BBZ Rat

[BassB8Caster]

So I have had the day for about 4 fishing trips. This is my first purchase of a more expensive lure. After using it, I absolutely love it. I would buy another in a heart beat. There are 2 issues I have with it, however. In my opinion, these two issues are inexcusable for the price you pay and testing should have revealed it. Both issues ate associated with the treble hooks. The front hook, once in a while, hooks around the square bill in the front (it will also look around your line once in a while too). The other issue is the rear treble hook/tail segmentation. From what I can tell, there are two strands of line going through the tail. New they are tight allowing some movement between the segments but limits movement at the same time. Well in mine, after only 4 outings (around 12 hours of use), between the upper segments one of those strands broke so the tail can move enough to allow the treble hook to loop around the tail. This effects the action of the bait. When the two strands were in tact,  the tail was rigid enough to stay above the rear treble. 

 

Kinda hard to explain the rear treble/  tail issue. So to fix this I need to replace the treble to a slightly smaller size and replace the tail. Before buying and using this lure, a concern was the longevity of the tail. I'm a little surprised it held up this long as many fish I have caught with it. 

Everyone else with these rats enjoying them? Having any other issues? Mine is morning dawn.

[IndianaFinesse]

Try replacing the tail with either the same replacement tails sold separately, or do what I did and replace it with a zman finesse wormz (or other worm).  Works just as well and doesn't hardly ever break cause it's elaz-tech.  And if it does, its no big deal with the worm only costing 30¢.

[Bluebasser86]

I have a 40 size in morning dawn and a 30 in chrome. Both of them work well and I've not had the same issues described, or at least not enough that I've noticed it being an issue. Any bait can tangle on the line during the cast, and I have plenty that the hooks will catch on the bill. The tail is flexible so it's going to catch on the hook occasionally. I guess I just write that stuff off as things that I can expect to happen when I buy them. If a bait is effective, I'll deal with minor issues like that though. 

[BassB8Caster]

I will agree on points made above. The tail is easily replaceable with a worm (or the spare that came with it) and it's worth these minor issues if the bait works. It does work great. I have trouble switching it up as I have had luck with it throughout the day. I have yet to catch anything huge with it (over 4.5) but a lot of 2.5 to 4.25 or so. 

 

 

[NHBull]

Love the bait and have experienced the same to a LOW extent.

I swapped out the hooks for shorter wide gaps.....I forget the #.

 

I have also adjust the delivery, which is where I believe most of the problems cam from.

Added a little lob and didn't go for every inch of casability.

 

I also went to a clip and it works out well

[the reel ess]

I'm using the size 40. I've caught quite a few more fish than I thought I would on this bait. I thought they would roll around laughing at it, but it really works! I was using it at a place that is overrun with stunted bass. I had hoped it would cull the babies and it helped, but it did get a lot of bites, even from smallish fish. I did not experience any fouling with the hooks and the body. I almost sunk a hook deep in my thumb though. It even cast a lot better than bigger swimbaits I've used. I've been using a 6-6 M rod for it with 15# mono. It does load the rod quite a bit but the combo seems to do a good job. At least a 7' MH with some tip would probably do a better job. I, too, am using a clip.

[BassB8Caster]

I agree, thus thing casts a mile (I have the size 40 as well). The rear treble issue I'm having directly related to the string in the tail being broke. When this was intact, it is more rigid and stays away from the rear treble. The front one though is directly due to being too big or too close to the square bill. It doesn't happen too often so I may just roll with it. 

I too was surprised with the amount of action it gets. A purple rat with yellow tail? Not quite matching the hatch. Also the bites for me are deceiving. I haven't had a bass blow up on it yet. They just come up and grab it. 

 

What do you guys mean by clips?

[NHBull]

http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/P-Line_Technical_Snap/descpage-TPBB.html

 

Also, love the short wide gap hooks

[georgeyew]

I bought one of the early models of the rat and the tail gets hung up on the rear treble on every other cast. I called SPRO and they told me that the first batch of the rats had defective tails. After they sent me a replacement, the problem went away. Perhaps you got one of the first batch rats?

[CTGalloway21]

the tails are trash once the first joint gets separation.  I switch to plastic worms as well.  

[WRB]

I believe the original BBZ-1 rat is the same size as the 50. 

