Rapala
Rapala Original Floater
Balsa, hand-tuned, and still the reference minnow.
ChronicAnglers is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you.
Balsa is the reason this lure has outlived most of its imitators. It is far lighter than moulded plastic, so the body starts working at a much slower retrieve and keeps its action in slack water, in current and on a dead-slow crawl over shallow weed. That is a real difference, not a heritage story.
Why the Rapala Original Floater stands out
Balsa works at slow speeds
A heavier plastic minnow needs speed to generate action. A balsa body responds to almost nothing, which is why this catches fish on a retrieve slow enough to look like a lure that has stopped working.
It floats, which gives you a pause
The single most productive thing you can do with a floating minnow is stop reeling. It rises, and fish that were following commit. A sinking lure cannot offer that, and most anglers under-use it.
Fish it everywhere shallow
Trout in rivers, bass along weed edges, pike in bays, walleye at night in the shallows. The Original is not a specialist and never was, which is why it has stayed on the wall for decades.
At a glance
| Body | Balsa |
|---|---|
| Action | Floating, wobbling |
| Best for | Trout, bass, pike, walleye |
| Retrieve | Slow to medium, with pauses |
The verdict
If you own one hard lure, own this one. Buy a size that matches the bait fish where you fish, and remember that the pause is where the bites come from.
ChronicAnglers is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you.