Pre-Rapala Wiggle Warts 2024

LivewellHero reply :

What is all the rage about Wiggle Warts before Rapala? I don't understand why everybody wants them. Please, somebody let me know?

MO_LMB reply :

After Rapala bought the Wiggle Wart from Storm, they "fixed" the mold of the Wiggle Wart so it would run true. There was a flaw in the mold of the old wiggle warts that caused them to be more erratic and have a darting action after they hit rocks and other cover that many anglers feel the new Wiggle Warts don't offer. The erratic behavior of the old wiggle wart is what Bass fisherman are after. Rapala seems to cater toward the "northern" crowd and trollers and didn't forsee the impact of the change to the wiggle wart and Bass fisherman.

Ratherbfishing reply :

It's funny, in a way, that when/after they (Rapala) "fixed" their newly acquired wiggle wart, they then introduce an entirely product, the Skatter Rap, which is designed to do basically what the old wiggle wart used to do.

Stlbob reply :

because of the erratic way they moved after striking cover they were also hard to hang up,oh it could be done,but it was tougher.The best way to tell is the seams the new Warts look seamless while the older Warts the seam is easy to see,even feel.

BobP reply :

I'm no Wart expert but know a few maniacs who are, and I fish a few Warts from different eras. The original Storm Warts had a rep of being able to "hunt" because of variability in the molding process used at the factory. In fact, some would hunt, some would not, and some were so "off" that they were un-tunable and useless. If you got a hunter, you were lucky. If not, the Wart experience was downhill from there. Even before selling to Rapala, Storm changed the plastic molds on the Wart and a lot of the variability went away. Variability in lure manufacture is not considered a good thing by most, and certainly not by Rapala who now owns Storm. The latest Warts are billed as "Original Warts" - but of course, that is not really true. "Originals" went away when their plastic molds wore out. That isn't to say that the new "Original Warts" aren't excellent crankbaits. There's a lot of hyperbole, hoopla, and voodoo mentality connected to some crankbaits and Original Warts are a prime example of it. If you want some, go to Ebay. There is an active collector's market for original Warts, still in their original bubble cards. Bring money. But if the one you get won't swim worth spit - no whining!

I'm with Ratherbefishing on the irony of Rapala "fixing" Warts while putting out the Scatter Raps. But it's really not the same thing if you look at the history.

Comfortably Numb reply :

I have been experimenting with weighting in the newer warts. My first try seemed successful but the water is hard now and it needs more experimenting. Very promising though.

http://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/129462-ultimate-searching-crankbait/

tbone1993 reply :

On 1/30/2014 at 11:53 AM, BobP said:

I'm no Wart expert but know a few maniacs who are, and I fish a few Warts from different eras. The original Storm Warts had a rep of being able to "hunt" because of variability in the molding process used at the factory. In fact, some would hunt, some would not, and some were so "off" that they were un-tunable and useless. If you got a hunter, you were lucky. If not, the Wart experience was downhill from there. Even before selling to Rapala, Storm changed the plastic molds on the Wart and a lot of the variability went away. Variability in lure manufacture is not considered a good thing by most, and certainly not by Rapala who now owns Storm. The latest Warts are billed as "Original Warts" - but of course, that is not really true. "Originals" went away when their plastic molds wore out. That isn't to say that the new "Original Warts" aren't excellent crankbaits. There's a lot of hyperbole, hoopla, and voodoo mentality connected to some crankbaits and Original Warts are a prime example of it. If you want some, go to Ebay. There is an active collector's market for original Warts, still in their original bubble cards. Bring money. But if the one you get won't swim worth spit - no whining!

I'm with Ratherbefishing on the irony of Rapala "fixing" Warts while putting out the Scatter Raps. But it's really not the same thing if you look at the history.

very informative. I really do believe that they developed as a cold water /winter bait because of their applications. Tons of salmon fishmen use then in the spring time when the water is still cool and bass fishermen picked it up from there. If bass want a wide erratic wobble in the winter and when the cold is around then those baits thrive ex shad raps.

