The first light of dawn spread across the sky, painting the clouds in hues of pink and orange, as the fisherman made his way to the river. For him, the river was not just any body of water, but a sacred place where his spirit came alive, and he felt a deep connection to the land and its wild beauty.
As he slid the boat into the water, he could sense a scent of tar mixing into the small wind mildly blowing along the curling surface of the river.
For months, he had been waiting and dreaming of the day when he could put his new wobblers to the test. And now, as he lowered the lines into the waters of the river, he felt a sense of satisfaction wash over him, knowing that any time - any time now - could the reels start playing their recognisable melody.
As he rowed the boat he waited in excitement, his eyes scanned the river, looking for any sign of movement, any hint of the salmon moving below the surface.
And then, just as he hit the side of the eddy caused by large rocks in the bottom, the rod bent heavily to the handle, and he felt the strong pull of a salmon on the other end of the line. As the reel kept on rolling, his heart raced with excitement, knowing that this was what he had so long been waiting for.
The fish put up a fierce fight, testing his strength and his patience, but he was determined to land it. And when he finally saw the gleaming silver of the salmon's scales, he felt a sense of awe wash over him, knowing that the longing hidden deep in his heart, had finally been filled.
He gently cradled the fish in his hands, admiring its beauty and strength. With a sense of gratitude, he thanked life and the river for its bounty and the opportunity to experience such a moment.
As he made his way back to shore, his heart filled with joy and satisfaction, he knew that he would return to the river again and again, seeking out the salmon, and indulging in his lifelong love affair with the art of fishing.
For he was a salmon fisherman, and the river was his sanctuary.
Handcrafted in Finland, all Murto wobblers are carefully designed and manufactured for salmon fishermen fishing in different rivers around the Nordics.
Murto wobblers have been manufactured since 1998, with an official trade name established in 2010. Despite the production started early, the yearly volumes have been very small. They continue to be produced in limited quantities and various variants.
Petri Rantanen, born in 1983. A proud father of three kids and a salmon fishing enthusiast who loves to make wobblers and fish with them in Namsen in Norway and Tornionjoki, Muonionjoki, Kymijoki, Simojoki and other salmon rivers.
“A salmon wobbler is never ready – you must always be eager to develop, try, retry and redevelop something new. As soon as you think you have cracked the code, the mystical Salmon shuts it mouth and makes you think about everything again. As a wobblermaker this keeps the hobby really exciting, and when you finally succeed – also so rewarding.”
Petri Rantanen, Murto Wobblers
Each year there is a mix of different models and colours and their combinations produced, ensuring a diverse and evolving selection. However, some models have become classics and they remain in the production plan from year to year. Below are some examples of some of those models.
M90
A classic Murto model that differs from most of the standard salmon wobblers by its shape and swimming style. This one has gained a lot of catches and found its place in many Namsen fisherman’s fishing line throughout the years.
Very good all-rounder throughout the season, swimming can be adjusted from small ticking to stable swim to a bigger, snakelike swim with some seeking.
Length 95mm, weight approx. 9g.
NRS Series
The signature series Murto.
Recognisable shrimp style painting, this model has very limited availability.
Sizes vary from 30mm to 85mm.
Murto DD
A precision tool for cold river, flooded river and also for deeper pools where the salmon stop and stand.
Length 85mm, weight approx. 14g.
Running depth 3-3,5m.
Murto 55A and 60B
Favourite models for fishing big salmon especially in river Tornio-Muonio and other Finnish
rivers. Works also well in many Atlantic salmon rivers when water temperature is above 12 degrees. They are sensitive swimmers with wide adjusting capabilities.
Don’t let their small size deceive you.
Lenght (M60B) 65mm and weight approx. 7g
Lenght (M55A) 55mm and weight approx. 7g.
If you wish to get on hold on a Murto wobbler, feel free to reach out to the official resellers:
Intersport Overhalla
Ranemsletta
7863 OVERHALLA
Norway
Intersport Grong
Grong Kjøpesenter
Sentrum, 7870 GRONG
Norway
I'd love your feedback!
All of the wobblers are tank tested at the workshop, but for gaining the optimum swimming action it is often worth tuning the wobbler in the actual fishing conditions. Murto wobblers often can have a very uneven swim and sometimes, after a big fish in the net you may need some correction to find the sweet spot again. Adjusting the wobbler is not hard, when you remember to be careful and do the adjustment in small steps at a time.
First rule is that always use a symmetrical lock or tie the lure directly to the line. If you use a lock, use one that has the lock only, not a swivel that kills the sensitivity of the wobbler.
Primary adjustment - Adjusting the front loop
If the wobbler is swimming one flank upwards, or tilting to one side you can fix this by turning the front loop sideways towards the tilting direction. Learn this step carefully first before you continue to further steps.
The front line loop can be turned up or down to affect “kicking” intensity. When you turn the front loop down, you will get a larger action. Turning the loop up tightens the swimming action. When fishing in very fast flowing waters, or if a very straight and stable swim is required, the front loop can be turned up to gain a stable swimming action.
Secondary adjustment - Adjusting the swimming lip
All Murto wobblers can be adjusted carefully by bending the swimming lip. Here I recommend that you are more experienced with the wobbler adjustment before you start experimenting with the lip.
Note: the lip should not be bent without heating it up a bit (for example In a coffee cup). Heating up the lip also makes the plastic lose its memory so the setting will stay. Note: always use hot water, never ever a flame.
Adjusting the lip follows the same principles as turning the front loop. When you turn the swimming lip down, you will get a larger action. Turning the lip up tightens the swimming action and gives you tighter seeking action to the wobbler.
Special adjustments - Seeking action and “flank action”
Seeking means sort of a wild swimming, where the wobbler differs from its “swimming path”.
To adjust the wobbler to seek irregularly, you always need flowing water. Basic action can be adjusted in a tank, but the wobbler will act differently in the real conditions. Best is when you manage to set the swim to a sweet spot where the wobbler reacts sensitively to the changes in the current and speed. Most of the time it is most reasonable to do the final adjustment in flowing water, matching the conditions where you are going to fish in to get good results.
Seeking is most often achieved by turning the front line loop downwards so that most of the mass in the wobbler’s body is above the point where the line is pulling the wobbler. If this doesn’t give you as much seeking as you would wish, you can bend the horizontal part of the swimming lip upwards.
To affect the irregularity of the seeking action the basic principle is to make the wobbler unbalanced. This can be done for example by turning the rear hook loop to the side. This will deviate the center point of the mass point slightly and the swimming must now be corrected by turning the front loop sideways.
Some of the Murto wobbler models have an unsymmetrical body shape and some have their front lip glued a little bit tilted to achieve irregularity to the swimming action. The ones with the most deviation are often the most irregularly seeking ones – the legendary killer wobblers.
The wrist/flank action means that the wobbler is swinging sideways so that is is showing its flanks. This is mostly related to the body type of the wobbler, yet the wrist action can be affected a bit for example by turning the belly hook loop sideways.
Turning both of the hook loops will often give delicious combinations, but the affect is very unique to every individual wobbler.
Since the wobblers are hand made, there are many factors that will affect the final lure. For example some of the models have a wooden body that is formed or modified individually using hand tools. The weight of the wooden bodies might differ and also the mass in the wooden body is often not evenly distributed. The position of the metal wire inside the body used for making the loops might differ. The swimming lip position might also differ.
All handmade wobblers are individuals in some way - this means that each wobbler should be adjusted individually. This is what makes the wobblers unique – they have their own soul.
If you have questions about Murto wobblers or adjusting the swimming action, please feel free to contact the manufacturer.