Wiggle Warts?

[dwiebenga]

I have been shopping a lot trying to deal with the "Cabin Fever" issue right now, and I have to ask a question to all my fellow anglers. I have noticed that the pre-Rapala Warts are going for $10-15 a piece. What makes them so much better than the Rapala models? Why are they so coveted?

[edwin]

Supposedly the orginals don't run as true as the new ones, giving them a more eradic action. I've got some of the originals and new one...don't really notice much of a difference. For me, either the conditions are good for a WW or they're not good for a WW.

[zsmith62]

I don't know how valid this is, but maybe it is just the fact that they are no longer making them, and are becoming rarer. I can remember when they first stopped being made, one of the guys who lived up the street who was big into fishing as well was telling us how he was going up to bass pro to buy up as many as he could. Don't know if he thought they may become collectables, or if he even knew that rapala would take over production, but that may have something to do with it.

My best guess is that they have just become rarer, partly because of things like I just mentioned, but also because of rumors that they run truer. I don't know what it may be, or just a combination of both, but thats my theory.

[Bill P]

I don't know how valid this is, but maybe it is just the fact that they are no longer making them, and are becoming rarer. I can remember when they first stopped being made, one of the guys who lived up the street who was big into fishing as well was telling us how he was going up to bass pro to buy up as many as he could. Don't know if he thought they may become collectables, or if he even knew that rapala would take over production, but that may have something to do with it.

My best guess is that they have just become rarer, partly because of things like I just mentioned, but also because of rumors that they run truer. I don't know what it may be, or just a combination of both, but thats my theory.

I understand that when they sold the company,they changed the wart and removed the erratic action. That changed the lure,and it WAS noticed. I believe they have since gone back to the original molds,and colors. They seem to be as they were originally.

Warts are highly collectable,and original lures in the box can bring $20-30.00 or more. I buy the old suspenders(standard wart)they no longer make, and repaint them to the colors I prefer. They stay on/near bottom a bit longer,so you can work em slower.

[rps]

When Rapala bought the brand, one of the things they did was change the construction of the wart to have an inserted bill instead of a molded in bill. They also had split rings instead of clips. Something about cost, running true, etc. The new warts with the insert bill do not/did not run the same. Many felt the changes lost the best qualities of the original Storm designs. People became so active in their search for the old baits that Rapala began to make the older style bait again. Look for the ones labeled "Original" I don't know if they actually use the original molds and the exact process, but the bait definitely works well.

Interesting other stuff:

The non compete has expired and the family makes Dave's Kaboom and other baits. ->

daveslures.com

On the West coast Brad's Wigglers are scary close to the same bait. Brad's also makes look alikes for the Hotntot, thunderstick, and flat fish. I've read there was some litigation, but don't really know the full story.

bsfishtales.com

[skeeter]

What the ???? I must be living in a cave !

Storm lures was sold to Rapala and they discontinued the suspending Wart ? When did this happen ? Thank goodness I still have some suspending Phantom Green crayfish in the boxes.

[Wayne SW/MO]

I understand that when they sold the company,they changed the wart and removed the erratic action. That changed the lure,and it WAS noticed. I believe they have since gone back to the original molds,and colors. They seem to be as they were originally.

This was the way I understood it also. I remember there was a stampede by TR bass fishermen for the watermelons at one time.

[redbud]

have to agree with edwin,fished em both doesnt seem to matter .sounds like the lure is catching the fisherman.

[troutgnat]

Gentlemen,

Most of you are correct. I was actually a Rapala/Storm rep for Mo/Ks at the time this happened. I actually can recall being at the factory meeting at the Rapala headquarters with all the reps as we listened to how proud they(Rapala staff) were about the new 'true' action of the bait! I don't need to tell you what was going through my mind.

When I got back from the meeting and hit the road looking to get my distributor "early buy-ins" I got my rear handed to me! Very few wanted the new warts so I tried to load up as many of the old ones as I could but found that very few were left to be had. WHY???..............someone already hit the nail on the head!......Bass Pro, Pittmans and a few other very large distributors and retailers quickly became of the situation and worked very "large" buy-in deals on all the old warts for the spring tackle shows. This left practically nothing left for the mom/pap distributors/dealers. Remember the Bass Pro Spring Classic and the huge dump bins of original "warts" for cheap?; well that's how it came to be!!! I did not have the Bass Pro account so you can imagine how things turned out for me!........Not good!!!!

Now for the rest of the story! The old baits were "molded" in two pieces right down the middle! One of the tale-tales of the original warts is the glue line you can see right down the back of the bait. The "new" Rapala versions were more of a machined style. The bodies and lips were made seperately and the lips were then inserted and glued in place.

Everyone has heard the saying "Lures are made to catch fisherman not fish", well that was true with the new wiggle wart. Rapala thought they were doing fisherman a good thing and were going to sell a lot more warts. So, So, not true!!! Fisherman knew that the "old" warts weren't always reliable and that occasionally you would get one that just couldn't be tuned and wouldn't for @*&** BUT they were willing to live with this because they knew they caught fish! Old warts weren't reliable and often had a 'kick-out' to them but it's that erratic action that caught fish! It's all about the action(and colors) and that's why they are so hoarded and sought out by us fisherman that know this!

If anybody can track down ole' Jim Morton he was the original Storm rep for years and was still at the time that this happened. He can give you the whole life story of Storm and the "wart"........and he knew how to fish them too!

So it a nutshell there you have and there is one of the reasons "Original" Warts cost so much now!

[Wayne SW/MO]

Bass Pro is where I remember people digging to the bottom of the bins looking for the watermelons.