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Bill Lewis Original Rat-L-Trap®
- Flat-out catches fish
- Flashing, shimmering shad-like profile
- Super-tight wiggle
- Calibrated to emit Liv-N-Sound
- Durashell™ finish
- Flat-out catches fish
- Flashing, shimmering shad-like profile
- Super-tight wiggle
- Calibrated to emit Liv-N-Sound
- Durashell™ finish
Bleeding Shad colors all have bright red treble hooks.
9 Questions | 52 Answers
Outdoor Answers
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Can I use these in saltwater for speckled trout and redfish? If so what would be the best colors for speckled trout and redfish?
(read all my Q&A)
Q:
2 answers
What is a good color for tennessee river/kentucky lake? And is this lure good for when a nice bass is 2 to 3 pounds?
Answers
Top 25 Contributor
A:
Shad & Crayfish patterns are what I would want on TN river and KY lake. I used to use Rat 'L' Traps as my main lipless crankbait because they worked well just about anywhere I fished. Rapala Clackin' Raps catch bass better than other lipless crankbaits because they make a different sound with 1 huge tunsten rattle in a metal chamber. You need Clackin' Raps - they are better than any other lipless crankbait for big bass. My favorite clear water colors are Yellow Perch & Hot Steel, but Red Crawdad is great in stained water. You will always find Clackin' Raps in all my tackleboxes, and on my rod. They are that great of a lure for huge bass. I start out with a Clackin' Rap on each spot and don't leave a spot without throwing it again. It catches so many good fish that it's hard to put it down and use anything else. In lakes I do great along the deep weed edge tight as possible to the weeds without snagging them. In rivers fish near rock piles, wing dams, and logs/trees.Images for this Answer
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Top 1000 Contributor
A:
I have fished Kentucky Lake and various rivers successfully with this bait. When the bite falls off on the 1/2 oz chrome w/ blue back, I will go to a shad color. In stained water, go bright, and in clear, go to naturalcolors. Early spring, try orange or red.
Use burn and drop and pumping methods,
along with slow rolling.
This bait is AWESOME for ALL fish any size!
See my 14# 2 oz Ms Bass caught on a trap!
The other three are also over 10# on a trap!
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Details:
I can't see in the online catalog if these lures are sinking or floating. I heard that a floater is available which is the one I'm interested in.Answers
Top 1000 Contributor
A:
YES. Type in the floating option or ask for catalog help.A:
sinkerA:
they are all sinking unless otherwise noted
Top 50 Contributor
A:
the standard Rat-L-Traps all sink, but they also make a 1/2oz floating model.
Top 500 Contributor
A:
I need to update my last answer to this question.I have found that my first answer was not correct.oops!!Bill Lewis does make a FLOATING RAT-L-TRAP ..And many other types,you just need to look him up on the WEB. They also have the PRO MODEL I wanted to try myself.And a saltwater line too.I hope this helps you find what your looking for.GOOD LUCK TO YOU...
Top 500 Contributor
A:
I HAVE READ YOUR QUESTION A FEW TIMES..AND DID SOME HARD THINKING,, AND I'M PRETTY SURE THE ANSWER IS Aaaa..NO. TRY A MANN'S MINUS 1 MAYBE A XPS SHALLOW CRANK.....
Top 25 Contributor
A:
Read the description that comes with the bait, and if it doesn't specifically say that it is a floater, than it is a sinker.Details:
is this or is the red eye shad a better all-round lure for bass?Answers
Top 1000 Contributor
A:
Both are good, but I'll give the nod to Bill Lewis. This one in photo liked it!Images for this Answer
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A:
Oh you know the best lures alright. The Red Eye shad is another great lure for bass.A:
I have not used the Strikeking,but it should have simular resilts
Top 500 Contributor
A:
I have both types plus ,Rapalas ,SPots,XPS'YO-ZURI and a bunch more I mean a big bunch! I'm not telling you that a red eye is not as good as a trap .One thing is for sure the RAT-L-TRAPand SPOT have been around for along time .Lippless cranks been around alot of years and going to be alot more.New is not always better.What makes a bait good ? It's who learns what you can do with it. to catch a fish.
Top 250 Contributor
A:
I really enjoy fishing the clasic bill lewis,but the red eye shad definatly has places it shines like when you use a yo yo retreve it falls straight down. Unlike the RT that falls to its side. Id suggest just going with the blue chrome rattle trap. P.S. throw it on flats and when the bass are really keying in on shad.
Top 1000 Contributor
A:
The lipless crankbaits all have a unique action on the sinking. I've caught about same amount of fish on rattle traps and strike kings. Both work well.Details:
is this or is the strike king red eye shad a better all-round lure for bass?Answers
Top 1000 Contributor
A:
The pros use a lot of Strike Kings. They say it triggers fish when it falls. This means to me deep water. I have used it in many colors, still with much less success than the Bill Lewis Rat-l-trap.Images for this Answer
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A:
I like the blue back with red bellyA:
yes
Top 10 Contributor
A:
red eye shad
Top 50 Contributor
A:
Although the rat-l-trap is a classic lure and works great, I prefer the the red eye shad, it seems to work better for bass (and muskie, too).
