Need Rat-L- Trap advice

[slawdawg]

I am new to lipless crankbait fishing.  What is the best retrieve?  what conditions are prime for fishing Rat-L-traps? Depth?  Thanks

[Vyron]

welcome aboard

A fast constant retrieve when its windy will catch you fish

[CJ]

I fish them in the Spring and Fall mainly.

In the Spring,I fish them off rocky banks,points,and even in the shallow flats with a medium retrieve,sometimes I burn them,but usually just fast enough to feel the vibration.Usually from 1-6 ft. deep.

In the fall,I fish them in the back of the bays around the grass.This is when I will burn em'(fast).Anywhere from 1-4 ft. deep.

Like Vryon said,wind is a big help.

[roadwarrior]

It's more about "where" than "how".  As with most (all) lures, structure and/ or cover are key. Running a Trap or trap-like lure along a weed line is killer. Rip-rap, ledges and ridges are other suggestions. Find the fish and the fish will find the Trap!

[VekolBass]

In the spring, before the vegetation emerges on the surface of the water, a good technique is to run the trap just fast enough that you feel it occasionally hang up on a weed. Then sweep your rod tip sideways to free the lure. A lot of strikes come immediately after you jerk the lure free.

[dink]

Burn it and kill it around schoolies in open water as well.

[Sam]

And set that hook.

I have lost many a bass on a Rat-L-Trap as they seem to throw it more than other lures.

I put my rod tip into the water to keep them from jumping, too, which has increased my catch.

I like the 1/4 ounce silver with a black back as my first choice and the blue back as my backup.

They are good when fishing for smallies, too.

I throw them all year long when the bite goes away and just to throw something they may not have seen in  a while.

[fishing man]

when i use rattle taps i only use one kind the XPS rattle shads. but i use them all year round and most the time it is a fast retreve, but experiment with the retreve and stuff like that u never know what the bass want that day.

[Taliesin]

Here's the quote of the day:

Find the fish and the fish will find the Trap!

Very true. you just have to fins what retrieve they want. Sometimes it is fast and constant, sometimes it's slow, sometimes you need to vary the retrieve. I have had times where any retrieve worked and I have had times where only one would work and I had to find it.

Someone else mentioned the hooks. I replace all the hooks on the 'traps. The ones they come with aren't very good.

[Catt]

First off I guess y'all aint bought a Trap in a while cause they have had new hooks for about 8 months now.

Just a few techniques: ricochet em off wood, slow roll em, stop-n-go, kneel-n-reel, buzz em on top

[Taliesin]

First off I guess y'all aint bought a Trap in a while cause they have had new hooks for about 8 months now.

Well... I just bought one about a month ago and the hooks on it stank.

Two possibilities.

The one I bought had been on the shelf a long while.

The new hooks stink too.

From looking at your pic, I think mine has the old hooks. Something to keep in mind if you are going to be shopping for 'Traps.

[ejtaylor822]

I love Rattle traps.  Can cover a lot of water and they always seem to stir up the fish.  Can be in an area throwing worms, cranks, jigs, etc. and never see a fish.  Put on a Rattle Trap and after a little while will see them swimming around - may not get a bite, but at least I know they are there.

I like the Rapala traps - baby bass is the favorite along with the shad.  Like others, typically burn them across the bottom - very productive in hot weather - but the favorite retrieve is what vekol mentioned.  Run it along and when it hangs on grass, weeds, etc give it a jerk.  I will also do this when just retrieving below the surface - run it along and sweep the rod, or, pause then retrieve.  Seems like the best hits are (mostly) after a pause either intentional or hitting grass/weeds.

Thanks,

Eddie

[KevO]

I've never had much luck with the trap before... until last week.  I found some bass and stripers schooling up on shad.  I caught ten fish in an hr and a half on 1/2 oz chrome trap just throwing it toward the shad and reeling it in at a moderate pace.  Oh yeah it was windy too, I could have caught more but my little pelican boat kept getting blown into the trees.  

[RoLo]

The Bill Lewis Rat-L-Trap is a cheap, unspectacular-looking lure, but it's been bass slaying since its predacessor, the Heddon Sonic.

I'm not sure why the trap is such a great year-round lure, but it might be a combination of things, for instance:

1. It produces a "tight vibration" that's unique to a lipless plug

2. Unlike plugs with a diving lip, the speed can be varied without a significant change in depth (almost like a countdown).

Depending on the season and current fish mood, just about any retrieve that comes to mind may be productive.

Okay, this is one retrieve that I'd NEVER use with a rat-l-trap.................................................................... :-/

Roger

[Olebiker]

The Bill Lewis Rat-L-Trap is a cheap, unspectacular-looking lure, but it's been bass slaying since its predacessor, the Heddon Sonic.

I was sorting through my late Father's tackleboxes last night and noticed that he still had several old black and white Sonics.  He used to catch crappies on them.

[RoLo]

I was sorting through my late Father's tackleboxes last night

and noticed that he still had several old black and white Sonics. He used to catch crappies on them

During the late 50s, I was fishing some pit mines from shore with my childhood friend, Victor.

Back then my favorite lure was the Johnson Silver Minnow (right before the "rubber" worm caught fire).

Though I had enough lures for both of us, Victor kept complaining all day long, "Oh, I wish we had some Sonics".

After I bought my first Sonic, I began to understand how Victor felt. It was pure dynamite, and caught bass

of all sizes (this was Jersey though, so anything over 3 lbs was big).

Roger

[Del from philly]

i gotta say,

iv been trying these all season and didnt get nothing.....not once

maybe try the smaller one?  iv tryed everything.....

i got the real rat trap, i got a smaller knock off and nothing

[TournyFish001]

I remember when I first started fishing with a trap it took a while to get my first fish- had a very hard time getting confidence with them... as I kept getting knocked off in tournaments by guys using them I had to rethink my game plan- I went fishing with a guy that used them quite often and watched and learned- once I saw how he played with the retrieves and such I learned more than what you could ever read in a magazine or a forum- the best bet is to learn from someone that has experience but never give up especially on a rattle trap- now I always have one tied on

[T-rig]

The Bill Lewis Rat-L-Trap is a cheap, unspectacular-looking lure, but it's been bass slaying since its predacessor, the Heddon Sonic.

I was sorting through my late Father's tackleboxes last night and noticed that he still had several old black and white Sonics. He used to catch crappies on them.

I also have a couple of these sonics. I'll have to give them a try because I think the fish haven't

seen one of those in a long time. Did the sonics ever have rattles because the one's I have don't

have any.