Success with Rattlebaits

[kt]

I was wondering if anyone has had success catching bass with rattlebaits (Ratltrap, Berkley Frenzy, Diamond Shad, etc.). Everytime i use them i seem to catch more northerns than anything. I have had much more success using spinnerbaits. I know a lot of bass fisherman down south have a lot of success using rattlebaits to cover a lot of water, but they don't have those aggresive northerns down south. It almost seems like the northerns could be beating the bass to the punch, or maybe i have just been using my rat-l-traps in areas where the northern population surpasses the bass population. Has anyone else experienced this problem?

[Rippinlip]

I totally agree with what you just said.
But I will not just leave it at rattle baits, for the waters I mainly fish you can add regular crankbaits, most topwaters and even plastics on days. Those toothy critters are starting to take a toll on my tackle so last year I started to pickle them.LOL
The Northerns, not my tackle..

[Guest]

I use rattlebaits a lot (especially the Millennium Lures Rattlin' shad) even here in Minnesota. They work great for covering a lot of water over the tops of weed flats fairly early in the year. I also use them a lot for smallmouth on rocky flats. If you seem to be getting a lot of pike, try moving shallower, or look for another type of cover where the pike are not hiding. Typically then you will start finding more bass than pike if you just adjust your presentation or location slightly.

Give it a try and don't give up on rattlebaits, they really do catch a lot of fish! Good luck!

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Adam Johnson
www.adamjohnsonfishing.com

[Steve Foss]

I like the rattlers a lot. Mostly we use Rattlin' Raps in natural colors (crayfish is the best overall for our bass fishing).

We also used them across the tops of submerged weeds, but more often for covering rocky points/flats that are more open. And the added bonus is that on lakes with walleyes, you'll often get a bonus 'eye or two on those late spring and summer evenings when you're working the last light for bass.

[RossT]

Rattling baits like the Frenzy Rattl'r are an incredible search bait in the spring. With a 1/2oz. Frenzy, you can throw them a mile and cover water very quickly, locating active fish. Working these baits over weed flats that are near spawning grounds is a very effective technique. Berkley Frenzy's come standard with Premium Trebles and there is a new Pro Series available this year. My favorite colors are: Bluegill, Chrome-Threadfin Shad, and Firetiger. I have found that even in clear water, firetiger is a very hot color. Let the fish tell you what they want and keep moving until you locate active schools of bass. Good Luck!

[Lew]

I plan on giving rattle baits a try this season in the local streams and rivers in SE Minnesota. I'm hoping I can duplicate Adam's success.

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Lew

[Guest]

I've done alright with rattle baits in the past. I use mostly Rattlin Raps. Silver and Firetiger have given me the most luck. Most productive for me along weed edges during late summer but then again I'm not a real big bass fishermen unless I'm chasing smallies or fishing through the ice.

Good Fishin, Matt.

Fishing Reports from MJ5 and Fishing Minnesota...
http://frida.blc.edu/~mjohnson/mj5.html

[Guest]

Lew,

I did real well last summer on the smallmouth in the Mississippi on rattlebaits. I would fish the main channel along the rip rap and would catch quite a few nice fish. One trick was to get as close to the rocks as possible. Then when you start the retrieve, try to tick a rock or two near the shore. You will get hung up a lot, but it seemed that as soon as the bait would bounce over the rock, a fish would hit. Just something to consider the next time you are on the river.
Good luck to everyone this coming season!

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Adam Johnson
www.adamjohnsonfishing.com

[Wayne Ek]

Rattle baits are a great bass catchers. Adam's right. In the spring and ***fall*** rattles will clean up on a shallow flat. But in mid-summer, try this. Look around for the floating rattle-traps, hard to find as not everyone carries them. You toss these around docks and crank them back, usually alot slower than you would when your working a flat. They run just under the surface and bubble alot of water, they can be a deadly dock bait.

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Wayne
Agape Fishing Guides
www.agapefishingguides.com

[Lew]

Another Great Tip. I love this web site. Thanks guys. I haven't even tied on my first rattle trap yet, but it is already a lure I feel confident with. I'm looking forward to the opener.

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Lew

[Guest]

I love em. I think my biggest Lg mouth last year was caught on one using a trick from Kevin Van Dam; the trick is to take the back treble off when fishing around and in weed beds. The lure becomes surprizingly less prone to hang up. When you do get hung up give a hard rip. This technique is great for fishing the edges of thick weed mats and close pitching into holes in the weeds.

Cordell Spots are my favorite and work excellent for pitching into holes because they are a little lighter than Ratt'l traps and RattlinRaps and they fall slow with the back treble removed.