast feature, but you get the realistic holographic foil and 3d eyes in a "silent" no rattles package. seems like the perfect compliment to the tackle box.

sorry about sounding like a salesman, but this lure got me super excited for spring. well, that and we just set up our reservation for june!

Jaximus, a man after my own heart 

Only a die hard fisherman could be so excited about a new lure.
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I recently got my spring Cabelas master catalog. The cover is a canoe country classic. Some guys out in a canoe and a bear going through their camp. I too came across the new Rapala and much like Jaximus and Steve Martin felt the wonderment and pulse rising excitement of a new addition to the fine line of the Swedish offerings. (Steve Martin/MT comparisons will be taken in good humor and encouraged on these long lonely winter nights  )

So what's so special? Balsa is what is so special my dear piscatorial companion. Especially in the spring! First off the lure lands with a very nice "splat" instead of a splash. A subtle splat which says "come and eat me". Remember, in the spring the water is cooler and quiet soft presentations are far superior which leads us to another positive.........no rattles! I detest rattles in spring and in fact generally refuse to use plastic cranks early in the year. Can you say "Big Momma" 

So what else? How about the wobble? Usually a bit tighter than plastic........a bit more subtle and less exaggerated than plastic. Think spring!

Lastly.........want to get the most out of balsa? Think light line. Heavy line defeats them rather easily. And of course the connection is all important. (can you say broken record).........Yup, dispense with the split ring and get a "fas snap" in the large, not extra large.....medium works for small lures (us older guys might need glasses) and small is for flys. Fas snaps were originally designed for fly fisherman but I have found the application to cranks and light line superlative.......I have never had one fail despite their flimsy appearance. I will say it again, light line IMO ties poorly to the double wire of split rings.
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FWIW.......I generally don't suggest using one fas snap and just keep changing lures off it. They are small and tough to manage for that application unlike a larger normal snap. Besides, you might bend or otherwise damage the snap struggling with it. I have one on each crank and just re-tie when changing lures.........you are re-tying often anyways, aren't you? (A must with light line)

Shall we leave no stone unturned? What do I mean by light line? I am talking 6lb test mono and balsa wood lures. I will definitely drop to 4lb in heavily pressured urban waters on crystal clear lakes.........long casts, long forgiving rods, balsa and spring (often a few weeks after ice out) has put many 5lb+ bass in the boat for me as well as a few outsized walleyes. (one of my best ever fish fights was a 7lb walleye on 4lb test on a perch colored j-11 rapala a few weeks after ice out, who says walleyes can't strut their stuff)  

MT

Wally13 wrote on Feb 8^th, 2013 at 3:48pm:


Yo Mike,
I dunno........don't rekon it much matters. I usually go with black but haven't noticed any dif with silver. They are pretty small......I like the tiny pair of Craftsman channel locks to put them on but a small pair of needle nose works.

Yup........FC stiff, stiff, stiff, it also weighs more and sinks faster.

Make any difference? Maybe.......but whose to say it isn't a better difference 

Such is fishing! Why not compare apples to apples and try your bathtub experiment with some other lines? I have certainly noticed a big difference in how the balsa lures act with various line classes. With the light lines the lures look absolutely alive, like they have "spring" in their step. Plus I like the added distance I get on the cast..........a huge benefit in clear cool spring waters where big fish may be in only a few feet of water. I imagine the 832 casts a good lick as well. Your combo sounds about right though Jax if you are intent on using the 832 braid........light leaders and no-stretch braid is a bad combo, bye bye lure.

Speaking of 832........Quetikurt uses it and suggested I give it a go. pricey stuff..........I loaded up with 30 for deep diving applications such as dipsys and what not. I was not especially impressed. 30 power pro I cannot break very easily if the knot is right........30lb 832 I could break every time.

Perhaps I'm using the wrong knot. When I pass through Dalton Georgia I occasionally meet with Kurt and the challenge is already on........he is bringing his knot and I'm bringing my gloves 

Hopefully I'm wrong as I did like the stuff. Maybe this old dog just needs a new trick. What knot do you use Jax?

BTW.......If you are intent on using the FC you might want to stick with the crosslock instead of the thinner fas snaps. The thin wire on the fas snap might actually "cut" the stiffer thicker FC. Just a thought.........I do like that the actual knot is positioned closer to lure though with the fas snap as opposed to the crosslock, ever think about that!

Fishing nerds  ........................(nerds are in lately  )

@mt, to connect the fluorocarbon to the 832 i use a barrel swivel at that juncture. i use the standard polomar knot for both lines to the barrel and for the fluoro to the crosslock snap. i use the snaps with the very rounded part that attaches to the lure now as they impart the least resistance to the lure giving it the best action. (You need to Login or Register to view media files and links) plus they allow for the knot to be perfectly aligned with the loop so that it doesnt pull sideways or any other weird angle.

@mt, also, in reference the difference of power pro vs 832. ive used both and like both. i have 65 lb power pro on my musky baitcaster, love the stuff. for the 15lb test range, i prefer the 832, and by a wide margin. i was having breakoff issues with the power pro, both red and green, multiple different batches from different stores. my brother had a similar experience with yet another batch/store. since i tied on the 832 i find any other superline to be a pain. i had been a huge fireline guy but i prefer the 832 to that as well. doesnt fray as hard as fireline(plus its round, not flat), its a smaller diameter, and doesnt hold water like power pro. it casts amazingly well. i have 2 identical setups, 6'6" medium action extra fast tip rods with abu garcia c3 reels, one rigged with 20lb fireline crystal and one with 15lb 832. both reels have 3 of the 6 break shoes removed as well as the plastic tension disk. using the same lure the 832 casts 25% farther, maybe even more. i understand there is a pound test difference of 25% between the lines, but that doesnt explain the casting difference. suffix is much more quiet on the guides as well, imo.