Rattle traps

[Flippy]

are there any given seasons for rattle traps .any light shed would be appreciated

[woody]

This is definite must have bait, rat'lTraps just drive the fish crazy. For obvious reasons.
They get the attention of the fish and usually produce.
I like the way you can fish them deep when the condition arises. Just let them sink to the depth the fish are at, and then rip em!
I hear of alot talk about the Color chrome-n-blue, especially good on sunny days...

good luck

[Bryan]

Prespawn is my favorite time for Rat-L-Traps, but I catch fish on them all year. They are easily one of my most productive lures.

[carolina-rig-01]

my favorite time for the rattle trap is in the late summer into fall. however a few years back i caught a fish that weighed a little over 8 lbs (8.3 if i remember right) on a rattle trap the day before christmas eve so like bryan said they will work all year long.

[Bob Smith]

Right now! as the baitfish start their final migration into the creeks and coves before the water temps drop dramatically. Bass will start schooling on the baitfish making the rattletrap the absolute right bait to be using right now.

[zooker]

SPRING!!!!!!

followed by

FALL!!!!!!


nuff said

zooker

[bhfishman]

All I can say is that I know they produce. I got out fished by two guys that didn't use anything but that over the weekend. They were ripping it through the grass and the bass would smash it as soon as it came loose from the grass.
I will have at least one tied on this weekend.

[fishin' fool]

Definatley during the cooler water periods. The tight wobble gives it a slimmer appearance. But traps are over looked on weedy flats during the summer.

[JB]

I use the cotton cordel reyburn red in the spring and the crome n blue or blk
in the fall..so for this year no takers on the trap, that could change any day tho..and will

[bamabassman]

ditto to the others. we have been using the 1/4 nd 1/2 oz chrome with a bour back for 3 weeks now. catching fish like crazy. follow the shad or throw it along the grass line. get a lot of dinks, but sometimes you'll get a keeper. we have caught quite a few keepers so far.

[bamabassman]

i meant to type chrome with a blue back. sorry arthur is getting me today gang.

[keithdog]

I'm wondering if the rattle trap lures work best in reservours that contain shad? My area lakes are all small natural lakes. They have no feeder creeks, rivers feeding them or anything like a reservour. And we have NO shad. It's basically small bluegill that feed the bass along with other small minnows. I've worked tha rattle traps to death and have only caught one bass on in my life using a trap. And I do have a buegill patterned trap to use. But nothing on it so far. But tie on a shallow crank like a small Bandit 100 and I'll start to nail the bass hard. I've worked my traps by ripping them through grass, skimming the weed tops, and deep, but so far no luck.

[kicking bass]

I have absolutely no luck with traps either. Wish I knew why, as I know some people have really good luck with them.

[JB]

try reeling them and then stop for a second, they sometimes will hit the trap on the fall...also any type of weed/grass just take the trap over the top, hitting some of the tops of the weeds, and stop it for a second, then continue reeling.

[Fish2win]

Rattleing vibrateing baits like the rattle trap are very versitle and one of the few any depth any time of the year baits. I have caught fish with them in 90 degree water and 48 degree water. Different brands have different sounds and at times one brand may work better than the other. You can chunk and wind, Yo-Yo , drag,hop or count this bait down. There is no right or wrong way to use it. Fish2win

[kicking bass]

Thank you JB and Fish2Win...I sure will be trying that the next trip out. I have always just cast and reel, but I will play with it a little more now. This forum is great!!!

[bamabassman]

kicking.... growing up i fished a LOT of small local ponds. the rattle trap really didn't work anywhere except near the dam (deepest place). so to counter that we used a rapala in the same color scheme of the trap. try it. do a jerk bait action, simple retrieve. try different things. also try a rooster tail in near the same color.

[kicking bass]

Thank you bamabassman, I am going out in the morning to a pond I have never fished before. Got alot of new things to try.

[bassboogieman]

I think Zooker got it right.

[Wishing2BFishing]

Just make sure you change the hooks. The Rattle Trap hooks are terrible.

[Captmikestarrett]

A Potomac secret is crome with blue back as well. But remove all hooks and give the belly (bottom) of the rattle trap a spray of orange paint.. You know the kind used to mark underground lines or danger.



Install better hooks once dry..

Best times to use are emerging grass in spring and dying grass edges in fall.

Try to parralel the edges in the fall.. the small 6 month old shad/menhaden are grouping up and using the grass edge as highway to bigger water. The bass tend to move out to intercept them.

Capt Mike

[Bob Smith]

Originally Posted by keithdog

I'm wondering if the rattle trap lures work best in reservours that contain shad? My area lakes are all small natural lakes. They have no feeder creeks, rivers feeding them or anything like a reservour. And we have NO shad. It's basically small bluegill that feed the bass along with other small minnows. I've worked tha rattle traps to death and have only caught one bass on in my life using a trap. And I do have a buegill patterned trap to use. But nothing on it so far. But tie on a shallow crank like a small Bandit 100 and I'll start to nail the bass hard. I've worked my traps by ripping them through grass, skimming the weed tops, and deep, but so far no luck.

Kieth, I would venture to say that this spring as the water warms into the mid 50s or better and the bass on your water start getting that urge to move shallow and spawn, you can slip in there and start slinging a trap in this pattern and catch you some fish (yes, the hooks have been changed).

[Basscrazie]

They are ny go to bait and working good down here right now.

[Cranebird]

Originally Posted by keithdog

I'm wondering if the rattle trap lures work best in reservours that contain shad? My area lakes are all small natural lakes. They have no feeder creeks, rivers feeding them or anything like a reservour. And we have NO shad. It's basically small bluegill that feed the bass along with other small minnows. I've worked tha rattle traps to death and have only caught one bass on in my life using a trap. And I do have a buegill patterned trap to use. But nothing on it so far. But tie on a shallow crank like a small Bandit 100 and I'll start to nail the bass hard. I've worked my traps by ripping them through grass, skimming the weed tops, and deep, but so far no luck.

I don't have shad in the lakes here either and they work just fine.If you get a rythem of just ticking the weed tops and snap the rod tip hard if you start to snag ,you can keep your trap from fouling up and you will catch fish.Don't retreive your trap in a straight line,move your rod tip side to side this varies the speed and movement of your trap, key in on what type of speed your fish is striking.I use Red zone, floating traps for slower presentations over weedbeds , sometimes its just cast let sit rip up and let it settle back to the weed tops and repeat.2 trap brands that come through more crap than most is the Spro Aruku shad and the Luhr Jensen sugar shad.They run nose down and will fish alot of cover other traps snag up in.Red colors in the spring rule , but very effective throughout, chrome in stained water & sunny days when the fish are aggressive, duller color patterns when the fish are spooky or the sky is cloud covered. I found that sometimes line diameter will determine whether your catching fish or just fishing.Never go over 10 lb test on a 1/4 oz. trap for best results. Ivan

Ps. If you catch bass on a crank and not a trap, your retreive rates are to much of a difference, slow your trap presentation down and it will produce as the crankbait does.A thicker diameter line will slow your bait down from more resistance in the water and allows the bait to fish slower through than a thinner line diameter will.The speed rate may be unnoticable to you but not to the fish.

[keithdog]

Thanks Bob and Crane for the usefull info. I'll give both a try this spring.