New CountDown Elite Builds on Legendary Rapala Tradition

Good things come to those who wait. Such wisdom is understood well by every angler who's ever caught a big fish on an original Rapala® CountDown® bait.

Cast. Wait. Count: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10... Now reel. Fish on!

Rapala knows this as well, having waited until now to leverage 80-plus years of lure-making experience and expertise into its new high-tech CountDown Elite lure.

Introduced in the 1960s, the original CountDown® Rapala® has been a consistent multi-species fish-catcher. Fast-forward to today and the original Rapala CountDown, along with the Scatter Rap® CountDown®, the X-Rap® CountDown® and the CountDown® Magnum®, still remain favorites among anglers worldwide, including many top bass fishing pros.

Rapala's new CountDown® Elite bait builds on that tradition while blasting into the brave new world of high-tech tackle and digital-age anglers. The CD Elite is forged, Flattened, one piece through wire construction that improves durability making this a super premium balsa bait.

Like its predecessor, the CountDown Elite is built from balsa and features the legendary controlled-sink characteristic. That classic chassis launches on the cast like a heat-seeking missile, rocket-boosted by an innovative lead-free tungsten-polymer weighting system that maximizes casting distance and accuracy.

On the drop – as you literally count it down – the CountDown Elite will flutter tantalizingly to your desired depth, repeatedly reaching the strike-zone and remaining there throughout your retrieve. A slower sinking speed differentiates the new CountDown Elite from its predecessor – 1-1/2 feet per second for the Elite versus 1 foot per second for the original.

As with all Rapala lures, the CountDown Elite swims with a distinct wobbling action, mimicking the life-like action of a wounded live minnow. It's that signature action that triggers aggressive attacks by gamefish.

"Rapala has a unique process for breathing magic into balsa and transforming it into the most life-like bait available to anglers anywhere," explained Matt Jensen, Rapala USA VP of Marketing. "There have been many imitators, but none have come close to duplicating the truly unique life-like action of a Rapala balsa lure."

Cast or troll CountDown Elite lures to find fish quickly and consistently throughout the water column, whether they're hanging around weed tops or holding tight to the bottom. Hand-tuned and tank-tested, they will swim perfectly, fresh out of the box. Secured tip-to-tail by a forged, flattened, one-piece through-wire, they're as durable as they are dependable.

CountDown Elites are available in 12 high-definition color patterns that add fish-triggering flash with metallic plating and gilded faces.

In stained to muddy water, tie on one of the four bright, attention-grabbing color patterns – Gilded Clown, Gilded Chartreuse Orange, Gilded Firetiger, and Gilded Hot Tiger. In crystal-clear to lightly stained water, throw a CountDown Elite in one of the eight natural-baitfish patterns – Gilded Minnow, Gilded Brown Trout, Gilded Rainbow Trout, Gilded Gold Shad, Gilded Silver Shad, Gilded Vairon, Gilded Iwana and Gilded Wakasagi.

Fun facts: "Vairon" is French for "Minnow." Salvelinus leucomaenis, the whitespotted char, is a trout in the genus Salvelinus, called "Iwana" in Japanese. "Wakasagi" are pelagic baitfish found in many California lakes, streams and reservoirs.

The CountDown Elite is available in two sizes. The No. 55 model weighs 3/16^th oz. and measures 2-¼ inches. It comes armed with two No. 12 VMC Inline Hybrid Treble 2X Hooks secured by heavy-duty split-rings. The No. 75 model weighs 3/8^th oz. and measures 4 inches. It comes with two No. 10 VMC Inline Hybrid Treble 2X Hooks secured by heavy-duty split-rings.