The 5 Best Rapala Lures for Trout

Rapalas have long been known to be an excellent lure for not only trout fishing, but for fishing for species worldwide. The small baitfish imitation, combined with beautiful patterns that represent a variety of natural (and non-natural) baitfish. Many trout fishermen have never been turned onto fishing with crankbaits or Rapalas, and that’s a shame.

Nearly all of my biggest fish have come while fishing with Rapala jerk baits. In the post below I’ll show you my top 5 favorite styles of Rapalas for Trout fishing, my favorite Rapala Patterns, and how to fish them.

1) Best Rapala for Trout: The Husky Jerk

The Husky Jerk is my #1 go-to all-time favorite best trout fishing lure ever. The erratic side-to-side action, combined with the loud rattle of the metal beads inside makes it a fish-catching machine.

The Husky Jerk is designed to be a suspending lure, which I find to be the best style jerk bait for trout fishing. Rather than rising back to the top, or sinking towards the bottom, the suspending style makes the bait just suspend wherever it is in the water column. This is an excellent strategy to try and trigger a bite. It makes the lure appear as though it were an injured baitfish struggling to get out of the current.

A beautiful early spring Brown Trout I caught using a #8 Rapala Husky Jerk in Gold

My favorite way to fish the Husky Jerk is by casting straight upstream or preferably at a 45-degree angle. Then I steadily retrieve it at a moderate pace and slowly jerk my rod every few turns to give it an extra erratic movement. In bigger deeper holes or runs, I will give the bait two big jerks right when it hits the water, in an effort to get the lure down in the water column and into the strike zone as fast as possible.

 

Best Husky Jerk Sizes for Trout Fishing

Model Number	Running Depth	Body Length	Weight	Treble Hooks
HJ06	4′-6′	2-1/2″	1/8 oz.	Two No. 10
HJ08	4′-6′	3-1/8″	1/4 oz.	Two No. 6
HJ10	4′-8′	4″	3/8 oz.	Two No. 5
HJ12	4′-8′	4-3/4″	7/16 oz.	Three No. 6
HJ14	4′-8′	5-1/2″	5/8 oz.	Three No. 4

2) Original Floating Rapala

The Original Floating Rapala is the lure that put Rapala on the map and arguably started the entire jerkbait / crankbait market ablaze. The original design was made in 1936 and was made using cork wrapped in tinfoil. Today, the lures are made of high-buoyancy balsa wood and feature high-strength VMC treble hooks.

The floating Rapala is a great choice when fishing in shallower runs or pools. It has a very erratic side-to-side action when steadily retrieved. Because it floats, it’s easier to control the depth of the bait and keep it just above the bottom when retrieving it.

I use original floaters a lot during the mid-summer months when the river banks are overgrown with vegetation that hangs over the bank. This overgrown vegetation gives trout an excellent hiding spot to ambush crickets, grasshoppers, beetles, and other small insects that might fall into the river from the bank. These overgrown banks are usually shallower than the middle of the creek, so using a floater helps prevent getting snagged or caught up on the bottom.

Original Floater Sizes

Model Number	Running Depth	Length	Weight	Treble Hooks
F03	2′-4′	1-1/2″	1/16oz.	Two No. 12
F05	3′-5′	2″	1/16oz.	Two No. 10
F07	3′-5′	2-3/4″	1/8oz.	Two No. 7
F09	3′-5′	3-1/2″	3/16oz.	Two No. 7
F11	4′-6′	4-3/8″	3/16oz.	Three No. 6
F13	4′-6′	5-1/4″	1/4oz.	Three No. 5
F18	6′-11′	7″	11/16oz.	Three No. 2

3) Rapala Countdown

The Rapala Countdown is the original sinking bait designed and introduced by Rapala. This lure was originally released in the 1960s and is still a fish-catching machine to this day. The lure has a slightly different design than the original floater. It has more of a slow-rolling action, and despite being made of balsa wood, the countdown is weighted and will sink when in the water. Another advantage to that extra weight is the ability to cast these lures a very long way.

The most appealing feature of the countdown is the fact that it sinks! The lure sinks at a rate of one foot per second, which makes it easier to ensure your baits are getting towards the bottom and into the strike zone. This is an excellent lure for fishing in lakes, but also targeting trout in the deepest parts of a run or pool.

Best Rapala Countdown Sizes

Model Number	Running Depth	Body Length	Weight	Treble Hooks
CD01	1′-3′	1″	1/16 oz.	One No. 12
CD03	2′-3′	1-1/2″	1/8 oz.	Two No. 12
CD05	3′-6′	2″	3/16 oz.	Two No. 10
CD07	5′-8′	2-3/4″	1/4 oz.	Two No. 7
CD09	7′-10′	3-1/2″	7/16 oz.	Two No. 5
CD11	9′-13′	4-3/8″	9/16 oz.	Two No. 3

4) Rapala X-Rap

The X Rap is a jerk bait that was introduced by Rapala and had instant success. The bait has a slough of fish-attracting features including dressed tail hooks, holographic eyes, lateral lines, and much more. The bait can be retrieved in a bunch of different ways. The lure is also designed for maximum castability, the weight distribution allows you to cast the X Rap like a bullet. The most common is to work it like a jerk bait, giving a few twitches and then letting it pause. The bait does have a natural tendency to suspend when paused.

This erratic slashing and twitching motion can be an excellent way to entice a trophy trout to latch on.

Rather than a steady retrieve, my preferred method is to use the X Rap like a twitch bait or jerk bait. When I go through a spot that I think looks really fishy or has a high likelihood of holding a big trout, I will go back and use a slower working bait like the X Rap. I usually fish steady retrieve baits like the Husky Jerk or Countdown as I am working a section of a river. Then when I pass a spot that doesn’t produce, I will let it sit for a while and go back and try it again with a slower bait like the X Rap.

Best Rapala X Rap Sizes

Model Number	Running Depth	Body Length	Weight	Treble Hooks
XR04	2′-3′	1-1/2″	1/16 oz.	Two No. 12
XR06	3′-5′	2-1/2″	1/8 oz.	Two No. 10
XR08	3′-5′	3-1/8″	1/4 oz.	Two No. 6
XR10	4′-6′	4″	7/16 oz.	No. 4 and 5
XR12	4′-8′	4-3/4″	3/4 oz.	Two No. 2

5) Rapala Ultralight Minnow

The Rapala ultralight minnow is a relatively new lure introduced by Rapala. This small lure is part of the Ultralight family of lures, made for targeting species with ultralight tackle. The ultralight minnow is an excellent little lure for smaller streams or creeks. The lure has a slow sink, which makes it easier to get down in the water column and into the strike zone. The lip design helps induce a wobble / rolling action which imitates a wounded baitfish. Aside from these features, the finish is extraordinary, with a 3D scale pattern and holographic eyes that really bring these micro lures to life.

I really like fishing the ultralight minnow during the colder winter and early spring months. During these cold water times, trout tend to be a bit more lethargic as they conserve energy and don’t feed nearly as aggressively. Smaller baits tend to be an easier target, and the energy a trout will expend to catch a small baitfish is likely to have a higher likelihood of success compared to a larger bait. The ultralight minnow is also a favorite lure of mine for targeting small stream brook trout. These aggressive little char are a sucker for the flash and wobble of the ultralight minnow.

Best Ultralight Minnow Sizes

Model Number	Running Depth	Body Length	Weight	Treble Hooks
ULM04	2′-3′	1-1/2″	1/8 oz.	Two No. 10
ULM06	2′-3′	2-1/2″	1/8 oz.	Two No. 8