If you're fishing the St. John River, which I assume you are, I like to use large rapalas (the 5/8 oz floating ones) in perch, black & white and gold. Either the jointed or full bodied versions work well, but the jointed gives you a little more action.

The X-Rap Magnum. I use them and they catch fish. The one with the Red Heads work the best. Depending on the time of year, they work better than bait rigs.

Rapala Magnum floating

Floating magnums start with FMAG and the sinking varieties start with CDMAG (in the Rapala model numbers).

I'm not sure if this totally helps, but I can tell you the ones with the codes that start with 'CD' refer to the 'Countdown' model which is the sinking one. The floating models would start with 'F' in front of 'MAG'.

I had a similar problem but my problem was my leaders were to heavy for the size of lure. I re-rigged them to lighter Stainless Steel wire and they ran great. Also try letting out more line, sometimes that's all it takes to correct the action.

I love these hooks.

Definitely defective lures...should get store credit on your next purchases.

Try tying a bowline to the lure. I find that if my leader is tied tight to the ring, I get poor tracking as well.

yup, most stores have them

Rapala still has them listed and the other big tackle supplier still stocks them, so I guess so.

Each lure runs as deep as you like. I use CD26Magnums every time I go on the ocean. I'm the expert with catching Blue Marlins and Giant BlueFin Tunas. The Rapala CD Magnums are among the best lures for fast trolling with a maximum trolling speed over 12 knots for the larger sizes of 18 and 22 cm. The important feature is to keep the line pressure as low as possible by trolling CD Magnums very close to the Boat. Twenty to 25 meters is almost too much if you want to troll fast. For small bluefin tuna we usually run six CD Magnums behind the boat at an average speed of eight knots. The first lure is only five meters from the transom and the longest is no more than 20 meters, but most of the catches are taken on the shorter lines. Using 50 lb monofilament (0.7mm) and tuning your lure between five and 15 meters behind the boat, you can easily achieve 10 to 12 knots with a CD Magnum 18, and eight to 10 knots with a CD Magnum 14. If you are trolling fast for mid-size tuna, avoid using a heavy leader, as it will totally kill the action of the lure. Tuna have very small teeth so there is only a slim chance that you will get ‘cut off’. If you want to troll fast in waters with “toothy predators’, your leader should be made of 49 strand cable or wire leader. The position of your Rapala lure in the spread is also important. You should avoid running them in the propeller wash as this puts extra pressure on the line. If your rod holders are badly placed, you can adjust the position of your lure by using a release clip. The best place for CD Magnums is parallel and very close to the propeller wash and in between the two washes if your boat is using two engines. The side of the boat can be used for trolling diving lures but you must pay attention to the angle of the line at the rod tip. Most of the time the line will not be inside the top roller, and it might break under the heavy pressure of the strike. I hope this helps.