Hooligan reply :

Different plastics, different molds. different bill design, different buoyancy, different rattles and different sound. The only reliable way to tell that it is a pre-rapala wart if it is unpainted is that it will have "Wiggle Wart" stamped on the underside centerline of the bill. If it is a Post-Rapala it will say Storm.

If it is a bait that has been painted, you have to be able to tell the difference by sound alone. Older warts are deeper in rattle tone- they used lead rattles. The newer baits are sharper in tone, they use steel. The plastic joints are a bit rough on old baits, but that is hard to tell if the bait has been painted.

When it comes to old warts, the reason they're so much more effective is that they were so erratic. They would move 4-6 inches left or right of center on retrieve. They were also a much denser bait, with less buoyancy. In cold water, they would rise slower, making them more likely to get bit.

Do new warts get bit? Sure, they catch fish. But I have a LOT more faith in Pre-Rapala Warts for early spring fishing and anywhere in the Ozarks any time of the year.

LayingZero reply :

Wiggle Wart collector here. Everyone in this feed is correct. Storm Lures sold out to Rapala several years ago and when they did, Rapala took the WW molds and tried to "improve" them. If you had a vintage wart in one and and a new wart in the other the difference would be glaring. Older vintage warts were constructed and painted with a much higher quality. Newer baits have more of a 'matte' finish where older warts have more of a glossy laquered finish.

Guys that swear by them (as mentioned above) seek them for there erratic action, quality construction and above all else, they are LOUD.

Storm produced tons of different colors -- many of them catering to different regions. They even released "Special" colors on a very limited basis that are extrememly sought after and are very rare. Today the most popular "Pre-Rapala" colors are any of the 'craw' patterns which came in several variations. Great for early spring (Feb and March) cold weater pre spawn patterns.

Storm also produced other size variations of the original Wiggle Wart - The larger, Mag Wart and the smaller Wee Warts and Pee Wee Warts. Although they are great baits they are not nearly as prized as the orginal.

Cheers.

Stlbob reply :

Have a tray full of Pre Warts..Like them a LOT...have one pattern called Missouri Craw which i got two in a trade..they sell for some ridicules prices on Ebay

LayingZero reply :

On 2/5/2014 at 1:15 AM, Stlbob said:
Have a tray full of Pre Warts..Like them a LOT...have one pattern called Missouri Craw which i got two in a trade..they sell for some ridicules prices on Ebay

Very cool...and you're right, the SP-90 brings the big bucks. I have a couple of them as well. I actually don't care for the color as far as looks go but there are guys that fish Tablerock in SW Missouri that SWEAR by them. You'd be surprised how guys pay huge dollars ($100+ for the Missouri Craw) and actually fish with them. I don't know about you but as much as I love to fish, I would be pretty hesitant to throw a $100 lure. =)

Bluebasser86 reply :

I've had the misfortune of fishing behind guys on Table Rock who were good wart fishermen when the fish were on a wart bite, it's not fun. Basically felt like I should just sit down with the net and wait to net their next fish for them. I've got both pre and post Rapala warts, both of them catch fish, but there's something about the old ones that just catch them so much better.

conorsixtakc reply :

unfortunately the only pre rapala wart I've got is in bone, but I still fish it :-) what I wouldn't give for some green and red craws.

Stlbob reply :

im torn between selling them or holding on to them because they wont get any cheaper.as the vintage warts are lost....i agree i would have a very hard time fishing something selling on ebay for a hundred bucks..In fact the 2 i have look unfished and they are going to stay that way as long as they are mine.....

I need a good BC rod badly,so im going to maybe do some horse tradin'....have not made up my mind..id give someone a hella' good deal on the pair for a nice BC rod....

conorsixtakc reply :

On 2/6/2014 at 5:45 AM, Stlbob said:

im torn between selling them or holding on to them because they wont get any cheaper.as the vintage warts are lost....i agree i would have a very hard time fishing something selling on ebay for a hundred bucks..In fact the 2 i have look unfished and they are going to stay that way as long as they are mine.....

