Lauri Rapala

Life & Legacy

Lauri Rapala (1905–1974) was a Finnish fisherman, inventor and the founder of Rapala-Normark Group, the world's largest fishing lure and tackle producer. He died in 1974 at the age of 69. During the course of his life, he married once and fathered seven children. He created one of the first artificial fishing lures in 1936, which later became known as the Original Floater, a lure for which he would be made somewhat noted.