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RAPALA
what’s new from
Winter 2024
Rapala is one of the biggest fishing brand names and has been for decades. Typically, you think of their balsa hard baits, but they make many other products through Rapala and other brands. This year, they added a new brand and the biggest news from the annual ICAST show was the launch of their soft plastics, Crush City. In addition, they added a cool new jerkbait, some tweaks on popular baits, and some storage and tackle accessories to make your life easier.
WELCOME TO CRUSH CITY
Developed over the past two years with the #1 ranked bass angler in the world, Jacob Wheeler, the lineup includes five new baits. One of them, The Freeloader, was responsible for one of Wheeler’s Bass Pro Tour wins earlier this year on Lake Guntersville in Alabama.
Wheeler has also already found success this year with another Crush City bait, using the Ned BLT for a Top 10 finish on Michigan’s Lake St. Clair. This new bait uses TPE plastic, so it’s buoyant as well as being stretchy and durable. It’s a ribbed bait that is 3 inches long and will come in 16 colors.
CLEAN UP CRAW
The Cleanup Craw has thick flapping appendages that give it great action and can be fished solo or on the back of a jig. The Bronco Bug is another cool craw- imitator and the prominent appendages give the bait a
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The Freeloader was designed as a vibrating jig or spinnerbait trailer and has a baitfish profile and great action. When Wheeler won on Guntersville, he was fishing the bait by itself on a jighead and catching bass he saw on his forward-facing sonar. It’s a versatile bait that is 4.25-inches long and will be available in 17 colors.
defensive look as you move it. The Bronco Bug will come in 15 colors and the Cleanup Craw in 17.
MAYOR
The Mayor is a swimbait that comes in 3 and 4-inch sizes. Unlike many other soft swimbaits on the market, the bait was designed to have a slight body roll and subtle tail kick. It will come in 16 colors and has a thick body that allows it to be rigged in several ways, from