I need a good BC rod badly,so im going to maybe do some horse tradin'....have not made up my mind..id give someone a hella' good deal on the pair for a nice BC rod....

Can you post pics? Just curious :-)

Stlbob reply :

tryin' i guess i have to get an account with photobucket or something...

conorsixtakc reply :

On 2/6/2014 at 7:27 AM, Stlbob said:
tryin' i guess i have to get an account with photobucket or something...

If you click the "more reply options" button to the right of the "post" button it will take you to a page where you can attach files with your post, as long as the file's not too big.

Stlbob reply :

take a look

TylerVC reply :

These are some of my grandpa's pre Rapala wiggle warts. He also has wee warts, flat warts, and mag warts. Sorry for the bad pic. Had to crop it to get the file size down.

BuckMaxx reply :

I grew up on the wart. I wish now I had back the jillion of em I hung in the trees. I still find the original occasionally and have several that I still use. Including my go to "missouri craw" There will never be another like them If you can find the flat wart its pretty close. Bluebasser is correct when its on you might as well be useing a crank phone callin 'em up. They are that good!!

Stlbob reply :

I guess i just go lucky.some of those colors i have 4 or 5 of. the Missouri Craw i have 2.He also had a bunch of new ' Strom ' Wiggle warts..i have 1 magnum Wiggle warts in black have not seen that color anywhere.

but your right the action is different than anything else i fish,i dont think bass want to eat them i think they want to kill them.It triggers that kind of response.

revoman reply :

How do you tell if the ones you have are the PRE-rapella warts?

MO_LMB reply :

The have "Wiggle Wart" under the bill. New ones say "Storm"

wisconsin heat reply :

On 2/7/2014 at 3:42 AM, revoman said:
How do you tell if the ones you have are the PRE-rapala warts?

I stopped at the local pawn shop today to because I thought I had seen wiggle warts there. Lucky me there was! And I scooped it up! Here is a pic of a New wiggle wart (LEFT) and PreRapala (RIGHT)

Noticeable external differences:

New wart has STORM written on underside of bill. Old wart, though faded, says WIGGLE WART.
New wart has very clean seam. Old wart has very rough visible seam.
Not sure on this one. My PreRapala Wart has dimples. Not sure if that is normal but the new wart lacks them.

Also, the pawn shop had a few PreRapala MagWarts, would those be worth picking up as well?

kanasbassfisher08 reply :

i only have three and thats cus i got a steal of a deal on ebay 3 for 42 bucks and honestly would of paid more cus they are worth it. my big thing with the new ones are way out of tune out of the box. and 2 the colors they use are nothing like the pre raps. i got a green craw to try it out and its more like a yellowish brown craw. basically if your going to call it green red or brown craw make it look like the old ones. not saying they dont have any good colors they do. but if they would just get there heads out of places. and make a better wart they could sell them for 10 to 15 bucks and if they worked like the old ones and look more like the old ones I would and many others would mind paying 10 or more bucks. simple math to me. fix what you have and sell if for 2 times as much makes as much since as chevy bringing back the camaro and putting a 4 banger

slimshad reply :

I am going to try the custom painting thing. I have bought several custom painted baits and I think i have enuf artistic ability to paint some myself. I ahve pulled so many crawdads out of my livewell this year. I have taken pictures and i know exactally what I want to do. Now I have to get the airbrush kit and give it a try. On my last trip I broke two custom baits and lost one. That was $75 gone!

Bass Psychosis reply :

I have two WW that were sold to me a prerapala. They both have wiggle wart stamped under bill. The colors are V62 "naturistic brown" and V63 naturistic green crayfish. I had understood that the prerapala warts rattled. One of these does not rattle and at the eyelet there is a "dished out" or dimpled area. The other lure is not "dished" and it has a loud rattle. Can anyone confirm that some of the prerapala WWs do not rattle? Both of the lures appear to be in excellent condition.

