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Customer Reviews for Rapala Rapala® Original Floating® Minnow

Rapala Rapala® Original Floating® Minnow

Rapala's Original Floating Minnow is the lure that started it all and is still one of the most popular lures around. Whether twitched on the top as a surface bait, retrieved as a shallow runner, weighted with a split-shot for medium depths or bottom walked off a sinker rig, the Original Floating Minnow's wounded minnow action continues to be irresistible to game fish.
Average Customer Rating:
4.877 out of 5
4.9
 out of 
5
(195 Reviews) 195
Rating Snapshot
Open Ratings Snapshot
Rating Snapshot (195 reviews)
5 stars
174
4 stars
19
3 stars
1
2 stars
1
1 star
0
193 of 195(99%)customers would recommend this product to a friend.
Customer Questions & Answers:
14 Questions | 88 Answers
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Customer Reviews for Rapala® Original Floating® Minnow
Review 1 for Rapala® Original Floating® Minnow
Overall Rating:
5 out of 5
5 out of 5

Best Lure Ever

,
November 23, 2011
By RhymesWithBunt
from Medford Lakes, NJ
Advantages: Ease of use, Style/Design, Performs well, Value for money, Quality
"This lure consistently catches fish every time of the year for me. It has caught me numerous bass, as well as a few very large pickerel. One pickerel was 24+ inches and 6 lbs. I first purchased this lure a few years back and have never looked back. I never leave home without this lure. It is by far my favorite lure to use for bass. I have used this in all types of water, all types of conditions, all times of the day, and all times of the year. Shallow water, weedy banks, at any time of the year, always catches bass how I fish. I love this lure. Any color works, but the Fire Tiger is my go to color, along with the White Perch. Bottom line, buy this lure and I guarantee you will catch fish."
What is your favorite type of fishing? Freshwater
How many times a month do you fish on average? 5+
Do you own a boat? Yes
Would you recommend this product as a gift? Yes
Review 2 for Rapala® Original Floating® Minnow
Overall Rating:
5 out of 5
5 out of 5

Amazing old timer

,
February 27, 2010
By YankeeBoater
"One of the best lures ever made for the shallows. Can also catch almost any kind of freshwater fish (with the appropriate size) - trout, perch, crappie, small and largemouth bass, pickerel, pike, I'd guess they work for walleye and musky too.
The floaters are very lightweight, and should either be used on the surface or swimming (shallow depth lure). Need fairly light tackle to cast them well.
The sinkers will work down to 10 feet or so at least.
My favorite is to work the floaters very slowly as a "crippled minnow" on the surface for bass/pickerel/pike... watch out!"
Review 3 for Rapala® Original Floating® Minnow
Overall Rating:
5 out of 5
5 out of 5

Go-to Lure

,
July 10, 2007
By Alabamian
"This is my go-to lure. I prefer the simple silver or gold, and any length will do. Even smaller bass will hit the 5-1/4", so that helps when the bite is scarce. I've fished this lure for years and I've found that the best way to fish it is to:
1) From your boat, cast it as close to cover as possible, i.e. under overhanging trees, deep into nooks, and breaks in grass beds.
2) Snap your rod tip 2-4 times so that the lure sputters and darts underwater about 3 inches and then floats to the top (mimicking a wounded minnow).
3) Quickly reel it in and repeat. If a bass strikes and misses, quickly reel it in and toss back to exact same place.
Sidenote: I have found that if bass are gonna hit it, they'll hit it within the first 2-4 twitches. Twitching it any longer is usually a waste of time. Reeling it quickly after the 4th twitch often produces reaction strikes as bass think the lure is "fleeing". This lure is a blast to fish and almost always produces."
29 of 29 people found this review helpful.
Review 4 for Rapala® Original Floating® Minnow
Overall Rating:
5 out of 5
5 out of 5

My Trump Card

,
August 25, 2006
By JeffG
from Fairfield County, CT
"The hook on this thing practically sets itself! I prefer the jointed version over this one, but I like to keep both in my box to use as the situation dictates. I use the F07 (1/8oz) in the color 01 (Silver) and 02 (Gold) and have a lot of luck with it. I am a fast-paced (i.e. impatient) fisherman at times and like to really get this thing diving. On the way back up, if you give it enough room, it'll catch you bass, panfish, and I even got a smaller sized muskie on it once. Like I said before, the hookset is fantastic. I recommend it a lot, but (again) personally prefer the action on the jointed version. Give both a shot and see which one does it for you!"
What is your favorite type of fishing? Freshwater
How many times a month do you fish on average? 5+
Do you own a boat? No
4 of 4 people found this review helpful.
Review 5 for Rapala® Original Floating® Minnow
Overall Rating:
5 out of 5
5 out of 5

It Works

,
April 11, 2012
By TheThorn
Advantages: Performs well
"Like the other reviews, this lure simply works. My wife caught the biggest bass in her life in the lake where she's fished for 30 years even though she's always been skeptical of artificials - not anymore!"
Review 6 for Rapala® Original Floating® Minnow
Overall Rating:
5 out of 5
5 out of 5

