First Rat Recommendation

[Jscarbr]

1 hour ago, DEPS_250 said:

I'm not trying to hijack the thread from OP, but...Do you guys prefer straight braid, braid to leader or straight heavy mono for fishing rats?

I know a lot of dudes who swear by straight heavy mono. On the other hand, I know some dudes like straight braid since a rat is technically a topwater and since braid floats, it is sometimes recommended/used for fishing topwaters. Also, the braid makes 'walking' the rat a lot easier and less tiring/fatiguing. 

All depends, if I’m cranking down a rat, which is pretty much how I always fish it, 30lb Sunline Shooter is what I use. However, I’d be more than happy using 20-30lb fluro in almost any brand to crank the rat down.

If I’m waking, which I don’t do much of anymore, 20-30lb mono/copoly works great!

Also, for waking,  40lb+ braid is awesome if you have a moderate enough rod

Basically all the stuff works, that’s why you hear so many guys  believing in their ways. Find what works for you in each situation.

[SumoNinja]

Nez medium size and micro mink are great beginner rats and can find them under retail on the market 

I'd suggest one that can wake and crank 

[BASS_SWINGER]

Spro 50 it’s an easy choice 

[Harshwaters]

If anyone is interested in a Morning Wood contact Chris Darvey at              Morningwoodlures@gmail.com               Great guy to deal with. 

Edited April 16 by Harshwaters

[Harshwaters]

If you go Spro get the Old style Spro Rat 50 with the segmented hard tail. Louder and the knock is just different. Don't care for the new version. There are so many rats out there. Experiment till you find "the one".

[Harshwaters]

Double post. Ignore

Edited April 16 by Harshwaters

[Mossyback Angler]

10 hours ago, DEPS_250 said:

One word of caution...the D3R has NO JOINT! Therefore, NO SOUND! Haha LOL! It's all VISUAL! It's probably best for fishing during the day in really clear water only. Which is why I want to get it since I fish mostly during the day in clear water. It probably wouldn't make a good night fishing rat I presume, but than again this is bass fishing and rules were made to be broken. Who knows, it might be a killer finesse rat for fishing at night since there's no sound. 

So I can say I agree with having a rat that makes some sort of “clack” or “knock” has been most desirable, but there are situations where silence is golden. 
 

Something I learned from Michael aka @SacPig916 , when I got my first 1pc Mischief Rat, which at the time, he made them with cord assist hook hangers, which he ties himself:
We know, every bait has some sort of noise created from the hardware hanging on a bait. With the cord assisted hooks installed on his 1pc Mischief Rat, you basically have a bait that has no hardware sounds, and being a 1pc, there is no joint “knock”. So on those smaller waters or ponds, that are slick calm, very still and quiet, the only sound the 1pc Mischief Rat would make was the initial splash down at the end of a cast, and a natural swimming sound of prey on top of the water, with no unnatural sound of hardware “clicking” or joint “knocking” away. Just the natural sound of water movement a swimming prey would make. Again, this could be very beneficial, but effective, especially on a smaller pressured waters that has had its share of the usual sounds a rat wakebait makes. 
 

Speaking of which, along with the other great rat baits mentioned in this thread, you should check out @SacPig916 one and two piece Travel Mischief Rats. Michael is a great person to deal with and very friendly. The travel rats he makes are user friendly, and elevate your game from starter production baits to custom baits. 

Edited April 16 by Mossyback Angler

[BigBaitThirty]

9 hours ago, DEPS_250 said:

I'm in the same boat as you. I have never thrown a rat before. I mostly stay in the glide bait and multi jointed swimbait side. I need to broaden my horizons. 

I am planning to get a couple rats in the next month or 2 before summer approaches. I have narrowed it down to the Evergreen Combat Rat, Spro Rat 50 and SU x Rago D3R.

One word of caution...the D3R has NO JOINT! Therefore, NO SOUND! Haha LOL! It's all VISUAL! It's probably best for fishing during the day in really clear water only. Which is why I want to get it since I fish mostly during the day in clear water. It probably wouldn't make a good night fishing rat I presume, but than again this is bass fishing and rules were made to be broken. Who knows, it might be a killer finesse rat for fishing at night since there's no sound. 

My 2 cents.

