The Rat-L-Trap is a deadly springtime bass lure, especially on reservoirs with an abundance of submerged hydrilla. Anglers should stick with four basic color patterns and adjust lure sizes in accordance with the depth of water between the surface and top of the submerged grass.

I’d like to have dollar for every bass that’s been suckered on a Rat-L-Trap. Not only could I retire a rich man, but I’d probably have plenty of play money to dabble around in the investment world. If the company had a presence on Wall Street, Bill Lewis Lures would be a very safe place to stash some doe.

There’s plenty of reason to support that claim, the primary one based on the fact that Louisiana-based Bill Lewis Lures is the maker of the ‘Trap.

If that’s not convincing enough, take a look in any savvy bass angler’s tackle box. If he or she has any sense, there’ll be a few of the popular baits inside.

So named because of its patented built-in rattle chamber, the Rat-L-Trap has been touted as one of the “fish-catchingest” lures ever invented. Not only will it fool largemouths, but it’ll also attract explosive strikes from white bass, stripers, hybrids and myriad other predators in the fresh and saltwater food chains.

Opinions vary as to why the Rat-L-Trap is such an effective fishing lure. But many believe it hinges on the racket it makes as it speeds through the water.

When retrieved at a fast clip, the elongated, plug produces vibration and a distinctive sound that game fish can hear from as far as 150 yards away. Listen closely and a keen human ear can even detect the erratic beat as the bait shakes, rattles and rolls beneath the surface.

While its deadly reputation as a fishing lure is sure to rate as the Rat-L-Trap’s most attractive attribute, it’s hardly the only reason the lure sells like hotcakes.

The ‘Trap also is one of the most “user friendly” baits around. With a little basic instruction, anyone can catch fish with a Rat-L-Trap.

When the fish are on an aggressive bite, anyone who can cast is apt to catch a big stringer on a Rat-L-Trap. That’s why a lot of the professional anglers out there wish the bait had never been invented. Some of them refer to it as ‘the idiot bait.’ Anybody can fish one and beat you if they get on the right group of fish.

I like to catch bass and there’s something about the Rat-L-Trap that they can’t resist. It could be its loud sound chambers, extreme vibration or great flash – maybe a combination of all three. But whatever the case, it catches bass like no other lure out there. It is down right deadly on lakes with aquatic vegetation like hydrilla and milfoil, especially during the pre-spawn.

During this period, bass are prone to congregate or “stage” just on top of or along the edges of submerged grass beds. The bigger females will hold in these areas until a male partner comes calling and takes them to the shallows.

The mechanics of the Rat-L-Trap make it one of the best choices for fishing over submerged grass. It’s tailor-made for fishing over submerged vegetation. It casts extremely well and it’s designed in a manner that it can be kept in the strike zone with very little effort. About all you’ve got to do is cast the bait, then retrieve it at a quick enough pace that it ticks the top of the grass occasionally. If you do that during the pre-spawn, you can’t help but catch bass.

Like other bass lures, the Rat-L-Trap comes in an assortment of sizes ranging from 1/4-ounce to 1-ounce. I select my lures to jibe with the depth of the window between the surface and the top of the submerged hydrilla.

Window depth can vary from lake to lake, depending on past and present water levels and the intensity of the previous winter. The idea is to use a bait that will run near the top of the grass bed when retrieved at a pretty fast clip.

Bass like the ‘Trap moving fast, especially in clear water. A smaller bait won’t sink as quickly as a heavy one, which means it will be more efficient when fishing around shallow grass beds than a heavy lure. It’s just the opposite when fishing around deeper grass. The larger the window, the heavier the bait I’ll use.

When early spring floods push water levels abnormally high, which is bound to be the case right now on Sam Rayburn, Toledo Bend and several other East Texas lakes, the window of open water above the grass may be as much as 6-8 feet. This is the ideal situation for throwing the recently introduced 1-ounce model. Prior to the introduction the 1-ounce ‘Trap, about the only way you could fish this window effectively was with a diving lure. The 3/4-ounce will work fair, but it’s tough to maintain the critical fast retrieve and keep the bait ticking the top of the grass at the same time. It’s just not heavy enough.

The 1-ounce ‘Trap, on the other hand, is perfect. It’s bigger and heavier, and I think it’s going to be a real asset to anglers once they overcome the mindset that it’s too big a bait. There’s no doubt it’ll eliminate some strikes from small fish, but the bigger fish will eat it up.

Lighter weight ‘Traps are more conducive for fishing shallower windows. I like the 1/4-ouncer for fishing in 2-3 feet of water where the grass is growing a foot off the bottom.

The 1/2-ounce model works well in the three-foot window that occurs in water five-feet deep with hydrilla growing two feet off the bottom, whereas the 3/4-ouncer is the best choice for fishing 6-7 feet of water where the grass extends 2-2 1/2 feet off bottom.

Just as important as selecting the proper lure size is choosing the proper color. East Texas anglers can save themselves a bundle of money and storage space by sticking with four basic color schemes: Chrome/blue (RT-25Spec), crawfish red (MG-SY8) crawfish brown (MG-460W) and chartreuse/orange belly (MG-24 ).

You can’t go wrong with those four basic colors.

Sort of like you can’t go wrong with a Rat-L-Trap. Some call them idiot baits. I call them sound investments.