1 minute ago, Dwight Hottle said:

I throw a lipless when I want to catch fish. I also throw a lipless because they catch big bass. I have caught two largemouth PB's on them both DD's. The late great Catt caught his PB on one as well. @Pat Brown caught a trophy on one. I'm sure others have scored some PB's on them as well. 

No PB but I always started w a trap on the ST. John’s River and always caught nice fish. 

Thank you all for sharing. I am just getting into really using a trap, though I've caught a handful of fish on them. I really never new how to use them.

On 8/10/2025 at 10:36 AM, BigAngus752 said:

I have a drawer full of Cotton Cordells and I fish one every single time I fish.  The hooks are good for only one trip out (a few fish) as they get dull quickly.  I put Owner hooks on them and they last an eternity.  

 

All great advice from Mr. Brown and I'm emphasizing this.  Bang that Super Spot along rip rap in conditions when the fish should be up feeding and you're going to have a great day at the lake.  

I prefer CC Super Spots as well. But I already had a stockpile of Traps. The later Traps have better hooks, so I swapped them to the Spots. I also like the Academy Sports brand H2OX lipless cranks. 

 

I would add to the discussion that a lipless is almost always a better bait than a crankbait around grass. Burn them across the top or the edge of the grass.

On 8/10/2025 at 9:31 AM, Joedodge said:

I love a trap. Used to do very well on them on saltwater. Snook and redfish actually love them. That said I get sick and tired of cleaning filamentous algae and crap off a trap in ponds and lakes. It’s a lure I just don’t enjoy haha. 
 

my wife caught her PB on a craw colored red eye shad on a lake we had in Florida that was actually a pretty clean one vegetation wise. 

 

Never thought of using them in saltwater.  Thanks for the tip!

28 minutes ago, TLHSS said:

 

Never thought of using them in saltwater.  Thanks for the tip!

No problem. One of my biggest snook was caught on a chrome and blue lol

My PB of 11.3 came on a chrome/blue trap on super bowl Sunday years ago.

I’ll usually throw a trap before a regular crank bait unless it’s around wood.

Ripping a trap over and around grass here in Florida is a tried and true tactic for many.

Only downside to them is fish will have a tendency to throw a trap when jumping a lot of times.

7 hours ago, Dwight Hottle said:

I throw a lipless when I want to catch fish. I also throw a lipless because they catch big bass. I have caught two largemouth PB's on them both DD's. The late great Catt caught his PB on one as well. @Pat Brown caught a trophy on one. I'm sure others have scored some PB's on them as well. 

 

This is how I'm finding out he passed....Just now saw the thread in Everything Else. Wow.

I use to fish a Rat-L-Trap a lot back in the day. But it doesn’t go unused by any means today. More of a river lure than lake use for me. Why? I don’t know, just the way it has worked out.  
For me they are a fish locator lure. All structure and areas with limited structure areas. 
Over the years they have worked well on days that you can’t seem to buy a bite. I’ll tie on a Rat -L-Trap and tell myself I’m not going home until hookup on a smallie. Not caring if he’s 10” or 15”. And they have come through. 
They can cover a lot of water, a variety of depths and action types.   
Good luck, good fishing. 

I've been working on my Rat'l trap techniques. Today, around 1:00 I worked with the trap a bit. I got 2 I think along an inside grass line on a pond, and 2 or 3 throwing out to where I saw bait balls, about 30 feet past where the grass line apparently stops. I lost a couple too.

 

Confidence is building.

36 minutes ago, Bazoo said:

I've been working on my Rat'l trap techniques. Today, around 1:00 I worked with the trap a bit. I got 2 I think along an inside grass line on a pond, and 2 or 3 throwing out to where I saw bait balls and where the grass line apparently stops. I lost a couple too.

 

Confidence is building.

 

fall is a great time to lock it in your hands and go!  It’ll stay good all winter and REALLY gets wild in the early spring!

I have some, NEVER thrown them.

 

Maybe once, not sure.

 

Water gets cold this fall I'm breaking one out.

 

Gosh I can't wait for the fall.

Well, today I ended up having a couple bites on the trap at the city lake. Probably the same fish. Threw to a spot, fish got on but came off. Repeat, same effect. Snagged and lost that trap.

 

That left a Cordell 1/4 super spot with me, which I proceeded to snag on a bush 5' from shore and lost that. Worst part is it fell in the water right at shore. It's possible I'll be able to fish it out with a magnet. Eh.

Don’t sleep on the 1/4 oz trap from now through the end of the year especially if you have threadfins. 

 

I’ve played with some colors over the years with the Traps and Spots. But truthfully all I really need is a Chrome w/black back, Chrome w/blue back, Gold w/black back and a Firetiger. The fire-tiger has gotten a handful of flathead catfish also. The model “A” Bomber in the fire-Tiger has gotten some channel and flatheads also. I’m not gonna say a muggy water color for me but for stained water. I generally don’t fish muddy water. 

This evening, I got to the lake with about an hour to fish before they close the park at dusk. The spot I was fishing is a good spot, with a creek channel and some brush. Others undoubtedly fished it before I came.

 

I started with a Fat Free Guppy in citrus color, then tried a texas rig a bit, then went for the trap; gold black back. A few casts in I got a decent one on. The scale read 3lb6oz. Had it choked too!

 

I got another before leaving.

 

I am a BELIEVER in traps now.

 

The bass there must not see a ton of them, or they wouldn't bite, but I tell ya, they are going to start seeing more of them!

39 minutes ago, Bazoo said:

This evening, I got to the lake with about an hour to fish before they close the park at dusk. The spot I was fishing is a good spot, with a creek channel and some brush. Others undoubtedly fished it before I came.

 

I started with a Fat Free Guppy in citrus color, then tried a texas rig a bit, then went for the trap; gold black back. A few casts in I got a decent one on. The scale read 3lb6oz. Had it choked too!

 

I got another before leaving.

 

I am a BELIEVER in traps now.

 

The bass there must not see a ton of them, or they wouldn't bite, but I tell ya, they are going to start seeing more of them!

 

 

Soon you will have boxes of them.

1 minute ago, Aaron_H said:

 

 

Soon you will have boxes of them.

Yes, yes I will. I stood there staring at them in the store for quite a while earlier.