What are the most productive presentations for a rattle trap.

For me it's been as fast as I can crank the handle.  

just reeling it on sometimes i cast and reel then stop and reel

cast out to structure and reel in/

While sitting on the edge of the seat I stick about 1 ½ of rod in the water & slow roll like you would a spinner bait.

why do you stick your pole in the water. i can see doing it for crank baits but rattle traps will go to any depth you like

i reel in fast a few turns then stop then start reelin it in fast and just continue to do the same thing hope this helps

As most have said - mix retrieval until you find the one working that day.

Rat-L-Trap will only run at a certain depth unless you stop reeling it; the places I throw a Trap you don't want to stop reeling it. Traps will come through timber very will as long as you keep them moving forward, in order to get an extra foot or two in depth with out stopping it lower your rod tip.

This little trick produced a 12.8 this past spring plus a tournament win  

I only throw traps in the fall and winter and my most productive retrieve by far would be ripping. Throw it out there and let it sink to the bottom, then pop it off the bottom. They usually nail it on the drop or right when you rip it off the bottom.

In the spring I like to "slow roll" it over weeds, letting it tick the weed tops, ripping it free when contacts the weeds.  In the summer yo-yoing them very fast along the deep weed line produces, and in the fall burning them across flats on warm days, and the same "roll and rip" method as used in spring work great.

It seems to me that ripping them off the bottom, or at least from the depths, would produce in the heat of the summer as well as in the winter.

They are absolutely deadly fished over the weed tops on the crown of main lake humps on those early mornings when you get a full migration.  I tick the weeds and let them drop into holes or pockets if I can see them and then rip them out.  Aside from jigs and worms, I've been fishing traps all summer on and around humps.  Sometimes I even vertical jig them over isolated rocks or coontail patches around the base of the humps.  If I can't score with the jig or worm the trap is the bait I turn to next.  The versatility of these things is awesome!  It's pretty much like George Welcome said....vary it up until you find what they want.  They will let you know right away if they are willing to eat it.

I like to fish them down steep banks/bluffs just like a jig or blade bait.   It helps to have a lure that nose-stands to do this (Spro Aruku Shad, Jackall TN, Cordell Spot are excellent pics).  

Sometimes you can upset the balance of a lipless by hooks/hook placement and get some interesting results.  

I have a Mamiya-OP Hunting Vibe Jr. that I can get to act crazier than a Pointer (I removed the front treble and replaced the back treble with a single hook).   It looks more like a real fleeing minnow than any lure I've ever used.  

I fished some rattle traps today, I burned them right by some partially submerged trees and put some nice bass in the boat.  Thanks for all of your input, and I can't wait for it to cool down so I can start rippin em and trying out some of your suggestions.

I only throw traps in the fall and winter and my most productive retrieve by far would be ripping. Throw it out there and let it sink to the bottom, then pop it off the bottom. They usually nail it on the drop or right when you rip it off the bottom.

Man your missing out. A rattletrap is an awesome springtime bait.