Rapala spent decades building its name on hardbaits before putting it on a soft plastic. CrushCity was the result, and after several seasons of fishing the range we have a clear picture of what each bait does and when it earns a place in the box.
What they share is the way they are built. Smart Injection Technology places colour, flake, salt and scent exactly where the bait needs them instead of mixing everything through the whole body. The salt sits in the belly, so the underside is heavier than the back and the bait holds a natural, upright position in the water. That matters most when you fish slowly or weightless, which is where a lot of soft plastics start to roll over.
The Kickman, a tail that keeps working when you slow down
The Kickman is the paddle tail of the range. The tail keeps swinging at a retrieve slow enough that most shads go dead, which is what you want when zander are sitting tight to the bottom and will not chase. It fishes on a jighead, weedless, weightless, on a dropshot and on a Carolina rig.
It comes in 7.5, 10 and 12.5 cm, packed 9, 7 and 5 pieces per bag.
A 75 cm zander took the 12.5 cm Kickman.
The Stingman, the same balance with a slimmer profile
The Stingman is the pin tail version. There is no paddle pushing water, so the bait gives off a much quieter signal and comes into its own in clear water and on pressured spots where a hard kicking tail gets refused. Same three sizes, 7.5, 10 and 12.5 cm, packed 10, 8 and 6 pieces.
The 15 cm Stingman was added later and packs 4 pieces. That is the one for pike, and it is worth fishing on a stinger.
Charlie's personal best perch, 50 cm, on the CrushCity Kickman.
The Curl, for the days the fish are picky
The Curl carries a curl tail that starts fluttering at very low speed. On a slow lift and drop, or hanging almost still on a dropshot, the tail keeps moving when nothing else in your box does. It comes in 7.5, 10 and 12.5 cm and in a colour range aimed at perch, pike and zander.
The Cleanup Craw, a craw that moves water
The Cleanup Craw has two large flanged claws that produce a tight kicking action, and a heavily ribbed body that pushes a surprising amount of water for its size. The ribs also hide the hook point, so rigging it weedless is straightforward. It fishes on a Carolina rig, a Ned rig, a cheburashka, a Texas rig, and we have caught plenty on it on a plain jighead. Length is 8.8 cm, 7 pieces per pack.
Silvian's biggest perch ever came on the Cleanup Craw. 54 cm, and that one will be hard to beat.
Ned BLT and Salted NedRoll, the finesse end of the range
The Ned BLT is made from a TPE that is durable and buoyant enough to stand the bait up straight on the bottom, which is the whole point of a Ned rig. Fish it on a Ned head, keep it slow, and let it sit longer than feels comfortable. 10 pieces per pack.
The Salted NedRoll does the same job with more volume. It is 8 cm and 4 g, in floating Super TPE, with a fully ribbed body and a spade tail that gives a controlled, subtle movement. Extra salt and double scent make it a bait to leave sitting on the spot. 7 pieces per pack. If perch and zander in your water are feeding on gobies, this is the one to start with.
The Ned BLT stands for Bacon Lettuce Tomato, and it comes in a long list of colours.
Which CrushCity should you pick?
- Zander on or near the bottom: Kickman on a jighead, Stingman when they refuse the paddle.
- Pike: the 15 cm Stingman, rigged with a stinger.
- Perch around structure: Cleanup Craw on a light jighead or cheburashka.
- Clear or pressured water: Ned BLT or Salted NedRoll on a Ned head, fished slowly.
- Fish that follow but will not commit: the Curl, because the tail keeps working at a crawl.
The full CrushCity range in the shop is here, and all our soft plastics for zander and perch are here.
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