Calvin Johnson Rapalas.

[CarverGLX]

I see these Calvin Johnson baits show up from time to time. Mostly they are risto raps with the next size risto rap bill. Example: a #5 is modified to have a #7 bill and so on. He also puts loud rattles in them.

Looking at the modifications it got me to wondering how he was removing the bill? I imaging some kind of solvent to dissolve the glue but does anyone know what that solvent is? Maybe what kind of glue is used on rapala lips? Thinking about doing some modifications of my own.

Edited May 2, 2014 by CarverGLX

[BobP]

I doubt there's a solvent that un-glues a lip and if there was, I'd be afraid it would also melt the lip's plastic and would probably mar the exposed lip surfaces too.  I use a Dremel with a thin fiber reinforced cut-off disk to remove broken lips.  Run it in at the top or bottom and it saws away the glue on one side of the lip.  Then you can usually break the lip free physically from the other side's glue bond.  Use epoxy putty to fill the lip slot when mounting the new lip and it's an invisible repair.  Risto Raps are one wood bait that you can use a propane torch on to remove the existing finish quickly because the thick white undercoating (sometimes called a "build coat") on them is non-flamable.  Run a torch over the bait and the topcoat and paint bubble right up, leaving a clean white undercoated bait to repaint.  Don't try that on other classic wood baits because many of them have very flammable undercoats that burst into vigorous flame.  Don't ask how I found that out!

 

Many classic balsa wood baits made by big manufacturers employed a thick white "build coat" over the raw wood.  The build coat covers any grain defects or small imperfections in the wood blank and serves as a good waterproof undercoat.  It speeds manufacture and keeps labor costs down since the blanks don't need to be hand sanded.  JMHO, you never want to remove the build coat anywhere on a bait you're re-finishing as doing so causes lots of problems.

 

If you used old baits in this modification, you'd end up with a lot of the #7 Risto Raps without lips - unless you had a stash of old Risto Rap lips from somewhere.  Rapala no longer builds them. 

[BobP]

P.S. - I have a few #5 and #7 Risto Raps and comparing them to Calvin Johnson models being sold on Ebay, the lips themselves don't appear to me to be larger than stock - but the line ties have been moved closer to the nose of the lure.

[CarverGLX]

Thanks BobP,

Good tip on the torch.

I'm not necessarily interested in making exactly what he made but thought the concept was pretty neat. Maybe putting a thug bill on a DT10 or vice versa, DT flat bill on a DT6, Risto bill on a shad rap..... lots of possibilities.

You may be right on using the same bill cut shorter. That would definitely be easier to explain and accomplish. I was going on something written long ago on that.

I was just thinking if the bills could be easily removed then it would be possible to make many different lures within the same brand along with using lips that I make as well. Cutting them off and putting something back wouldnt be too hard but if they would just come out it would be way better.

[sunkist]

 

Here is a Rapala DT 6 that we installed a risto rap #7 bill in.  It now dives 16'.

You just have to cut out the bill with an exacto knife.  Tedious work

Edited May 2, 2014 by sunkist

[mark poulson]

 

 

Here is a Rapala DT 6 that we installed a risto rap #7 bill in.  It now dives 16'.

You just have to cut out the bill with an exacto knife.  Tedious work

 

Where did you get the Risto Rap bill?

[sunkist]

Taken from old baits

[CarverGLX]

Thanks sunkist. I may give something similar a shot.

[mark poulson]

Thanks sunkist. I may give something similar a shot.

 

X2

[Griffond]

Someone has a video on youtube I'll see if I can find it where he takes out the coffin bill of a DT and replaces it with a larger standard shaped bill I'll see if I can locate it tomorrow after I get some sleep...

[sunkist]

Here are some risto raps and shad raps modified into wake baits

[Bassin901]

I saw that on youtube. If memory serves me correct type B Callo, and the channel should come up. Scroll through his videos to see the one that he modifies a Rapala DT.

[Skeeter]

CarverGLX,

 

You are basically looking to do what Calvin has done for years. He just did bait modifications to make some baits run different. He started doing the Risto Raps when they first came out. He got a bunch of them from David (I assume). Calvin cuts out most of his lips from the bottom at an angle. If you have ever seen one of his DBIIIs you can see real quick what I am talking about. They look like he cut them out with a chain saw. You can see it in the picture above too. The third bait down shows how the lip has been tilted down and epoxy is filled in above it. He uses Devcon 5 min. epoxy to put in his lips. Rapala puts a tit on the back of their lips and drills a hole in the back of the lip slot so that the lip lines up straight into the lure. I usually just cut through the tit and leave it in the bait. Now... check out the big kill dots on the side of the lure. That is where he drills and installs the rattles. Calvin does not paint. So, he mixes black paint into some devcon and fills the holes with it giving you the kill dot. If he needs a bait painted he usually goes to someone like James Marshall to paint them. He has a machine to make his own rattles. They are 5 and 7 mm glass rattles with a single steel ball in them. Calvin has made a name for himself doing modifications to certain baits.

 

Skeeter

[mark poulson]

Looking at the pictures with what the shad dots hide, I see my raised, moveable ballast idea for making baits "hunt" isn't original.  That's where I put mine, too.

I'd like to think it's one of those "Great minds think alike" moments, but it's probably more like "First liar don't have a chance!".  Hahaha

[Hughesy]

Skeeter, you are da man! Thanks for sharing.

[RayburnGuy]

Skeeter, you are da man! Thanks for sharing.

 

X2.....I'd like to do one of those Vulcan mind melds on Skeeter to see all the crankbait knowledge that is floating around in his head. 

 

Thanks for sharing Skeeter.

 

Ben

Edited May 31, 2014 by RayburnGuy

[no2shakyhd]

Most of the time Calvin (and others) put the same lip back in the #5, but  not before shortening the lip from the backside.  Removing part of the skinny rear portion makes the entire lip appear much wider.    Moving the line tie closer to the bait widens the wobble since the the stock risto raps were fairly subtle.