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  • Super User
Posted

I've been a river rat for many years. When I got into fishing Rat-L-Traps I settled into using the 1/4 oz. Mini Traps. Why, I don't know. Most likely because it wasn't the larger original trap (probably didn't expect back than to fish 1/2 oz. baits) and not the small tiny trap that seemed to me to be for trout fishing a smaller stream.

 

Being a creature of habit and sometime being reluctant to make even slight changes I have not thrown the 1/2 oz. size. I've been kicking the idea of buying some of my proven patterns in the 1/2 oz. size just for the slightly larger profile when the water becomes slightly more stained than the norm. And maybe I've should have stepped the size up years ago. I don't think there will be a confidence factor to this. I'm ready to pick up a few. More curious if you guys think the size difference is a slight advantage or just leave it alone 1/4 oz. There is not a night vs. day difference in size wise between them. But noticeable. Might be worth fishing for a whole season with the 1/2 oz. size change to see how it goes. Kicking it around, a few baits are fairly cheap in the long run. A cheap experiment really.

 

Your opinions are appreciated and thanks.

 

  

Posted

It depends on how fast and how deep the river is that you'll be fishing.  1/4 is a good weight for depth of about 8ft. or less as you are able to keep it off the bottom. In deeper water or with strong current, a 1/2oz could be a better option.  I'd say get one or two and try them. If they don't work, or you end up loosing them to snags, you can always go back to the 14oz.

  • Like 1
Posted

The 1/2oz bait will have a lot more thump and rattle, and it'll be much easier to cover water with long casts. A 1/4oz crankbait is also pretty ineffective to cast on baitcasting tackle and better suited to spinning tackle. 

  • Like 1
Posted
1 hour ago, Fishin' Fool said:

I'd say 1/2oz or more. I liked the 5/8oz Xcalibur XR50's before they were bought out. 

 

Love those traps, the 5/8 size is just perfect. 

 

 

I got tons of them in my .50 caliber ammo cans. 

 

 

  • Super User
Posted

1/2 oz makes 90% of my lipless crank fishing.

  • Like 1
Posted

I use both.

 

1/4 for water 6 foot or shallower and 1/2 for anything deeper.

 

I use the 1/4 on shallow sand flats when the school's are up chasing shad.

 

Always match the size to the baitfish they are eating.

Posted

1/2 oz is most of my lipless as well but I don't fish rivers.

I have a few of the size down but only go to one of them if I feel I need to try a smaller profile, thump, or different sound.

  • Super User
Posted

 

Truthfully, neither 1/4 oz nor 1/2 oz.

My favorite weight for lipless cranks is 5/8 ounce. 

A 5/8 plug not only provides a long casting distance (broader coverage)

but helps to keep the lure running tighter to the bottom.

When bass are suspended near the surface, I start cranking upon splashdown.

Roger

  • Like 2
  • Super User
Posted

Being a river guy myself I can tell you that I find when the smallies are on them a 1/2oz bait is hard to beat. Now I know it is tough when the water is low but Bagley just came out with a rattle bait in 1/2oz that they make in 2 different versions. The make a rattlin B+ for deeper presentation and the Rattlin B- which is a 1/2oz bait with a slow sink for shallow water, I already grabbed a couple of both versions, it could be a game changer. I do use a floating rattle trap every now and again but it limits how deep I can get it because it floats, a slow sink will allow the same shallow water use but it will also let you let it fall into deeper holes.

  • Super User
Posted

I'd say the main diff is depth: 1/4 for <6ft, 1/2 for >5ft. Can burn the 1/2 a little better, and it plummets and rips weed walls a bit better. I use the 1/4's, and smaller, in early season bc bass seem to like smaller baits better then.

 

All this said, I'm talking stillwater. I've never used a lipless in moving water.

  • Super User
Posted

I use 1/4 ounce lipless cranks a LOT, and most of them will throw a mile on baitcasting gear with 10 to 12 pound test, especially a red eye shad. Anytime you need them to stay at a depth off 6 feet or less, reach for the 1/4 ounce. The 1/2 ounce is perfect for moderate to moderately deep water and will throw like a rock on line up to 17 or 20 pound test. If you are fishing clear water with depths of less than 10 feet that doesn't have much cover, a 1/4 ounce is better, especially for a slower retrieve or a yo yo type retrieve.

  • Super User
Posted
On ‎4‎/‎5‎/‎2017 at 5:46 PM, BassThumb said:

The 1/2oz bait will have a lot more thump and rattle, and it'll be much easier to cover water with long casts. A 1/4oz crankbait is also pretty ineffective to cast on baitcasting tackle and better suited to spinning tackle. 

a Red Eye Shad in 1/4 oz. will cast very well on a baitcaster

  • Super User
Posted

I use a 1/4 for bank fishing and a 1/2 when I'm on a boat. Usually I am fishing traps on some sort of flat, and from the bank this means there is probably a whole lot of skinny water directly in front of me that a 1/2oz would dig into the bottom of. In a boat you can sit on the deeper end of the flat and not have to worry about that.

  • Super User
Posted

I ordered (4) of my most productive/proven patterns in 1/2 oz., I feel this will be an apples to apples comparison. Slightly bigger profile, can fish it a bit deeper, may fish better in windy conditions, may make a bit more noise. There is no mistake in trying this. 

 

I use to fish the Mini Traps hard back some years ago. Throw a handful of color patterns my whole time out. They certainly can get the attention of the river smallies. 

 

I see the lipless style of CB's is pretty endless now days, a lot more choices. Not that I just crawled out from under a rock or anything but got started and hooked on Bill Lewis and kept it that way. Looks like they have newer pattern series that I never thought existed.

 

I'm just gonna keep it simple with the 1/2 oz. Traps. There are some real natural patterns that caught my eye but I found out with a few of the natural series Rapala baits I fish they are not worth a ***t.  Gonna stick with some proven patterns and not send my experiment in the wrong direction.

 

I appreciate all the input. 

  • Super User
Posted
23 hours ago, Paul Roberts said:

I'd say the main diff is depth: 1/4 for <6ft, 1/2 for >5ft. Can burn the 1/2 a little better, and it plummets and rips weed walls a bit better. I use the 1/4's, and smaller, in early season bc bass seem to like smaller baits better then.

 

All this said, I'm talking stillwater. I've never used a lipless in moving water.

 

This would be my philosophy as well.  Size relates to depth and speed.  I use Aruku Shad and Aruku Jr. mostly.  I switch to the Jr. when I want to stay shallower, or a slower retrieve.

  • Super User
Posted
On 4/6/2017 at 9:25 PM, Big Bait Fishing said:

a Red Eye Shad in 1/4 oz. will cast very well on a baitcaster

 

Yep, I cast them a MILE on my baitcasters with 10 or 12 pound test. The quarter ounce Rat L trap casts fairly well too.

  • Like 1
  • Super User
Posted
6 hours ago, iceintheveins said:

 

Yep, I cast them a MILE on my baitcasters with 10 or 12 pound test. The quarter ounce Rat L trap casts fairly well too.

Casting the 1/4 oz. Traps has never been a baitcasting issue. My set up is a bit lighter than most as I'm tossing 8#. They certainly cast well with a spinning set-up, majority of my river fishing is done with spinning set-ups. 

  • Super User
Posted

I catch so many dinks on the 1/2 ounce that I dont see the need to go with the harder to handle 1/4 ounce . 

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