Don’t underestimate presence & vibration. These beloved gilled animals are highly sensitive and in-tune with their natural environment at all times. If a mayfly sneezes, they know about. Ask a trout:) What we may consider stealth mode is still an intrusion to their space and domain, awkwardly an unnaturally mucking about on the ceiling of their home… Real mice and rats don’t rattle or click-clack at all in fact they don’t saunter about in a labored left & right fashion at all either really, typically they paddle straight forward from what I’ve seen. Like you touched base on in your “This is Bass fishing…” mention things don’t always follow hard n’ fast rules or immediately intuitively “make sense” so to speak. Sound can be key to draw attention, pique curiosity or irritation and trigger for sure… But I’ve also witnessed firsthand it’s not necessarily always an advantage and certainly a secondary feature. (Arguably like color…)

Rats are a Seal replica (Often nothing more than a foam cut out) being dragged over South Africa’s waters near False Bay’s Seal Island. It’s a meal to an opportunistic & highly attuned predator.

Also don’t underestimate the power of pause or ROS -Rate Of Stall. A baits ability to stay in prime real-estate. Although may it be said, also be cautious about what you presume the strike zone to be as you may very well nearly lose your rod while scratching your nose or checking your phone. I fish rats passively sometimes but I feel I do best with them when I fish them intently & with intention and purposefully assume every moment of my presentation is being watched. Pauses, hesitations and trying to engender fear through a scurry or tentative crawl or swim. Sometimes the last twitch bait coming to rest or handle rotation 3 feet from you just as your about to lift the bait from the water for weed inspection and another cast… Sometimes it’s time and place sometimes it’s none of that all together and not that serious. But other times it is and the pay off of nuance is priceless and “Stars align”. 

But I digress and have already said too much: ) Welcome aboard. Stay Positive. Enjoy the journey.

[Bakerlounge]

12 hours ago, DEPS_250 said:

I'm not trying to hijack the thread from OP, but...Do you guys prefer straight braid, braid to leader or straight heavy mono for fishing rats?

I know a lot of dudes who swear by straight heavy mono. On the other hand, I know some dudes like straight braid since a rat is technically a topwater and since braid floats, it is sometimes recommended/used for fishing topwaters. Also, the braid makes 'walking' the rat a lot easier and less tiring/fatiguing. 

Straight fluoro for me, was losing fish on straight braid and switched to fluoro, which I use for 90% of all other applications and have had better success, sinking like doesn’t bother me with the style I fish rats. Mono would be my second choice. 

[SacPig916]

2 hours ago, Mossyback Angler said:

So I can say I agree with having a rat that makes some sort of “clack” or “knock” has been most desirable, but there are situations where silence is golden. 
 

Something I learned from Michael aka @SacPig916 , when I got my first 1pc Mischief Rat, which at the time, he made them with cord assist hook hangers, which he ties himself:
We know, every bait has some sort of noise created from the hardware hanging on a bait. With the cord assisted hooks installed on his 1pc Mischief Rat, you basically have a bait that has no hardware sounds, and being a 1pc, there is no joint “knock”. So on those smaller waters or ponds, that are slick calm, very still and quiet, the only sound the 1pc Mischief Rat would make was the initial splash down at the end of a cast, and a natural swimming sound of prey on top of the water, with no unnatural sound of hardware “clicking” or joint “knocking” away. Just the natural sound of water movement a swimming prey would make. Again, this could be very beneficial, but effective, especially on a smaller pressured waters that has had its share of the usual sounds a rat wakebait makes. 
 

Speaking of which, along with the other great rat baits mentioned in this thread, you should check out @SacPig916 one and two piece Travel Mischief Rats. Michael is a great person to deal with and very friendly. The travel rats he makes are user friendly, and elevate your game from starter production baits to custom baits. 

Appreciate it man!  

Fishing ponds is all about novelty.  Show them something they haven't seen, they adjust in a week, then never bite the bait again.  This was my experience for every smaller body of water I've fished.  The fish are smarter because of pressure.  I developed the rats for pond fishing, like Mossy said, the 1pc with assist cords KILLS these bodies of water.  

[dj1975232]

Baby possum is my favorite but also use the micro mink and Illude chipmunk. With great success.  
 

If you are just dipping your toes Spro 50 just works.  

Edited April 17 by dj1975232

[chang127]

Maybe it's the profile or the squeaky joints that mimic a scared or injured rat, but the Baby Possum consistently gets me the bigger bites. 

 

[ILIKEBIGBAITS]

nezumma XL rat. /thread 

[ILIKEBIGBAITS]

nezumma XL rat. /thread