Normark Again

[Miller Mi.]

I attended the sports show at Grand Rapids, Mi. today, and had the oppertunity to talk to a Normark Rep. I have heard rumors that Normark was going to dis continue the Hot N Tot. I was told that it has been re designed to make it better, like they did with the Thunder Stick. These have been the top producing lures for a lot of us. Now they say that they're improving it. They trashed the Thunder Stick and now the Hot N TOT Too. He said also that these new lures will all have new colors also. The new colors that they used on the Thunder Sticks look like the results of a second grade coloring contest. It was suggested that the only recourse is mass complaints to Normark. I for one will tell them daily what I think of them Destroying one of the best lures ever. Larry Miller Mi.

[Tough Guy]

Tough Guy see in Walleye Insider new VA state record caught on Rapala Husky Jerk...15LB. 15OZ. Not bad for lures designed in second grade coloring contest eh? If no like Normark products, don't buy them. More fish for Tough Guy.

[Weyes1]

I agree with you. Normark has really screwed the fishermen. I am now looking to replace all my Rapalas with Yo-Zuri or the Cabela's or BP lures, maybe a few Reef Runners. Cerainly not any Storm or Rapala. No matter how hot they are or not. They just crushed a competitor and an American competitor at that.

Weyes1
Kevin Clark
weyes1@wamego.net

[Uh,]

Isn't Normark an American Company? Didn't Rapala come here from Finland and start the business? Also, did anyone actually use one of the new T sticks before calling them screwed up? Is it possible they just may be as good or better? And, as for the coloring patterns..pretty lures catch more fishermen than fish. Can someone griping tell me what a firetiger pattern represents? Or hot pink? Not asffiliated with any hard bait company in any way, but playing devils advocate. I olost some favorite colors too in the buy out. But pretty much every Rapala runs true right out of the box, can't say that about the original T sticks.

[GullGuide]

Just an FYI...
Normark is the DISTRIBUTOR for Rapala, they do not MAKE them. Rapalas are made by RAPALA based in Finland, and their lures are now made in Ireland. Normark decides what comes into the US form whatever Rapal makes. There are TONS of different color combinations that are found only in Europe and not the US. It is Normark who decides which colors that they will sell here, and sometimes I really wonder about their decision making process..such as discontinuing the chartruse line and then bringing it back as a "hot new color" I have to laugh at that one.
One thing I did hear, and this is only a rumor, is that when they bought out Storm, the intent from the get-go was to drastically reduce the choice of colors, and eventually shut down the company...kind of a way to destroy the competition the hard way, maybe there were some monopoly laws that they had to get around instead of just wiping out the company right away.
I do not like the way Normark makes decisions, but I will continue to by Rapalas, which is still one of the best lures out there.
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