Bassmaster Elite Series pro Mark Daniels Jr. looks back at his original home water to five the competitors of the 2018 Rat-L-Trap Open some strategies that he would us to take home the trophy. Plus a few bonus tips.
#1 StutterStep 4.0
Shown: (Left to Right) Ghost Bluegill, Silverado, Sexy Ghost
This is the newer version of the StutterStep – a smaller 4-inch size. It has a smaller profile. It is a size that I would use to try and catch a limit, with a chance of catching a big one that is feeding on top right now. With the fish being in the spawn stage, there will be a lot of those big ones feeding up like that.
Targets: Inside weedlines and troughs when the tide is down, edges of primrose, extending out over deeper water and open pockets and tules, where the fish are likely to be spawning.
The Rat-L-Trap Open presented by Best Bass Tournaments blasts off April 22. Register here.
#2 Echo 1.75
Shown: (Counter-Clockwise Starting from the Top) Black Chartreuse, Rayburn Red, Summer Sexy Shad, Honey Craw
The Echo comes through the grass really well and it deflects off rocks really well.
Targets: Inside the trough, when the tide is higher and where the bass are spawning. The key with this bait is going to be contacting the rock between the bank itself and the first grass line. That is where they’re going to be bedding. You might also have a few that are pre-spawn that are going to be looking for some crawfish, bluegills and shad.
The Rat-L-Trap Open presented by Best Bass Tournaments blasts off April 22. Register here.
#3 StutterStep
Shown: (Left to Right) Baby Bass, Black Shad
The original StutterStep is a bigger bait. It is one-ounce with a lot of bulk to it. I’m putting my money on that is what is going to catch big bass of the tournament. The Baby Bass pattern is a tried-and-true color in all walking-style baits and it brings the whole threat aspect to the spawners that are guarding fry.
In my opinion, Black Shad doesn’t get enough love. It is a dark silhouette, which looks like a shadow over the top of their head. It’s dark color, doesn’t really allow them to make out exactly what it is; so, it can replicate many different forage items. Black has always been a big fish catching color.
Targets: Primarily the same as the 4.0 targets. In spawning areas, you can agitate the bass on the bed. In this tournament, this would be the best bait to get spawning ones to eat. You can get it over their head, twitch that thing and work it over the top of the nest.
The Rat-L-Trap Open presented by Best Bass Tournaments blasts off April 22. Register here.
#4 Clear Water Rat-L-Trap Options
Shown: (Top to Bottom) Pumpkin Craw, Living Chrome, Bayou Blue Craw
This group of colors is for water that clear to mildly clear.
Targets: Pitch and flip through the sparse tules through Frank’s and Mildred – trying to bump the tules with the Trap. These are areas where bass are going to be spawning or likely to spawn and you will be able to catch ‘em. Whether they are coming or going – pre-spawn, spawn or post-spawn, they will be in these same general areas.
Tip #1: Scale Down Your Trap as The Tide Descends
Alternate between a ¼, ½ and ¾-ounce Rat-L-Trap, using the ¾-ounce with the higher tide, as it pulls out, move to the ½-ounce Trap and the ¼-ounce is a good look on a completely low tide. The bigger, heavier Traps are going to bog down in the places that you want to fish them and as the tide starts to descend, you need to lighten up the baits, so you can keep the baits fishing in the strike zone.
Tip #2 For Heavy Cover Trap Mod
Remove the rear treble hook and increase the front treble hook by one size. They come standard with a #4 treble, replace it with a #3 or in some cases a #2 and now you have a 4-wheel-drive Trap that you can throw at tules, dense grass and primrose, without worrying about getting hung up. This will make the lure sit nose down. The first thing that it comes in contact with the cover is the nose and when you hit the nose, it will deflect nose-to-back, moving the hook out of the way. This will allow the lure to track back through the cover and you to keep fishing the bait, without snagging. If you try to throw it through the tules with two hooks on it and you’re going to be in trouble.
The Rat-L-Trap Open presented by Best Bass Tournaments blasts off April 22. Register here.
#5 Stained Water Rat-L-Trap Options
Shown: (Top to Bottom) Red Crawfish, Cherry Craw, Royale
I would tell every single angler competing in this tournament, you have to have a minimum of two red baits – whether they are both Traps or a Trap and an Echo or whatever – you absolutely have to have red on with these big females feeding up to go spawn. Their number one forage is big, red crawfish. A lot of these fish also are eating blugill.
The Royale is my bluegill-type pattern. If you’ve been fishing an area and you know the fish are on gills – seeing ‘em spittin’ ‘em up or you’ve been catchin’ ‘em on a green pumpkin swim jig or ChatterBait or something, you know they are on ‘em and I would recommend this option. It can mimic a bluegill or a shad.
Targets: Same as the Clear Water Traps
Tip #3: Sound Differences in Rat-L-Traps
The original sound of the Trap is a great option; but there is also a Knock-N-Trap and a Stealth Trap. The Stealth Trap is silent and a very good selection for clear water. Everybody and their brother is going to be throwing the original Trap; but now you come along with one that is silent and you’re catching fish that no one else is.
Tip #4: Low Water Conditions Rat-L-Traps
The Floating Trap is very effective in low water conditions. With 15-pound-test, it will get down about 1-foot or 1 ½-foot. You can fish it in some super-skinny water and tick the tops of the grass perfectly.
The Rat-L-Trap Open presented by Best Bass Tournaments blasts off April 22. Register here.
MORE TRAP TIPS HERE
2018 Rat-L-Trap Open offers a 100% Payout on Entry and Big Fish Opetions
It is a team event, open to everyone; however, you may fish along.
It is presented by Best Bass Tournaments; but you do not have to be a memeber to fish.
Date: April 22, 2018
Location: California Delta
Launch: Russo's Marina
Rules
1) Have Fun
2) Only current Bill Lewis product
3) You can change the hook, color, no modifications of the bait.
4) Five fish limit 13 inches on a flat board we will switch the tail.
5) Draw for boat start the morning of the event
6) Off-limits for this event Rusty Porthole, the island in front and the end of Russo dock toward Sandmound slough.
7) All other standard rules will be applied safety, sportsmanship, insurance.
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