Outfished by a kid with a floating Rapala.

[learnin]

The guy I fish with brought his fourteen year old grandson along for his first bass fishing trip in a boat.  The kid was using a spinning rod and a floating Rapala.  It was the original grey,  two sets of hooks model,  looked to be about four or five inches. 

 

We're not always successful but usually manage to catch some and have a few pretty good days.  We caught a few this day but I'd say he easily caught more than both of us combined.  When we started his grandfather said, "that's primarily a trout lure, want to try something else".  The kid said that since he already had it tied on he'd give it a try.  While it was a PIA fishing three in a boat we learned something.  He'd throw that Rapala next to cover, give it a few twitches and if nothing hit it then they'd often enough hit it right after he started the retrieve.  We alternated between Pop Rs, Senkos and Ned rigs.  Maybe the bass hadn't seen many any Rapalas  before and maybe it was a one time thing but it sure worked that day.  I know I'll be trying one next time out.

[TnRiver46]

One of the greatest !!

[king fisher]

Don't feel bad, I once got out fished by a kid using a soda bottle for a rod and reel, with a lure carved out of a toothbrush.

 

Fishing a floating Rapala, or a #3 inline spinner on a light spinning rod, are my go to finesse skunk buster tactics.   There is a reason every tackle store in the world sells floating Rapala's.

[JJP]

There was a time many years ago when alls I threw was floating rapalas, mepps spinner and power worms on a 6’ rod with 6lb mono. Caught just as many fish too

[DogBone_384]

It just proves, once again, that most of us over-think it….  Myself included.
 

Congrats to the kid! 

[Bankbeater]

I use the 4-3/8" and the 2-3/4" size floating minnow.  The larger size catches bass, but the smaller size on an ultralight will catch everything.  Around here they work better than jerkbaits for bass.

[Sota]

Years ago I was fishing a river. I had been there 1.5-2 hours. Nothing. This older guy comes along. He’s all hey how are you guys doing? Catching anything? As he’s talking he gets a fish. He wasn’t there 5 minutes yet. He stuck around maybe 15 minutes and caught 3.  I was done after that. 

[ChrisD46]

For the longest time , I only had a white in-line spinnerbait with black polka dots as my sole bass lure. I learned to fish that one lure successfully throughout the whole water column !

[TnRiver46]

9 hours ago, JJP said:

There was a time many years ago when alls I threw was floating rapalas, mepps spinner and power worms on a 6’ rod with 6lb mono. Caught just as many fish too

Hard to beat that lineup 

[J Francho]

I still keep two F-7s in my box at all times, a silver and black and a gold and black.  Almost everything will strike it. 

[bowhunter63]

Children and Bass can humble a guy Especially with a Rapala in hand 

[WackyWormNedRig]

The good ol floating rapala…..

[DaubsNU1]

College buddy and life-long friend was a product specialist for Cabela's in the 1990's and 2000's. That man could put fish in the boat! Two good stories:

 

#1: Fishing a stocked trout pond (NE Game and Parks). Dad, brother and I had fished this pond many, many times...this was my buddy's first trip...and he slayed them...catching his 4 fish in about 35 minutes while we struggled. When he was finished, he gave me his rod...I couldn't catch one...and wise-cracked that he was probably cheating. He giggled and said "You are doing it wrong...cast it out there...let it sink...and about now the fish should..." And WHAM! a strike!

 

#2: Few years later we were fishing in Missouri for bass. Noting was working, not even texas rigged soft plastics that would normally land a bass or two. Buddy broke out the jointed floating Rapala. Spinning rod, light line...cast it out...two turns of the handle on a slow retrieve...then pause. And we started catching fish(!)

[islandbass]

Those floating minnows are universal. I started as a trout angler and was using one to catch trout but wound up catch a bass as my first non-bait fish in non farm pond. 
 

Good on the young man! I used to love it when my kids out fished me. 

[MAN]

23 hours ago, king fisher said:

Don't feel bad, I once got out fished by a kid using a soda bottle for a rod and reel, with a lure carved out of a toothbrush.

The moment I read that I thought....this guys got to be from South Texas. Then I saw you are in Mexico and it made even more sense!  

[TnRiver46]

14 hours ago, J Francho said:

I still keep two F-7s in my box at all times, a silver and black and a gold and black.  Almost everything will strike it. 

My friend calls the gold and black “search and destroy” and the silver and black “vampira “

[Choporoz]

Didn't same thing happen to Scott Martin?  

[Bass Rutten]

Can anyone think of a very popular and effective technique whose action is almost identical to the rolling action of an original rapala? One that perhaps involves a jighead, and a minnow shaped bait? Coincidence? Things that make you go hmm...

[Tinch]

Any given lure on any given day is gonna catch a fish.

[Bazoo]

25 minutes ago, Tinch said:

Any given lure on any given day is gonna catch a fish.

There's a difference between catching fish, and tearing them up.

 

Welcome to the forum.

 

------------------------------------------------------

As for the original post... why didn't yall tie on yalls rapalas too?

[Lottabass]

I started a BASS club back in the 70's.  We had tournaments but they were more fun than competitive, but some of the guys thought they were real gunslingers.  This was in Fort Dodge Iowa where there was a Lazy Ike plant.  Anyway, a young kid joined the club and at the first tournament he fished he brought a spin cast outfit and a handful of Lazy Ikes.  The gunslingers were scoffing at him, until the weigh in.......he outfished all of us!  He never said much and never came back!

[fishballer06]

20 hours ago, Choporoz said:

Didn't same thing happen to Scott Martin?  

Did you look at AOY standings this year? Happened to him 10 times on tour this year. 

[Choporoz]

 

 

Start at 1:30.  Fun!

 

If only all the elite tournaments were held on Okeechobee