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Rat Baits


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I posted this shorter version of this in a group on FB. I didn't post here because I'm making a little video series on some topics I feel I can actually chime in on. Particularly lipped hardbaits but rats have been a crazy obsession for me since day one with big baits. Videos soon to come for Underground users to peep.

 

Ive wrote this originally years ago when rat baits werent so popular but it seems more relevant now for newbies. Theres alot more to it but maybe this will spark some coversation #ratlife

 

rat theory

 

Rats have become a crutch for me swimbait fishing. If i didn't make baits I dont know if I would ever fish any other style. They have been responsible for some of my greatest days on the water and my biggest heart break. Lost the biggest fish of my life at the boat because i thought i didn't need a net LOL. That was a long time ago and i wont fish without a net since. A mid teen fish jumping off boat side can do that to you. Ive caught fish everywhere ive went with my Micro Mink and had some GIANT days on my XXH Mink. On then delta I feel Minks and Muskrats are what bass target. In my opinion, bass definitely know exactly what they are doing when pursuing and eating LARGE rodent style prey. For about 2 years i dedicated 90% of my time on the water to my Mink baits. I average 100-150 days a year on the water. I dont want this to be a post about my baits or an advertisement so ill just say large and small rat from now on.

 

First of all, if you have aquatic rodent style prey in your system remember that when a Muskrat, Mink, Shrew/Vole, Nutria ect, is scared they will dive SUBsurface to escape danger and also not be vulnerable to predators under them. They are very comfortable swimming on the surface or subsurface. More terrestrial rats may scurry on the surface more as they are not equipped the same way as the others. But regardless of what rat is in your body of water, i feel that to use these baits to target trophies, you have to make a natural presentation. Loud rat baits have caught me some very large fish, but its usually been on dark nights when I feel any large loud wake would have worked. But my 40lb plus days and fish in the DD range have all been on slow crawling Large rats sub surface in super clear water. A smaller rat bait caught me a 5lb spot on a gin clear trout lake in the Appalachian Mountains. That was the only fish I could trigger into biting during a multi day vacation there. It saved the trip. Having such success in this clear water has allowed me to watch the way the fish approach and eat these baits. Large fish are no strangers to eating rats. Plain and simple. They do not just haphazardly attack these baits. They know exactly what they are doing. With timid fish or fish not aggressively attacking a bait, you will get a lot of bites where they just grab the rear treble. This is why i use black rubber or bucktail on the rear treble a lot to imitate feet. My big bites that have came while waking are rather light grabs but they get all hooks. Im assuming these fish are grabbing the legs. Its exactly what they do when they position a real rat by grabbing its paddling feet and yanking it under. They develop this when they are juveniles and harass everything in their path. By doing this they can take the prey head first and let their crushers do the work. Another bite you will get is a jarring head shaking smash, like when a shark grabs prey and shakes. Im assuming the fish are doing the same, just trying to thrash and kill their prey. Im sure eating a big rodent is no picnic LOL and they probably want that thing DEAD. I get these bites when reeling subsurface the most. Smaller rats will also get swallowed whole, but i have have less success landing these fish. Probably 50/50 hook to catch. When a big fish inhales a smaller rat, for some reason the bait seems to pull out easier. But its still awesome to feel the line go slack and see an 8 plus come up with the bait swallowed.

 

The way the fish approached eating these rat baits made me pay attention to more detail so that i could maximize my bites. Just as guys study shad and trout movements and preferred locations, i do the same with rats. Minks seem to like rip rap, probably because thats where their dens are. So to expand on that, on my tidal system, when i see unusually high tides i know to target areas where their dens are being flooded. Regular wood rats here really like blackberries, so when there are ripe blackberries i know to throw a waking topwater rat near heavy blackberry growth especially if its over hanging. Fig trees are also favorites here. Muskrats prefer certain habitat and feeding areas. Paying attention to all these details will greatly increase your success on rodent style baits. Heck, that blackberry fig thing is gold. I bank on that stuff.

 

These of course are just my opinions and observations, with a few little tips mixed in. I included all the details because it seems alot of guys will put rodent baits into a box as only a loud wake or as a novelty bait. Most rodents dont wiggle at all when they are swimming so i abide the to subtle action philosophy. This is also why i choose to use thick tails fixed to the rear end, slows the action. While they are fun to throw, fish target these with the same experience and skill they do any other prey. Remembering this and paying attention to how rodents swim, eat, live and interact with the water and applying it to your fishing techniques can greatly increase your success. Im sure not everyone agrees with some or all of this. If you have success on this style baits and think i’m a clown, thats great because it means you are catching them. If you would like to increase your success, maybe this info or approach can help you do that. It’s just what i have observed and found through time on the water, on multiple types of water systems in various regions on the country.

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Thanks for the inspiration man. I left work, bought my first rat, savage gear 7.5. Went out and caught two bass. Have five total strikes, three tail grabbers, landed two .

 

Quick question, do you dress all your rat bait trebles ? I tie flies and was thinking of putting some white marabou on the bottom hook to give it some action at super slow speed as well as hiding the hook.

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Good stuff! I just started fishing big baits this year and I've had way more success on my BBZ Rat than anything else. Definitely my confidence lure right now and I would like to try some other rat baits out soon. Thanks for sharing.

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Solid stuff - I like the info about the feet - that's a good tip. I'll be "doctoring" the feet on my possums tonight. Do you think I should go with white or black rubber/feathers?

I think either would work and in addition I'm going to try pink. Great write up thank you!

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