Thank you!

zachb34 reply :

On 12/28/2014 at 12:38 AM, Bass Psychosis said:

I have two WW that were sold to me a prerapala. They both have wiggle wart stamped under bill. The colors are V62 "naturistic brown" and V63 naturistic green crayfish. I had understood that the prerapala warts rattled. One of these does not rattle and at the eyelet there is a "dished out" or dimpled area. The other lure is not "dished" and it has a loud rattle. Can anyone confirm that some of the prerapala WWs do not rattle? Both of the lures appear to be in excellent condition.

Thank you!

Pretty sure they all have lead ratlles. I know its pretty common that the lead starts to oxidize and the rattle gets stuck. there are ways to fix it but you can risk your bait. Such as putting in very hot water expanding the plastic to loosen the rattle and then letting it cool down once its free. I wouldn't risk it depending on what color and condition it is.

flipin4bass reply :

On 2/5/2014 at 2:36 PM, Bluebasser86 said:
I've had the misfortune of fishing behind guys on Table Rock who were good wart fishermen when the fish were on a wart bite, it's not fun. Basically felt like I should just sit down with the net and wait to net their next fish for them. I've got both pre and post Rapala warts, both of them catch fish, but there's something about the old ones that just catch them so much better.

The wart and Table Rock always seemed to a match made in heaven. I remember over ten years ago I went along with my brother to an Aunts Creek tournament and the boats that carried them were slamming the bass. There were 3 or 4 tournaments taking place on the lake that weekend and when the boats came in that first afternoon, everyone was hitting the tackle shops looking for warts. By the end of the weekend I don't think you could find a wart within 30 miles of the lake. I still have a few of the old warts, but I lost my go-to wart in a red/brown color.

OneFisher85 reply :

I picked these up yesterday for $4 each. All say wiggle wart.

Tman3415 reply :

I have a bunch of pre rapala Storm pee wee, wee, wiggle, flat,steelie,short,and magnum wiggle worts I want to sell. Can anyone help on about how much they go for.?

WRB reply :

Don Iovino has his Zoner Hunter Major Craft lure on the market at TW that hunts better than the old Wiggle Warts!

Tom

BobP reply :

Predator Bass Baits sells an Asian copy of the original WW that he had molded from an early specimen. Guys who have tried them say they hunt. These are unpainted blanks. Maybe worth a shot.

Raul reply :

Son of a gun, this thread came back from the grave 2 years later, comes as no surprise since today is Nov 2, the Day of the Dead a celebration specially important for us mexican catholics.

king fisher reply :

I guided anglers for salmon on numerous rivers in Alaska for 25 years. The original Magnum Wiggle Wart has been one of the best lures for kings, as well as lake and rainbow trout. When Rapala changed the design I tried the new version in many different colors side by side with the old ones. Every day for two months. The new ones were all but worthless. Looked good but the fish didn't bite them like the old ones. Back trolling for kings was a very good way to experiment to see which lure worked best. Angler skill was not a variable, and I could switch rod holders to see if one side of the boat was what made a difference. By the end of the day I would have to change over to the old warts, on both set ups or get fired. The clients would refuse to let me put a new one on. The old ones would get bit as fast as I could back them through the hole, the new ones wouldn't even get one bite. What ever the difference is apparently both bass and salmon react to it. Then a company called Brads came out with a Wart copy. Same colors same shape. AS far as I can tell they work as well as the pre Rapala Warts for salmon. Don't know how they work for bass because I haven't tried any. Since then Rapala has gone back to the old design. I haven't had a chance to try them yet. As far as bass fishing goes, I have a few of the old wiggle warts that I fish often. When they are gone I will try both Brads, and Storms new, classic version. Now if only Reblel would come out with a classic Deep Wee R just like the ones I caught so many bass on, except with the hooks far enough apart not to tangle with each other.

rangerjockey reply :

Luckily , I still have a dozen or so pre rap warts,but the one knocker version of the Predator is a good copy..

