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Well, Rapala has officially taken their products to a whole new level. The CrushCity baits are everywhere now. They offer creature baits, neds, minnow lures, and a craw style baits and swimbaits. Their newer lineup includes a stick bait worm and a brush hog -style bait similar to the man-bear-pig by Reaction Innovations. But Rapala didn’t develop these baits alone. They partnered with Jacob Wheeler, one of the most intuitive anglers on the water today. Together, they created some of the most effective baits I’ve seen in years. I thought I’d try out the Mayor Swimbait on a weeklong fishing/road trip. My goal was to use it as a primary search bait. My first impression was that its durable. I read somewhere that Rapala uses “Smart Injection Technology” to achieve a perfect balance of salt, flake, and scent, which results in a bait that feels tough enough to last through a few bites and soft enough to produce good action.
Action
The mayor definitely builds upon its predecessor – the Keitech swing impact – and the subtle body roll and tail kick. But the Mayor gives off a unique side body flash that’s almost hard to explain until you see it. You’ll notice a body wobble but not as wild as other brands that try reinventing the wheel, so to speak. It’s a great balance of movement that doesn’t rely on the more is better concept. Crush city baits knock it out of the park in the small swim bait category beyond any of the competitors. And with the range of size and color options, its a multi-species killing machine.
Size Options & Versatility
Rapala developed a new 2 1/2-inch version of the mayor. The total line up now includes the 2 1/2 inch, a 3 inch, and 4 inch. I’ve fished both the 2 1/2 and 4. The 2 1/2 is easily my favorite for multi species and calls attention to some pretty hungry bass and crappie. The 2 1/2 inch is a phenomenal little jigging swimbait. It holds its trademark action on the fall and looks awesome with a sharp snap of the rod tip. I’ve fished it around dock pilings and train trestles. Its a deadly alternative when summer fish aren’t biting; I can always lure one or two out with the Mayor’s action. Additionally, You can easily pair the 4 inch to an EWG hook and fish it around heavier cover. If you’re a chatter bait angler, the Mayor also makes a great trailer. And with their multitude of colors, you can pair to any color to imitate your choice of bait fish.
Color Selection
The Mayor comes in 16 different colors selections including black blue flake, green pumpkin, albino pearl, electric shad, and green shad. They also make a killer red craw color that pairs well to a chatter bait for spring. I’ve been throwing the electric shad for black bass and smallmouth and its lights out. As I stated above, crappie and bluegill will take shots at the Mayor too and that electric shad just gets them for some reason with a bit of lighting flake.
In Closing
The mayor is a unmatched swimbait perfect for the tail end of summer. The action is unrivaled with a bottom flash that sets it apart from its predecessors. Rapala provides a robust color selection to match any bait fish or prey item in your lake and the size range of this soft plastic provides versatility such as fishing it deep or shallow. You can fish it on a weighted EWG hook on braide or on a small jig head and crack em’ hard, every time. What’s more, everything seems to hit them from crappie to small mouth to black bass. They don’t call them Crush City for no reason!
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