BALSA WOOD PLASTIC ABACHI WOOD

Balsa wood has always been the material of choice for Rapala’s iconic lures; such as the Original Floater and Countdown - the lures that started it all. Even today, a precisely shaped and precision weighted balsa body gives the lure the most responsive and lifelike action that can’t be achieved with any other material. Balsa wood is quite unique; it is a very sustainable product thanks to its rapid growth rate, and despite being so light it is still very strong and is classified as the softest commercial hardwood - the perfect initial ingredient in creating the famous Rapala “wounded minnow” action.

Abachi wood is the perfect choice for Rapala when a tougher wooden lure is required. Abachi is used in the manufacture of Rapala lures such as the Countdown Magnumlures that are designed to target big fish. Abachi offers a similar lifelike, natural swimming action to balsa. The major difference between abachi and balsa is the strength and also the buoyancy; balsa has higher buoyancy and will rise faster in the water than abachi.

Plastic is a great artificial material for manufacturing fishing lures, it lends itself to a variety of options for finishes and translucency. Plastic is ideal for lures that have to be strong and durable or neutrally buoyant (suspending). Plastic lures can be built to be as noisy as a swarm of bees or as silent as a mouse. Translucent plastic can have texture on either side, allowing very realistic lifelike finishes with 3D scales, lateral lines, gills and fins combined with internal metallic or holographic finishes and external paint and print patterns.