I've always thought the Luck e Strike versions were better than the newer Rapala's. The first version leaked but the G5 is a great bait, decent paint and good hunt. The hardware isn't the best however.

Bluebasser86 reply :

On 11/5/2016 at 6:41 PM, rangerjockey said:

Luckily , I still have a dozen or so pre rap warts,but the one knocker version of the Predator is a good copy..

I've always thought the Luck e Strike versions were better than the newer Rapala's. The first version leaked but the G5 is a great bait, decent paint and good hunt. The hardware isn't the best however.

I like the G5 as well. It's done well for me in several lakes and I don't have to worry about losing a pre Rap wart while I'm fun fishing.

The Predator one knocker has been solid also and I can get it painted in the best WW colors and still be considerably cheaper than the old warts.

rboat reply :

Does anyone know approximately how deep a ww runs on average with say 12# mono?

WRB reply :

On 11/6/2016 at 11:14 PM, rboat said:

Does anyone know approximately how deep a ww runs on average with say 12# mono?

3'-6'

Tom

pawpaw reply :

On 11/6/2016 at 11:14 PM, rboat said:

Does anyone know approximately how deep a ww runs on average with say 12# mono?

I can usually get them 8'-10" on 12lb Invizx depending on cast length and retrieve. It's been a while since I've used mono for cranking but I can't recall them running significantly shallower back in the day.

rangerjockey reply :

I usually throw them on 8 lb. But have gone as light as 6. About 8 ft.

William Rossi reply :

On 11/6/2016 at 11:14 PM, rboat said:

Does anyone know approximately how deep a ww runs on average with say 12# mono?

6-8'. Prob closed to 6'with 12# mono

All Wiggle warts rattle.

The painted bills are a harder plastic and have a louder higher pitched sound.

Clear bills are softer plastic and the rattle is quieter and lower pitched. These are the ones where the rattles stick usually. The rattle chamber is small and goes side to side. Put a cloth down on a solid surface. I hit them on each side with a pair of pliers with rubber handle. You can really hit them hard if you need to. It wont hurt the bait or paint.

Suspending models have a different design rattle chamber with an extra ball.

Last_Cast reply :

I have the pre rapala and newer ones..

Pre raps are awesome, and i am afraid to use them..

New ones are okay.

cgolf reply :

So what you guys are saying is I should fish these? They were in a reject pile in the basement, I don't think I ever fished them. For the one with the suspend dot, if I take it off is it a normal wart or still different?

also standard colors or more rare?

Thanks

Bluebasser86 reply :

On 1/11/2017 at 10:31 AM, cgolf said:

So what you guys are saying is I should fish these? They were in a reject pile in the basement, I don't think I ever fished them. For the one with the suspend dot, if I take it off is it a normal wart or still different?

also standard colors or more rare?

Thanks

The purple tiger is sweet. Don't take the dot off, it let's you fish them even slower. At the very least sell it to me and buy some baits you will fish ?

IndianaFinesse reply :

How can you tell whether its a pre rapala wart or not if the bill is painted? The one i found has a visible seem, but not extremely rough.

cgolf reply :

On 1/12/2017 at 9:55 AM, Bluebasser86 said:

The purple tiger is sweet. Don't take the dot off, it let's you fish them even slower. At the very least sell it to me and buy some baits you will fish ?

PM me if you are interested, I am truly on the fence with these. Tempted to try them, but may let them go.

Tyler Cory reply :

Is there any way to determine new from old on the custom painted "original" warts you can find all over ebay? I am not seeing anything on the bill like what people are talking about in this forum but it might be painted over.

6622

Pre-Rapala Wiggle Warts 2024

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