Great lure

,
December 19, 2011
By Colten
from hyndman PA
Advantages: Ease of use, Style/Design, Performs well, Quality
Disadvantages: little pricey but worth it
"Can always count on Rapala for making great products. went fishing with a friend of mine on a local lake and he had on of the F13 in florescent red and was slaying largemouths on it. i didnt have one, of course. So a few days later i went out and bought 2 of them, in the red and firetiger, and took it to my friends pond. He wanted to try it out, so i let him. he was just messing around with it a little bit, and them bam, about a 5 pounder hit it. zippin drag out with it. right before he got his hands on it, it came off, but that couldve been anythings fault. This is an amazing lure, highly recommend,"
What is your favorite type of fishing? Freshwater
How many times a month do you fish on average? 5+
Do you own a boat? No
Would you recommend this product as a gift? Yes
Review 7 for Rapala® Original Floating® Minnow
Overall Rating:
5 out of 5
5 out of 5

Very Reliable

,
October 24, 2011
By IFCadets
from Central Iowa
Advantages: Ease of use, Style/Design, Performs well, Quality
Disadvantages: high cost
"We were fishing for yellow bass with jigs and night crawlers on a small lake and getting no bites. We switched to Original Rapala F-05 size in silver and gold colors and started trolling. Right away started catching fish - the yellow bass love them! The only bad part was that I had a lot of fish to fillet."
What is your favorite type of fishing? Freshwater
How many times a month do you fish on average? 2
Do you own a boat? Yes
Would you recommend this product as a gift? Yes
Review 8 for Rapala® Original Floating® Minnow
Overall Rating:
5 out of 5
5 out of 5

great lure

,
October 12, 2011
By fishinguy83
Advantages: Ease of use, Style/Design, Performs well, Value for money, Quality, good action
"i had the 1/16 ounce version for panfish. i had only used it once before and caught a couple gills. one day nothing was working so i tied on this lure and caught 4 bass in a matter of minutes! i now consider this a go to lure."
What is your favorite type of fishing? Freshwater
How many times a month do you fish on average? 5+
Do you own a boat? No
Would you recommend this product as a gift? Yes
Review 9 for Rapala® Original Floating® Minnow
Overall Rating:
5 out of 5
5 out of 5

BEST LURE EVER

,
September 8, 2011
By ippersplashfisher
Advantages: Ease of use, Style/Design, Performs well, Quality, catches it all
"I love this lure. iv caught tons of smallmouth a few largemouth some big pike and pickrel ... along with some purch.... top coulers are floresent orange with a gold belly and blue"
What is your favorite type of fishing? Freshwater
How many times a month do you fish on average? 5+
Do you own a boat? Yes
Would you recommend this product as a gift? Yes
Review 10 for Rapala® Original Floating® Minnow
Overall Rating:
4 out of 5
4 out of 5

OK

,
August 14, 2011
By Richmond
from georga
Advantages: Ease of use, Performs well, Value for money, Quality
"good lure if you pick the right size. the two that i have are size 11,13. i was fishing with the 13 size and cast it to shore and when it hit the water a bass came right under it. i was so shocked that i didn't move the lure and the bass hit the top of the lure (smart fish) so i didn't get him and i haven't caught any because of the size so if you are going to get this lure remember the size of the fish to the size of the lure."
What is your favorite type of fishing? Freshwater
How many times a month do you fish on average? 5+
Do you own a boat? No
Would you recommend this product as a gift? Yes
Review 11 for Rapala® Original Floating® Minnow
Overall Rating:
5 out of 5
5 out of 5

Old Faithful

,
August 2, 2011
By Ronj
from Greenwood, Indiana
Advantages: Ease of use, Style/Design, Performs well, Value for money, Quality
"Have used these lures for 20 plus years. Always catch big fish with them. We often troll them and land big Walleyes and Northerns. A staple for any tackle box. favorite colors are gold, Silver and perch."
What is your favorite type of fishing? Freshwater
How many times a month do you fish on average? 1
Do you own a boat? Yes
Would you recommend this product as a gift? Yes
Review 12 for Rapala® Original Floating® Minnow
Overall Rating:
5 out of 5
5 out of 5

killer lures

,
July 21, 2011
By fishinfool4sure
from lakes region ,nh.
Advantages: Ease of use, Style/Design, Performs well, Value for money, Quality
"have used rapala baits for years.best calm water topwater bait i,ve ever used.i have caught bass,crappies & trout on these babies! i highly recommend" em!!"
What is your favorite type of fishing? Freshwater
How many times a month do you fish on average? 5+
Do you own a boat? Yes
Would you recommend this product as a gift? Yes
Review 13 for Rapala® Original Floating® Minnow
Overall Rating:
5 out of 5
5 out of 5

Rapala's - Always consistent

,
July 21, 2011
By Marauder
from Australia
Advantages: Ease of use, Style/Design, Performs well, Quality
"I haven't come across a bad Rapala yet and I have been using this type of lure for over 15 years. When trout are finicky ... these still perform."
What is your favorite type of fishing? Freshwater
How many times a month do you fish on average? 4
Would you recommend this product as a gift? Yes
Review 14 for Rapala® Original Floating® Minnow
Overall Rating:
5 out of 5
5 out of 5

