collectors site?

[dengle74]

I just recently stumbled on this site and posted a topic regarding Holographic lures. After reading some of the responses and continuing on to other topics in this forum, I came to the conclusion that a good percentage of the members are actually Rapala collectors and not necessarily users. It doesn't surprise me in the least. I use every lure I purchase over and over and just love these things. Its not hard to understand why someone would collect them just for the sake of collecting . They sort of get in your blood. I didn't realize how popular rapalas were as collectibles until I went on Ebay. Amazing !! Anyway , Just wanted to say great site , and I'm sure it will take off quickly.

[RapalaGuru]

Dengle74,
I think what you'll find here is NOT only collectors, But users and collectors.
I'm a Rapala user and I have a Rapala collection.
I believe if I were put into numbers my 'fishing tackle' a huge % would be Rapala.
I've got a few baits other than Rapala that I use out on the water.
As for the collection part of your post, yup that's me
(take a deep breath)
I am a Rapala collector, I am a Rapala collector.

When I first started Collecting Rapala's (many years ago)
I can tell ya that things were a lot different.
You could count one one hand the number of internet sites that MIGHT have a little information about Rapala's. Also E-bay back then, well it took just a few seconds to view the very limited number of things that were listed. Most days if you got 50 things to look at,
that was really good.
In the past 20 years, that I have focused on Rapala-Normark. Things have really changed.

If I remember right, there were only a few of us that showed up 'regularly' on the auction bidding list. That and through e-mails & such is how I net-meet a few of the guys that post on here. Trap, Fishooked, Wallcat, bob (I'm sure I've left someone out, sorry) have known each other for a while now.

Now that we entered into a new year. I closed down my rapala message board.
(I was to cheap and used a free site and the pop-ups, unders and other various things got out of hand)
So with Fishooked's great Idea, I decieded to "join force's" with Fishooked board.
Hopefully this will turn out to be better thing in the long run
(Which I believe it will)
This is a great group of guys. It's been a lot of fun over the years.

Anyway, I gotta go do that day job thing.
Oh and hopefully later today I get a photo of a new addition to my collection.
This is another of those Rapala-Normark lures I never knew about.
It's one wild looking lure. I just got it.
It came from my favorite place, The Motherland of Rapala...Finland
(plus that, he also sent me a couple more very interesting Rapala-Normark catalogs)

Have a good one
Steve "Rapala-Guru"

[wallcat]

There is no doubt about it. I was fishing with Rapala's long before collecting them. Today my "box" is probaby 90% Rapala with a rough total of 80 lures. All of the "major" collectors are also avid fisherman. We hope you will add collecting to your arsenal as well. Stick around.

Shane

[dengle74]

The great thing about this site is not only are the registered members knowledgable about the use and productivity of these lures, they have a knowledge of research on where they were manufactured and who they were manufactured for. On a few occasions, I had a bit of luck with a certain Rapala lure and could no longer find it on the market. When I found this site I now realize that some lures are manufactured for Canada and some are manufactured for Japan or any number of other locations. This is a good place to keep track of the availability of a favorite lure and where to locate it. I guess I've been a collector all along and never realized it. lol Believe me, I'll stick around. Its great to see a group of people that have a common passion and are willing to share their knowledge as openly as the group in this site. Keep it up Dave

[Fishooked]

dengle74 said:

The great thing about this site is not only are the registered members knowledgable about the use and productivity of these lures, they have a knowledge of research on where they were manufactured and who they were manufactured for. On a few occasions, I had a bit of luck with a certain Rapala lure and could no longer find it on the market. When I found this site I now realize that some lures are manufactured for Canada and some are manufactured for Japan or any number of other locations. This is a good place to keep track of the availability of a favorite lure and where to locate it. I guess I've been a collector all along and never realized it. lol Believe me, I'll stick around. Its great to see a group of people that have a common passion and are willing to share their knowledge as openly as the group in this site. Keep it up Dave

Dave,

Thanks so much. I create this board some time ago and now Ive finally been able to give it some more of my own time. I would have to say that Steve (RapalaGuru) is pretty much 'The Master' .

By stumbling across his site it really opened up my eyes to the much wider scope of Rapala lures than what I was accustomed to.

I was hooked (sorry for the bad pun, lol) on them pretty much in my earlier days when I would regularly slam largemouth bass with my #9 Orignal floater. That lure got the crap beat out of it and has since been retired. Between that lure and my #7 Silver Countdown, they were my go-to baits. And since then more and more Rapalas ended up in my tackle box...

It got to the point that I actually sold off my other lure makes in my tackle box so I could get more $ for Rapalas, lol.

Then of course, discovering ebay and the colors/patterns lures that we cant get here in the good old USA. And thats pretty much how this whole thing started.

So Dave thank you so much for the kind words - we have a small (so far) core group of guys here and are hoping to make it larger and better for everyone!



Ted

[Bodeen]

I do a lot of live bait fishing, but when I use artificial, it is generally either a Rapala or a Mepps. I do have a few sonars and humpys and tots, but they don't see too much action. I do tend to use my cheaper lures to scout with when I fish from shore. Once I locate the snags, I feel more comfortable using my Rapalas.