How to Fish a Rattle Trap Updated

How to Fish a Rattle Trap

Featured Lure: The Rat-L-Trap

Rat-L-Trap's effectiveness helped to earn its place as a primary, go-to lure in just almost any state of affairs or condition.

Similar most immature anglers, my outset attempts to fool fish were with bait. But it didn't accept long to make the transition to using lures, only similar the pros I watched on television, the guys who seemed to e'er take hold of a huge bass right at the end of the evidence. Of the many styles, makes and models of lures that were available in stores and tackle shops at the fourth dimension, it was the new lipless crankbait that was the latest craze. The Rat-L-Trap was the beginning of the lipless, rattling crankbaits, a style of lure that opened upwards many possibilities for both fresh and saltwater fishermen. It was a totally new pattern, and its long-term success is easily verified by the number of imitators information technology has spawned.

The Rat-50-Trap is about every bit convenient as a lure can be; no "tuning" or modifications are needed, and it didn't have long for it to become a staple, not merely for me, simply for many of my fellow line-fishing pals. It quickly earned its place as our primary, get-to lure in just about any situation or status. We wouldn't think of striking the bass pond without having at least a few "traps" in our meager, sparsely populated tackle boxes. And whenever it got to be near "the cease of the bear witness," as we'd say on a less than stellar 24-hour interval, Rat-L-Traps were what you'd find on the cease of our lines.

The shad-shaped, noise-producing (rattling) Rat-50-Trap crankbait features a combination of sound and action attractive to a variety of predatory fish. The lure is manufactured by Nib Lewis Lures in Alexandria, Louisiana, a business that has been 100 percent family endemic and operated since it was formed in 1971. Today, the company employs about 100 people, many of whom have been there for over 20 years. Bill Lewis Lures Rat-L-Traps and other lures in its production line can be found in tackle shops throughout Northward America, Australia, Europe, Africa and Japan. All Bill Lewis lures are handmade and built in the factory in Alexandria, using all American-fabricated components.

When founder Bill Lewis was working on the design of the first Rat-L-Trap, he took the completed prototype out for a test run with loftier hopes. To his dismay, he found the lure "stood up on its nose" when dragged through the h2o. In fact, he found it didn't really seem "to do much of anything" at all. So he added some lead BB-size shot to the rear compartment to serve as a weigh, hoping this modification would help the lure run more like a wounded baitfish. Well, it did that and more. After the modification, Nib and his son, Buddy, constitute the lure was so noisy that they could really hear it as it ran through the water. To them it sounded like an quondam, rickety "rattletrap," which inspired the name, and a new concept in lure design was born.

Since Bill Lewis incorporated the first sound bedroom into the original Rat-L-Trap back in the early 1970s, the variety of colors, patterns and designs take expanded considerably. It is available in 6 sizes (in both fresh and saltwater models), and hundreds of colors. The Original Rat-L-Trap, Mini-Trap, Mag-Trap, Tiny-Trap, Super-Trap, Redzone Rat-50-Trap, Spin-Trap, Spark-L-Trap and Rat-L-Acme are the well-nigh popular models. In add-on, the visitor has expanded its rattling lure production line over the years to include topwater baits, such as the Spitfire (popper) and the Slap-Stik (floating stickbait).

Using sound and vibration to attract fish is based on the theory of how fish utilize audio to locate nutrient. Besides being a very productive lure for triggering strikes from largemouth and smallmouth bass, the Rat-L-Trap is equally effective on a multifariousness of other fish, including walleye, expressway, muskies and assorted panfish species. Saltwater anglers have found that Rat-Fifty-Traps tin can be mortiferous on inshore sport fish like striped bass and bluefish.

In that location are several proven fishing techniques an angler tin use to increase the effectiveness of the Rat-L-Trap. One of my favorites is the "elevator and drop." During the call back you simply use your rod tip to lift and drop the lure through the h2o column and over construction. This method is most productive when used in deeper water and is a great mode to cover the depths and to locate exactly where the fish are belongings. Near often the strike will come during the fall. It's also an excellent way to tempt a fish that may be following the lure into striking. By varying the recall – stopping every iv or five cranks of the reel handle – you imitate the activeness of an injured baitfish and go on the lure in the strike zone just a piddling longer than you would with a steady retrieve. When using this method, the strike will often come up during the pause. Similarly, when fishing in deep water and for ice-fishing applications, the weighted/sinking models tin can be used for vertical jigging. Simply lift the lure with a series of quick jerks to get the rattles working, and then slowly lower it again, causing the lure on its descent to "swim" and wobble like an injured baitfish. Simply always be sure to keep the line tight in guild to feel even the slightest take and to proceed the hooks from fouling with the leader. Another effective technique involves casting and "speed-retrieving" the Rat-L-Trap. This is best used when fish are aggressive or reside in warm waters, or both. Speed-think tin also exist used as a fish-locating tool and is especially effective when the lure is "ripped" through aquatic weeds and vegetation. The Rat-L-Trap as well works well when trolling.

You'll discover models ranging from 1/8 ounce (Tiny-Trap) to ane one/2 ounces (Super-Trap), and certain models are available as floaters or sinkers. With and so many colors in the Rat-L-Trap catalog, y'all should have no problem finding ane that matches the fodder in the areas you lot fish. In articulate water, y'all tin can never go incorrect with natural forage colors similar perch and sunfish, and with the color and blueprint of crayfish. In murky h2o, become with larger sizes in bright colors like fire tiger, chartreuse, orangish and carmine. In shallow water, always use smaller sizes. A skilful dominion of thumb is, if the fishing is tough, alter patterns and downsize until yous have success. The original chrome patterns have proven effective fourth dimension and once again over the final 30 years. I take found that the Rat-L-Trap is so adept in that location'due south inappreciably ever a demand to change lure types. Information technology'southward often just a affair of irresolute Rat-50-Traps until you find the right color, size and presentation.