Must Have

,
July 14, 2011
By JTH1989
from Michigan
Advantages: Ease of use, Performs well, Quality
"This is a go to lure when fishing for smallmouth bass. Trolling in 8-15 feet of water with sliver/black or gold/black will produce fish. Great lure and if not lost should always have a spot in anyones tackle box."
What is your favorite type of fishing? Freshwater
How many times a month do you fish on average? 5+
Would you recommend this product as a gift? Yes
Review 15 for Rapala® Original Floating® Minnow
Overall Rating:
5 out of 5
5 out of 5

love these

,
July 10, 2011
By talonlee
from wind gap pa
Advantages: Performs well, Quality
"trout and bass love these i use f3 and f5 in multiple colors"
What is your favorite type of fishing? Freshwater
How many times a month do you fish on average? 5+
Do you own a boat? No
Would you recommend this product as a gift? Yes
Review 16 for Rapala® Original Floating® Minnow
Overall Rating:
5 out of 5
5 out of 5

Hot Steel

,
May 14, 2011
By bassaddict76
from Richmond, VA
Advantages: Ease of use, Style/Design, Performs well, Value for money, Quality
"I don't know what it is about this little lure, but we've used them all and the F05 Hot Steel will catch the heck out of fish in VA lakes. We've litterally tried other colors in the same size and they don't compare. I think other people might be figuring this out because they always seem to be out of stock."
What is your favorite type of fishing? Freshwater
How many times a month do you fish on average? 5+
Do you own a boat? Yes
Would you recommend this product as a gift? Yes
Review 17 for Rapala® Original Floating® Minnow
Overall Rating:
5 out of 5
5 out of 5

Multiple actions

,
April 19, 2011
By Lilbassboy
from Merrimack NH
Advantages: Ease of use, Style/Design, Performs well, Value for money, Quality, multiple ways to fish, multispecies lure, good action
"the rapala original minnow is an amazing lure that has been recreated in different lures like the tail dancer, the x-rap, the x-rap deep, the countdown and others. this lure can be twiched on top retrieved at a slow pace in the first few feet of water, can be put on a split shot rig or trolled on a three way rig. this another great lure that will put fish in the boat. thank you rapala!"
What is your favorite type of fishing? Freshwater
How many times a month do you fish on average? 5+
Do you own a boat? No
Would you recommend this product as a gift? Yes
Review 18 for Rapala® Original Floating® Minnow
Overall Rating:
5 out of 5
5 out of 5

One word:

,
April 7, 2011
By SamB
from Mansfield, MA
Advantages: Ease of use, Style/Design, Performs well, Value for money, Quality, winning
"Wow!
I got a Silver F07 in the mail last night, and took it out today on my Abu Vendetta/Quantum Q-Vex setup. I live on a small pond, so trust me when I say I've been waiting for the season to start for a while!
Had two good size yellow perch chase after it almost immediately, but it's fairly cold up here in MA so I called it quits figuring that'd be it. After noticing the way the perch swam, I tried to make my minnow do that. A slow-medium speed retrieve, pause, move a few feet, pause, then begin a slow retrieve again. Came back after dinner, when I know they're active (about an hour before sunset) and had a few sunfish chasing after it. Two casts later and WHAM! A 13" chain pickerel. My first fish of the year and the first day I've had this thingI I had everything in the pond chase after it! YOU WILL CATCH FISH WITH THIS! There's a reason the design hasn't changed in so long, it really works! I'm a Rapala believer from this day forth!
"
What is your favorite type of fishing? Freshwater
How many times a month do you fish on average? 5+
Do you own a boat? Yes
Would you recommend this product as a gift? Yes
Review 19 for Rapala® Original Floating® Minnow
Overall Rating:
5 out of 5
5 out of 5

fish on

,
March 21, 2011
By snikwahekim
from chino valley, az
Advantages: Ease of use, Style/Design, Performs well, Value for money, Quality
"Was able to spend a week fishing Alamo Lake in AZ. These original floating lures were my go to lure for consistent hook ups. whether fishing in the stick ups or fishing the shoreline I was always able to get a bite. A friend was with me and was not having much success I offered one of the floating lures. Once he started fishing with it it was like he was a kid in a candy store. he commented that he hadn't ever caught this many fish at one outing. One evening,within about 2 hours we had caught 13 fish."
What is your favorite type of fishing? Freshwater
How many times a month do you fish on average? Less than 1
Do you own a boat? Yes
Would you recommend this product as a gift? Yes
Review 20 for Rapala® Original Floating® Minnow
Overall Rating:
5 out of 5
5 out of 5

go to lure

,
March 17, 2011
By dollar80
from Central Indiana
Advantages: Ease of use, Style/Design, Performs well, Quality
Disadvantages: a little expensive
"I learned to Bass fish on the floating rapala. I would recommend this lure to anyone starting out. You can't really fish it wrong. Black and silver is the color I normally use. Hope this helps out."
What is your favorite type of fishing? Freshwater
How many times a month do you fish on average? 5+
Do you own a boat? Yes
Would you recommend this product as a gift? Yes
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