I have fished the Spro rat from day 1 without any issues with the hooks and caught lots of big bass on it. 

When casting lures you need the right tackle and develop a casting motion that prevents tumbling in the air, that creates problems with any lure.

Tom

 

[BassB8Caster]

1 hour ago, georgeyew said:

I bought one of the early models of the rat and the tail gets hung up on the rear treble on every other cast. I called SPRO and they told me that the first batch of the rats had defective tails. After they sent me a replacement, the problem went away. Perhaps you got one of the first batch rats?

i wouldnt think so, i just bought it about a month ago. And its not that the tail was defective. New it was great. Once one of the lines inside the tail snapped, it then can bend down 90 degrees and be right into the treble. New, or when the line was not broken (broken from fish abuse) the tail was more rigid and stuck almost straight out. Well away from the hook. 

 

20 minutes ago, CTGalloway21 said:

the tails are trash once the first joint gets separation.  I switch to plastic worms as well.  

Yeah once that happens the tail falls right down to the rear treble hook. I have the purple tail to switch to then ill move to worms. 

 

Have any of you guys noticed a difference in which worms work the best? Which ones to stay away from?

[SFL BassHunter]

I have the size 30 in grey and have yet to get a strike on it. I've used it in 4 different days, probably put in about an hour and a half to 2 hours per day with it.

 

The only thing I have seen to give me some sort of hope is a school of bass that chased it to the bank but kept their distance. I tried to slow it down, and then even stop it. Changed retrieve speed but couldn't get them to strike.

I was also a little disappointed that the size 30 drops down about 6 inches in the water column and runs like a crank bait instead of a wake bait unless you retrieve it really really slow.

[BassB8Caster]

3 hours ago, SFL BassHunter said:

I have the size 30 in grey and have yet to get a strike on it. I've used it in 4 different days, probably put in about an hour and a half to 2 hours per day with it.

 

The only thing I have seen to give me some sort of hope is a school of bass that chased it to the bank but kept their distance. I tried to slow it down, and then even stop it. Changed retrieve speed but couldn't get them to strike.

I was also a little disappointed that the size 30 drops down about 6 inches in the water column and runs like a crank bait instead of a wake bait unless you retrieve it really really slow.

If you watch the guy from bbz fish the rat, he fishes it like a crankbait. He actually refers to it as a crankbait rather than a swimbait. He retrieves it fast so it is under water. I haven't had luck that way either. I like to crank it very slowly, just getting it to swim in that "S" motion. All my luck is with that slow retrieve. It takes patience, but it sure is effective. Give it a try. For the most part I cast out and retrieve. I don't notice any difference in action by letting it sit a bit after hitting the water. Occasionally I give it some twitches and walk it a bit. But 95% is just cast and slow retrieve. Just enough to hear it knocking. 

[Brett's_daddy]

I used mine for the first time last night, size 30 in Brown and I should have caught 3 fish on it, 1st fish threw the hook almost to shore, caught the 2nd fish and the 3rd one was too small to keep. I did foul the hook a few times, once on the bill like you said and a couple of times around the line but I just figure that's par for the course and accept it :).

[BassB8Caster]

4 hours ago, Brett's_daddy said:

I used mine for the first time last night, size 30 in Brown and I should have caught 3 fish on it, 1st fish threw the hook almost to shore, caught the 2nd fish and the 3rd one was too small to keep. I did foul the hook a few times, once on the bill like you said and a couple of times around the line but I just figure that's par for the course and accept it :).

From what I have experienced, the bigger fish (2.5lbs and up) come up and grab the bait. Not too aggressive. Almost confidently. I have only lost one fish of decent size. And on that one I have no idea what happened. I had a really good hook set and got it to the side of my kayak then it came off. Smaller fish however are hit or miss. It seems like they don't completely commit. They may even just come up and smack the rat. 

[SFL BassHunter]

Yeah you guys are getting more action out of it than I am lol.

 

I know the size 40 and 50 are supposed to float better and they actually function as wake baits. 

[BassB8Caster]

Keep experimenting with it. I would love to try out the 50. Just not ready to throw $30 for another bait. I'm sure it's worth it. I'm heavily considering the savage gear 3d line thru trout and saver 168 first. Dicks has a bogo 50% off right now.