BBZ-1 Rat Pack ~

[Derek1]

7 hours ago, Dangerfield said:

I've been hooked since someone posted this video in the Bait Monkey thread.

 

First time out with the Morning Dawn 25, caught 7 Northerns and 2 smallies - It's more of a crank than a wake. You gotta go painfully slow with the 25 to get it to wake constantly. I wish I went with the 30 or bigger I heard they wake better. Nothing like the brownies in this video but I've had to place another TW order all thanks to them. I gotta have that 40 in grey.

 

I'd get more but I've got a 2 shellcrackers that fit a similar profile/presentation.

Well if that doesn’t make you want some nothing will. 

[PhishLI]

22 hours ago, Hower08 said:

I fish the bbz1 rat in the blue and white color.

That color's called Nasty Shad. My brother's fav and his best producing rat in the BBZ series. Morning Dawn is mine though.

[Born 2 fish]

I love fishing the rat don’t just wake it crank it down the hits are violent.

[PhishLI]

22 hours ago, Bluebasser86 said:

I HIGHLY suggest the 30 size in Chrome for smallies

An internal conversation between me and myself:

 

me: A chrome rat? Get outta here!

 

Myself: BlueBasser's legit you big dummy.

 

me: Eh, I guess you're right. A chrome rat, hmmm? BRILLIANT!

 

Myself: Remember, we're hitting a smallie lake on Saturday, and there's no way to get that rat before then with the Corona.

 

me: MY GOD what are we gonna do? Hmmmmm?

 

Myself: Well, we have a chrome spook and we have some rats.

 

me: So What! How in the name of dancing monkeys does that help us, you idiot? I don't get it.

 

Myself: Put a rat tail on a spook. FRANKEN-RAT-SPOOK!!!!!

 

me: EUREKA!

 

 

[A-Jay]

54 minutes ago, PhishLI said:

An internal conversation between me and myself:

 

me: A chrome rat? Get outta here!

 

Myself: BlueBasser's legit you big dummy.

 

me: Eh, I guess you're right. A chrome rat, hmmm? BRILLIANT!

 

Myself: Remember, we're hitting a smallie lake on Saturday, and there's no way to get that rat before then with the Corona.

 

me: MY GOD what are we gonna do? Hmmmmm?

 

Myself: Well, we have a chrome spook and we have some rats.

 

me: So What! How in the name of dancing monkeys does that help us, you idiot? I don't get it.

 

Myself: Put a rat tail on a spook. FRANKEN-RAT-SPOOK!!!!!

 

me: EUREKA!

 

 

LOL ~ That's awesome 

I'd hit that

A-Jay

[Bluebasser86]

1 hour ago, PhishLI said:

An internal conversation between me and myself:

 

me: A chrome rat? Get outta here!

 

Myself: BlueBasser's legit you big dummy.

 

me: Eh, I guess you're right. A chrome rat, hmmm? BRILLIANT!

 

Myself: Remember, we're hitting a smallie lake on Saturday, and there's no way to get that rat before then with the Corona.

 

me: MY GOD what are we gonna do? Hmmmmm?

 

Myself: Well, we have a chrome spook and we have some rats.

 

me: So What! How in the name of dancing monkeys does that help us, you idiot? I don't get it.

 

Myself: Put a rat tail on a spook. FRANKEN-RAT-SPOOK!!!!!

 

me: EUREKA!

 

 

 

Nice ingenuity 

[Mobasser]

I havnt tried these yet. They look like they will be fun. Good luck with them A- Jay.

[Harold Scoggins]

On 3/31/2020 at 3:41 PM, A-Jay said:

At the beginning of each of the past few seasons, I like to select at least one ‘new to me’ presentation to try my hand at during the upcoming open water period.

Three seasons ago, it was the A-Rig.

Two seasons ago it was the vibrating jig.

Last year the Ned Rig was the all the rage for me.

There were plenty of trials & tribulations associated with learning to fish these baits.

Success did not come quickly, but I kept at it.

Turned out to be a good choice as each has proven fairly effective for me.  

 

  So for this, the 2020 campaign, it’s going to be the Spro BBZ-1 Rat.

While I haven’t fished a ton of true wake baits in the past (at least not in fresh water), this one has really peaked my interest & curiosity.  

And after watching a few you tube videos of these baits getting totally pulverized by very respectable Green & Brown bass, in waters & situations that seemed very similar to what I routinely encounter here, I placed an order for a modest ‘beginners kit’.

Two each of sizes 30 & 40, along with a few extra tails.   

The Bait Monkey was very pleased.

 

 

 Starting out, I expect to need long casts so I plan on throwing the 30 size (1/2 oz) rat on what is essentially my walking bait rig – 7’ M/F spinning gear spooled with 20lb Sufix 832 Braid. 

The 40 size (1 oz) rat will be presented on 7’1” MH/F casting gear spooled with the same Sufix braid in 30lb. (my Whopper Plopper rig). 

Unfortunately or fortunately, depending on how you look at it, I fully expect the occasional Pike or Muskie to feast on Rat Meat, so like many of my presentations made on Lake Menderchuck, the Rat Pack will always be sporting a decent trace of wire between the braid & the bait.

 

In conclusion, (once I actually get some open water) I plan to keep this thread running with updated Reports, Pics & if I’m exceptionally fortunate,

some vivid video of any & all ‘Rat Pack’ action that occurs. 

We’ll start with this season and see how it goes.

 

 More importantly, I’d like to invite & encourage all BR members who may have similar experiences with these baits to share them here as well.

 

So there ya go – It’s vermin or bust.

