salmon on a rapala?

[kingfisher]

anyone here ever had a salmon on a countdown rapala or any rapala at all?

I've tried but never ever had any interest from salmon. I've covered lies with fish in them cos I've hooked up on tobys after going through with a rapala.

Just wondered if it is just me.

[madkeen]

Floating rapalas are deadly F-11 +F-13 black gold and black and silver whack em out and crank them back used to use them a lot.

[Sloggi]

Smashing lure. 11 & 13 floaters mainly. Like GFR (coloured water) and Black/Silver (clear water). Blue/Silver in the cold spring. I don't really like the Black/Gold although some swear by it. Used with a weight, the floater can be deadly. Please use only one treble (barbless)

Countdown is good too if you really need to get down, but I hardly ever use it. The x-rap is also good and I use it from time to time.

I like to fish them either really slowly or really fast although really fast is probably the most successful. The downside is the expense - averaging £7 or £8 is pretty steep

Do you use the rapala knot? It helps the movement of the lure.

[clydebuilt]

I know it's a bit sickening when you lose a £7 rapala, but what about retrieving them with one of these

www.sportfish.co.uk/product/35036/Shimano_Stella_FA_Spinning_Reel.html


Seems a bit steep at nearly £650??

You could buy a Bougle and spool for that ;D

[scotty]

i have had salmon on the jointed ones as well as the solid straight ones, great lure for fishing under trees and bushes , just cast up stream and let it float down under the bush and crank it in

scotty.

[clydebuilt]

My favourite pattern is the Black and Gold Husky Jerk, looks magic in the water and certainly produces the goods on its day.
Haven't used them for a good while now, tend to prefer the fly but I'd never discount them when conditions require a different approach.

[rennie]

Only had one Salmon on a Rapala a flouro. orange jobbie fished at upper Craighall on the Ericht,cast into a far bank eddy next to a rock ledge and a Salmon took it off the top before I shut the bail arm (it was small and very coloured) while it was still floating on the top.Been trying to tie a fly like it ever since but no joy. Pedro.

[Sloggi]

rennie said:

Only had one Salmon on a Rapala a flouro. orange jobbie fished at upper Craighall on the Ericht,cast into a far bank eddy next to a rock ledge and a Salmon took it off the top before I shut the bail arm (it was small and very coloured) while it was still floating on the top.Been trying to tie a fly like it ever since but no joy. Pedro.

How about a large Frodin Disc fly in bright orange with copper body?

[sewinangler]

I've had a number of Salmon on the GFR countdown and for seatrout, the firetiger countdown is awsome.

Cast upstream to allow the lure to sink, and then slowly fished around, you can sometimes 'hang' these lures over lies for a split second before they move on.

As to the takes I've had, the lure just stops dead!

That said, with the lack of water in the past couple of seasons, I don't think I've picked up my spinning gear for at least 2 years.
I also plug for Bass on the Coast and the Blue and silver J13 is awesome for this.

Someone mentioned the cost in an earlier post. £7 to £8 each. Don't bother buying them in the UK. They are just too expensive.
I get mine from the States over the internet. Never had a problem. The last lot I had for myself and friends cost $6.40 each ( works out about £3.20). Including postage (2 days!) and tax, they came to about £4 each.

If I was to have bought them in the UK, a certain reputable firm were selling them at £14.99 each, it would have cost me a packet!

[macsalmo]

I have caught on them in the past (honest), a friend of mine catches alot of Salmon on the blue/silver floater (9cm) and the fire tiger.
Look out on ebay for some good deals.

Gary

[jkboy]

Had a springer last year on a 11cm bright orange and yellow floating Rapala - the only fish I've ever caught on one. In a slowish pool fished slowly - but what an aggressive take

[kercock]

A guy I know uses the floating 11cm black /silver almost exclusivly on the Tay and gets more springers than anyone I know.in coloured water he puts on a Brown/gold 11cm.Countdown Fire Tigers were very successful for a spell and I remember one late September day around three years ago when the seven fish caught were on rapalas and it did'nt matter what colour they were ,next morning the ghillie next door said they had five.... all on rapalas. At all times in the season. If they want it they don't mess about,thats for sure.

[Yorkshire Esk]

On the Tweed you are only allowed one treble on a rapala, and most of the bigger rapalas come with three trebles on, which treble is the best to leave on, one of the middle ones or the end one.

[clydebuilt]

woldedge said:

On the Tweed you are only allowed one treble on a rapala, and most of the bigger rapalas come with three trebles on, which treble is the best to leave on, one of the middle ones or the end one.

Personally, I'd leave a middle one on.
The reason behind being Tomic (sp?) and Kynoch type lures tend to fish with the hook midway down the lure and they are pretty effective lures in their day.
I'd maybe add an extra split ring to the middle treble to overcome leverage problems too.

[Sloggi]

woldedge said:

On the Tweed you are only allowed one treble on a rapala, and most of the bigger rapalas come with three trebles on, which treble is the best to leave on, one of the middle ones or the end one.

I remove the top one as it always catches the line when I have a weight on and I remove the middle on because of no other reason that I think the fish often nip at the lure which is probably wrong I also remove all barbs and usually one of the points.

[kercock]

Using one hook,if the rules require,is'nt a problem. Remove all the hooks and splitrings,get one of the hooks with a splitring on it and add a swivel. On a 3 hook set up ,with hooks removed, thread your leader through the nose wire through the first two hook holding wires and tie the leader onto the swivel added set up. :-/CLEAR ?? You are ready to fish. some people add X amount of lead wire to where the other hooks should be to balance it up,any way it doesnt seem to alter the action,well the fish do'nt seem to notice. It certainly works well on the Tweed and some parts of the Tay

[juniorspey]

Iv'e had a lot of of fish on the rap, mainly the f13 b/g, b/s and the big orange beastie!! try painting them with ordinary fly tying varnish to make black and red ones.l the 1st time i tried this was with an f11, on its 1st outing(september on the spey, in a spate) I took 7 seatrout to 5lb and a salmon (all returned) in one run down a pool.

I tend to leave only the tail hook, but would recomend bending the other rwo in rather than doing away with them alltogether, as this keeps the balance right!!

tight lines
Blair

[williegunn]

Blair I thought you had out grown this "darkside"

[ibrox]

floating rapalas do well for me on the Annan Kingfisher .

AA

[kingfisher]

bloody hell must just be me then!

I've got shed-loads of rapalas which I use to troll but I never had any confidence with them for salmon-I'll give them another swim I think