Top 1000 Contributor
A:
As far as appeal based on the so called sonic 'baitfish' sound I have no idea. I do know both work well. The red eye shad I prefer being the way it descends in the water.Answers
Top 1000 Contributor
A:
I often pump my rod after every three to nine turns of a 7.1:1 reel by droping the rod tip from 1 o'clock to 3 and picking it back up to 1. The drop time depends on how deep you are fishing or want to fish. Sometimes I'll double pump it, depending how much coaxing the fish need.Images for this Answer
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A:
7.1 reel with 12 lb mono line on 7 foot rodA:
Basically you jerk your rod tip up while reeling, the lower it continuing to reel. It will create a pause in your retrieve but the line will remain tight. You can also fish different depths by letting it sink before you retrieve.A:
What I like to do is reel a little, jerk it up, let it fall briefly with the rod and reel again. When you lift it up it gives it that crazy noise making movement, and fish can't stand that! oh yea, and don't forget to reel in slower on colder water.A:
you have to use your imagination,because you know water and your fish,any method that works,the fish don;t care
Top 250 Contributor
A:
Using rattle baits are alot of fun. I use several brands but Bill Lewis Rattletraps are probably still my favorite. I fish this lure three ways. I use a steady retrieve where I just reel the lure in with a 5:1 gear ratio and let the reel do most of the work. I also sometimes rip the bait around submerged grass beds. I will use braided line and literally rip the bait from the weeds, triggering a bite. Then comes yo-yoing the bait. I usually use fluorocarbon line but any line will work. I will make a long cast ( unless I am jigging it right under the boat ), Then I will let the lure sink to a desired depth. I will then raise my rod quickly and you will feel the lure vibrate. Then quickly lower the rod and let the lure sink again to the desired depth. If you are working the bait back to you, you will want to reel in the slack when you lower the rod. The fish will generaly hit the lure on the fall. This method can be very effective. I hope this helps. Good luckImages for this Answer
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Top 50 Contributor
A:
People usually fish lure like this with a straight retrieve. Fishing it "yo yo" means reeling fast for a few feet, then stopping so it sinks, then reeling fast for a few more feet, so it moves forward and up and repeating this for the whole cast.Details:
the one that has line thru bait and one trebble hookAnswers
Top 500 Contributor
A:
YES ,They do ,and you need to go to ..SEARCH...BILL LEWIS RAT-L-TRAPS ..ON THE WEB.( BASSPRO). I think has 80,000 plus items they carry in the catalog.Just think what that would be to keep control of. It is amazing to me how they do such a great job as they do.GOOD LUCK...I HOPE , I answered your question....
Answers
A:
Bleeding shiner
Top 50 Contributor
A:
it's best to match the forage present in the body of water you are fishing - that being said, you can get by with 3 primary colors - shad for clear water, firetiger for dirty water, and a crawdad color for early spring. Use bigger sizes in the fall as the baitfish have gotten bigger thru the year.
Top 1000 Contributor
A:
i like the crome with blue back.
Top 1000 Contributor
A:
Several can work well depending on the situation. I always liked the chrome,bleeding, and blue/black chrome.A:
Smokey Joe works great on largemouth for me.
Top 250 Contributor
A:
Chrome and blue hands down
Top 500 Contributor
A:
It depends on where you are, time of year, weather, etc. Chrome is probably the most universal.A:
the bleeding shad color works best for largmouths in the lake i fish. but it changes lake to lakeA:
It depends on the weather. On a cloudy day you should use a dull color, nothing flashy. Where as on a sunny day you should use a flashy shad color. This is do to the fact that on a sunny day the light filtering through the water creates a flash on the sides of bait-fish and bass, as a form of camo. Thus matching forage.
Top 250 Contributor
A:
1-Blue Chrome2-Bleeding Blue Chrome
3-Red Craw
A:
on sam rayburn and toledo bend from jan-apr. its red crawfish pattern or rayburn red xcalibur xr75. during summer i go for shad colors.Details:
I know this bait works well when bass are aggresive but would it catch bass in the winter?Answers
A:
Yes, in my review I talk about how i caught fish in the winter by yo yoing it in and out of the weeds so from my experience i say yes you can catch fish with this bait in the winter.Images for this Answer
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A:
This is an excellent winter bait. It is not going to get the bass going crazy and you are not going to catch a bunch but it can pick a few up here and there when the bite is really tough. One of my favorite winter baits. I have caught some nice bass using a rattle trap during the winter to support this claim.A:
Works good in early spring in Mi, water is pretty cold then. Not sure about Winter
Top 50 Contributor
A:
Kevin Van Dam won the 2010 Classic on Strike King's version of this bait in 48 degree water!
Top 1000 Contributor
A:
I have caught alot of smallmouth in last winter/early spring on them and I live in the northwest where water temps get into the high 30's... once the water gets into the mid to high 40's the smallmouth really go after these baitsA:
Absolutely it will. Cloudy , cold pre spawn days with water temp over 46 are the best days in my opinion.Images for this Answer
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Top 250 Contributor
A:
Yes its great in winter actually i caught my largest smallmouth ever in 36 degree water
Top 500 Contributor
A:
If you yo-yo the bait in front of a bass you might have a little success, but you wont find to many willing to chase with our cold winters(I'm in Kansas). Best choice is probably a jig/pork combo worked very slowA:
I use these when the water hits 45 F here and with a slowretrieve I catch LMB, SMB, northerns and Musky.chrome with a black back and smokey joe seem to work best here.
good luck!
A:
yes, i definatley. as long as you have a red crawfish pattern. thats what works best on sam rayburn and toledo bend. look for xcalibur xr50 or xr75 in rayburn red. on retrieve i like to swim it through the very top of the grass.
Top 500 Contributor
A:
yes it can, just make sure it is either red or its got flash to it.1 of 1
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9 Questions | 52 Answers
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