Rapala: A Brand You Know, Travel Rods You Probably Don’t

Rapala JDM logo

I’m just about certain that the first largemouth bass I ever caught on an artificial lure came on the Original Rapala Floating Minnow, probably a size 5 or 7. A couple of years later I graduated to the jointed version, and those were pretty much my staples until I hit my mid-teens. I still throw a lot of their products, like the DT Series, and of course the Shad Rap, but until I saw them in a Brazilian tackle shop I had no idea that Rapala made rods, too.

If you go to their Japanese website, however, you’ll learn that the venerable Finnish-born brand has quite an extensive lineup of rods, including travel sticks.

The four-piece Classic Countdown comes in both light baitcasting and light spinning versions, both 6’6”, and featuring old-school cork handles.

Rapala Classic countdown travel rods jdm

The Trail Blazers are more modern-looking, and come in three baitcasting models and three spinning models, all either 6’4” or 6’6”, from ultralight through medium-heavy.

Rapala Trail Blazer JDM travel rods 4-piece

The Trail Blazer Madai Docan Driver is a 6’10” baitcaster that’ll cast lures over 4 ounces. It’s the first travel rod I’ve seen with spiral-wrapped guides.

Rapala Madai Docan monster hunt driver travel rod JDM

Finally, there’s the 6’8” Trail Blazer Medium Versatile – “bass fishing only” – which comes in both baitcasting and spinning models.

Rapala Medium Versatile travel rod JDM pack rod

Once again, all of this is just another way of showing how much more advanced foreign markets – and in particular those in Asia – are when it comes to travel gear. Fortunately, even though you might not be able to test them in your local tackle shop, a lot of these products are available through Ebay and international retailers — generally at very affordable prices. If that doesn’t appeal to you, Tackle Warehouse has an increasingly solid selection.

 
Previous
Previous

Shimano: A Brand You Know, Travel Rods You Probably Don’t

Next
Next

Products That’ll Get Me Bit in ‘23