A-Jay

 

2020, The Year of the Rat!

[Born 2 fish]

You got to get the black one for night fishing.

[Dangerfield]

@A-JayWhat's the leader material you're using?

[A-Jay]

1 hour ago, Dangerfield said:

@A-JayWhat's the leader material you're using?

Right here - good stuff.

Been using this one for several seasons now.

Uni-knot to the main line and a uni-Knot to the bait or a clip and you're good to go.

A-Jay

 

[Dangerfield]

Do you use 20lb for all applications or do you scale up for bigger baits (1.5oz+)?

[A-Jay]

5 minutes ago, Dangerfield said:

Do you use 20lb for all applications or do you scale up for bigger baits (1.5oz+)?

I am almost always fishing for brown bass and generally do not fish "Big Baits".

So the 20lb. is just about right. 

I use it for several applications when there's a Pike/muskie factor.

These include but are not limited to - topwater (walkers & whopper Ploppers mostly), jerkbaits, Rattle / lipless baits, spinnerbaits & vibrating jigs for sure, and even jigs - especially early & late season when the 'shallower' waters less than 68-70 degrees - the BIGGER toothy U-Boats are usually mixed in with the bass.

After 70 degrees here they usually bail to deeper & cooler water.

The smaller snot rockets are every where all season long 

A-Jay

[Dangerfield]

wow - I typically run a wire leader for my bigger, more $$ baits, and never considered it being a staple in my arsenal.

 

I know catching isn't an issue from your pics on pics on pics of football brownies, but do you find the AFW leader material to embed the action? I was thinking of running like 30lb Sufix Siege or Elite as a leader material but enter the AFW and now I'm thinking 30lb mono might not be enough.

[the reel ess]

I have one in the 40 size. And fish will eat it sometimes-often not. Like most topwaters, you'll get more bites in a shallower, weedier body of water. I've even caught dinks on it. It is a heavy bait so a rod with some backbone and/or length is in order. When I tried it on my usual medium topwater rod, the rod loaded up too much for my liking. It worked much better on my MH that I usually use for spinnerbaits.

[TnRiver46]

I have an OG snag proof rat that will be used extensively this fall. 

[A-Jay]

On 4/2/2020 at 9:22 AM, Dangerfield said:

wow - I typically run a wire leader for my bigger, more $$ baits, and never considered it being a staple in my arsenal.

 

I know catching isn't an issue from your pics on pics on pics of football brownies, but do you find the AFW leader material to embed the action? I was thinking of running like 30lb Sufix Siege or Elite as a leader material but enter the AFW and now I'm thinking 30lb mono might not be enough.

30 lb mono is 3 times the diameter of the AFW I use.

Additionally,  a big pike and musky will shred it in seconds.  Many of the bass you see here were caught using wire. So I do not see a down side.  I use it not because of bait loss, but to catch the occassional Giant that often strikes. 

A-Jay 

On 4/2/2020 at 9:45 AM, NHBull said:

I always have one tied on for early morning and evening sessions.

Morning dawn has always put more in the boat. I throw the 30 on a M BC and 40 on MH BC.  The hits are vicious!  You may want to change the hooks, and I am sure you will figure it out. 

Got this as a gift......can't wait to give it a try

https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Johnny_Rat_Little_Johnny_Rat_Wakebait/descpage-JLR.html

Thank you.

I Always change the hooks.

However the stock Gamakatus on these are decent.  I just prefer ewgs and one size up.

?

A-Jay 

[Mobasser]

A - Jay, a tackle shop where I get some of my stuff has these as well as some long, hairy, wicked looking rats. I cant remember the name now. They looked to be a full 8" long, and pretty realistic. They looked like they could crawl over and take a chunk out of you. I also think if you were comfortable with trebles at night, these could draw some hard jolting strikes. That would be some fun too

 

[Derek1]

This is gonna be a great thread. Can’t wait to see everyone’s rat catch pics. Great idea for a evolving thread A-jay. 

[NorthernBasser]

On 3/31/2020 at 10:07 PM, Smells like fish said:

Do rats rattle?

 

For some unknown reason I would want to throw without the tail attached 

 

Word of warning to ya- keep your box of trap style baits apart from them, rats and traps don't mix ?

They do rattle (more like a single knocker) in them. 

[PhishLI]

Here's my first entry and a tip.

 

There're so many good places to throw a rat. One situation where I really like to chuck it is when there's some wind, but there's also a natural wind break. I always try to throw it as far as I can into the ripple and retrieve back into calm water. So many strikes come at that boundary. Sometimes it's just inside the ripple and sometimes just outside of it. Give it a whirl.

 

Tonight's Rat 40 fish came in at 12:20 am with 15 mph headwinds, so total chop. 45 degree water temp. I retrieved it just outside of an emerging pad field and hooked up. Nice runs and a great fight. 7'3" 13 Defy Black Crankbait/Plfueger Supreme XT/Sufix Siege 17lb.

 

[OG Crankster]

First time out at a local pond.  Caught 5 in an hour. Nothing big but it was fun 

[TBAG]

I've got a 40 on the way, and from other suggestions in another thread plan to throw it on my new 795sb rod with 20lb mono. Sounds like that might be too much of a rod?

[Dangerfield]

1 hour ago, TBAG said:

I've got a 40 on the way, and from other suggestions in another thread plan to throw it on my new 795sb rod with 20lb mono. Sounds like that might be too much of a rod?

It'll be fine, but you should track down a 50 size for that rig.

[Derek1]

Got a couple on the 50 in morning dawn. There only about two pounds, but boy do they absolutely hammer it.