re: Rat L Traps

quote:

---

I hope I can explain this ok but one of my favorite ways to fish the trap: Cast out. Extend your arms before reeling in. as you real pull your arms in hands close to your body. Once you touch your stomach, stop reeling, extend arms and begin again

---

Can we get a video of this...

Perhaps this can be the gang sign...

Sorry to be late to the party. Trying to share info, not brag or complain...

Retrieve info - no standard exists, IMO. Fast,slow or medium retrieve should always be taylored to the situation.

Very fast to very slow examples follow...

Schooling bass on Toledo Bend, Rayburn, etc. - fire 1/4 oz. to 3/4 oz. lipless crankbait like Rat L Trap (1/2 oz. chrome/black back my favorite) into the last frenzy spot and reel back medium to fast retrieve. Soon as the bait is out of the frenzy spot, reel it back very fast in order to get it back out to the frenzy spot ASAP. Repeat.

The above retrieve speed should also normally be used in any cover situation where the trebles will snag and possibly cause a lost lure. Know the depth. Know the cover (top, bottom, etc.). Taylor the retrieve speed accordingly.

The largest bass I ever caught was with a painfully slow retrieve off the bottom (like a jig). I would cast it out, let it sink to the bottom and sit for several seconds, pick up the slack, then pull up the rod and slowly reel in several feet of line. Repeat.

Details - I was fishing Lake Bruin in NE Louisiana (Mississippi River oxbow lake similar to False River and Old River near Baton Rouge). It was January and of course cold. Bass move very slowly in cold weather (goes without saying). Lake Bruin (like False River and Old River) has no cover or very little cover (maybe an occasional brush pile) to snag your trebles. I threw under a pier in about 6 - 10 feet of water (notice similarity to piers in False River & Old River, etc.).

Bait was a 3/4 oz. "perch" (black back with green upper/yellow scaled mid upper/red diagonal stripes/white belly) Cordell Spot (Hot Spot originally). I seem to remember Rat L Traps appearing later (I could be wrong).

Yes, I have also caught bass with lipless crankbaits at Toledo Bend, Rayburn, False River, Old River, the spillway (east & west side), etc.

Note that I have a tackle box of Spots and 2 tackle boxes of Bill Lewis Rat L Traps, so I have no favorite. Love them both. In all sizes.

These lipless crankbaits should also work in salt water, though I would usually use 1/2 oz. baits like Mirrorlure or (discontinued) translucent lime green Bingos. My buddy and I caught over 400 schooling specs one day in October using these lipless crankbaits (mainly Bingos) while fishing inland (brackish, semi - salt water) out of Golden Meadow. I'm quite sure they would have hit any lipless bait (like Rat L Trap) that day.

When schooling like this, these specs (or bass) may even have hit a fast moving slice of a banana peeling!! Ha. Ha.

Hope this retrieve info helps. Retrieve speed (like bait selection, presentation, etc.) is totally up to the mind of the fisherman.

quote:

---

All freshwater FWIW

---

quote:

---

I keep one tied on just about year round

---

Like that they finally changed hooks up and have a much better hook the last 6 yrs or so with the lock set trebbles

Now I throw this a lot

quote:

---

I like the strike king red eye shad

---

quote:

---

then I throw it on a 7:1 with braid

---

This is one of my favorite techniques at toledo ripping it in that hydrilla when I find some down 5-10 ft.

Have a box with red eyes and a box with traps and keep them each full.

Tiger Bait! A friend of mine has this one. Notice that it has no split rings or hooks. It is one of the original prototypes for the collegiate series.

quote:

---

We used to call them the idiot bait cause anyone that didn't know a dam thing about bass fishing DID know about rat-l-traps.

---

no, these are known as senkos

figured that might rustle a few jimmies

Does anyone out there still use jitterbugs? I got me an 8 pound peacock bass yesterday using one.

quote:

---

I picked this one up at Toledo Tackle last year.

---

We probably don't use purple near enough. back in the day is was always purple worms but the color has fallen out of favor. Purple is one of the last colors to fade out with depth.