With a name almost too perfect a fit for the job, Mark Fisher played a leading role in product development at Rapala® USA for nearly two decades, lovingly designing, testing and perfecting the brand’s best-in-class baits with the goal of helping anglers worldwide make lasting memories on the water. This October, the iconic lure designer and legendary angler will celebrate a storybook career with Rapala as he enters retirement.
Fisher, 64, has made an incredible impact on the world of sport fishing since joining Rapala USA full-time in 2000 as director of field promotions. In collaboration with his team in the U.S. and his Finnish counterparts, Fisher has conceived and brought to market some of the most groundbreaking lures to ever hit the water, ensuring each and every bait will swim with an attention-grabbing action straight out of the box and meet the brand’s strict fish-catching standards.
“Since joining the Rapala family — first as one of our top pro-staffers, then later as an influential, visionary lure designer — Mark has helped us take the brand into new territory,” says Tom Mackin, president of Rapala USA. “It’s rare to find someone so dedicated and enthusiastic about their work. He personifies the Rapala brand and our founder Lauri Rapala’s uncompromising commitment to craftsmanship. We’re lucky to have worked with Mark and will continue to be great friends and fishing buddies.”
Born and raised in the Land of 10,000 Lakes, Fisher’s angling journey began on the waters of Lake Ida in Alexandria, Minnesota. There, during one of many family vacations, he tied on an Original Floating Rapala for the first time and immediately caught not one, but two fish — a bluegill on the lure’s front treble hook and a walleye on the rear. In the years following, he honed his angling skills and established himself as a successful professional bass angler.
Fisher formalized his relationship with the brand and joined the Rapala pro-staff team in 1988. As a member of the Rapala pro-staff, Fisher was instrumental in promoting Rapala & Respected Rapala Brands products by showcasing the baits’ unique features in the media.
“For as long as I can remember, fishing and spending time on the water has been the great passion of my life. Working with Rapala — a brand trusted by more anglers around the world than any other — was a dream come true,” says Fisher. “Few people have the opportunity to make a living doing what they love. I’m blessed to have done just that.”
A former owner of a Minneapolis sign-painting company, Fisher cultivated an interest in design and skilled craftwork throughout his career. His eye for detail and unique concepts is illustrated by the outstanding baits he helped create throughout his time at Rapala. A quick look at the Rapala Scatter Rap® Series, Shadow Rap® Series or the new Storm 360GT Searchbait™ Series baits — just a handful of recent contributions to the Rapala & Respected Brands catalog — makes it clear each one of Fisher’s design decisions was made with a clear purpose.
From identifying unique new color patterns that help anglers “match the hatch” in regional waters across the country to tweaking a lure’s body profile to achieve a more effective presentation, Fisher has helped revolutionize how modern fishing lures are constructed, setting high water marks for industry standards along the way.
In retirement, Fisher plans to stay busy. He will continue to play an important role with the Rapala pro-staff team as an official chartered promotional angler. He also plans to focus on giving back to his community through speaking engagements focused on encouraging youth to experience the joys of fishing and by volunteering with a variety of programs benefiting people in need.
A devoted husband, father of two daughters and grandfather to three grandsons, Fisher looks forward to spending his retirement enjoying the Great Outdoors with family. He expects his two oldest grandsons — who are “nuts for fishing” — to keep him plenty busy on the water.
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