The Best Rapalas of the Last 20 years?!?!

[qbert]

I know we have had several threads discussing which Rapalas each particular member has had the most success with, but most times everyone's favorites are the classics, and understandably so. If these lures weren't capable of catching fish, then the Rapala company would have never become what it is today. Honestly, if you can't catch fish with a shad rap or an original floater, you may be in the wrong sport.

What I am more curious about is which of the newer lures are people really confident in? What newer rapala is bound to become the next classic lure? I have caught tons of fish on the newer stuff, but the problem is that there is so much of it that I never really devote enough time to one of the newer baits before I am off to the next new release!!

I think i will look through my tackle box later and get a better idea of my list, but I am curious to know what others think are the top ten (or less, doesn't really matter) Rapalas of the last 20 years?

[beka]

uhhuhu i am 41 YO and i fish from i was 6 yo.... after many kind of fishes i think the best of the best is J-13 in every color. is very good for gian catfishes, black bass, pikes, sea's fishes, wallyes... for me the N. 1

[happyshad]

I would have to say that the new classic for me is the DT series! Going to have to give the Scatter Raps a serious work out before I can give them the title of "possible classic"!

[walter]

if i had to choose only one, jointed 9 floating.

[bacon]

well, i would have to say that what i would call the new classics have been discontinued. for me personally the RR-4 is a go to, but if you see the prices of them over the last several years, you know that many, many fisherman feel the same way that it is a go to lure for many of them that leave them willing to pay upwards of $20 a bait for a tiny little crank. but it was the larger sizes of Risto raps that killed the risto line. then there was the fat rap, also killed, and brought back, and its variants, rattlin, deep rattlin, mini. as far as crankbaits go both of those (risto/fat) have been replaced brillently by the DT series.

the shad rap is now 30! but the fact they have done so much with it, even recently, shows not only the staying power of it, but that fact that it is a new classic. the SRRS, JSR, GSR, and even the MR and the new ULS all root in the success of the SR.

so to me, as far as the new classic of the last 20 years

DT and SR.

the original will always be what it is, and i dont think we will ever see it go away, and thats what makes it classic. i think the same will hold true of these two aswell.

bacon

[nathanha]

Fat rap and the number 5 risto are my go to lures. But I would say the shad rap and husky jerk would be my vote for the new classic's. Hard to find someone fishing with out those two lures.