In August,1962, an article in Life magazine introduced the Original Rapala Floating Minnow to America. Coincidentally, the shocking death of movie star Marilyn Monroe was the cover story that month, becoming the biggest-selling Life issue of all time. A whole lot of eyeballs became acquainted with Rapalas as a result, launching the fledgling company into the angling stratosphere.

The subtly wiggling minnow imitator instituted a whole new generation of realistically patterned lures that imitated the shivering swimming action of minnow lures. The word “crankbait” was yet to be coined, which anglers later came to associate with rounder-bodied, harder-wobbling lures made from balsa and later plastic. The new Rapalas—pronounced Rap’ uh lah everywhere except Wisconsin, where they are still referred to as Ruh pall’ uhs—were typically cast out and retrieved with slow retrieves, interrupted by pauses, to generate their lifelike, minnow-imitating action. Soon thereafter, anglers discovered their effectiveness longline trolling them for walleyes, and the rest is history.

Early on, bass fishermen discovered that the featherweight minnows also did double duty as surface lures. Cast one into very shallow water, wait for the resulting rings spreading across the surface to dissipate, and then impart a gentle twitch to the lure. The result mimicks an injured minnow flittering on the surface. You could almost silently cast one into the extreme shallows without spooking finicky fish. All it then took was subtle twitches and slow movements, interspersed with pauses, to intrigue bass to rush over and smack the lure off the surface.

All these tactics remain as deadly as ever today. Subtle never goes out of style for catching spooky or pressured bass. Today’s bass anglers should take advantage of not only their irresistible wiggling action, but their realistic appearance when floating at rest on the surface. They’re deadly lures to cast into the shallows in spring, using light line and spinning tackle to enhance casting distance and stealth.

If you enjoying learning about fishing history and how it applies to today’s anglers, you’ll enjoy the articles in MidWest Outdoors. Subscribe on our website.