Bill Lewis Rat-L-Trap Review

The Bill Lewis Rat-L-Trap is a classic bass fishing lure. It’s flash, versatility, durability, and affordability makes it stand out among other popular bass fishing lures. Read below to see our Bill Lewis Rat-L-Trap review. 

History of the Bill Lewis Rat-L-Trap

After many attempts of trying to make a career in the fishing industry Bill Lewis invented the Rat-L-Trap. William “Bill” Lewis was a decorated World War II bomber pilot  who had a passion for fishing. The name Rat-L-Trap comes from the knocking noise it makes and how it reminded Bill of his car which was nicknamed the Rattle Trap.

Rat-L-Trap Features

The Rat-L-Trap is a lipless crankbait with two chambers inside the body with weighted beads. The beads in the front chamber makes it easier to cast and helps it sink. The second chamber’s beads create noise and sonic vibrations used to attract fish.

There are freshwater and saltwater versions of this lure and the weights can range ¼ oz to 1 full oz. Popular bass fishing weights are ¼, ½, and ¾ oz.

While there are several colors, the classic colors are chrome and gold. Bill Lewis also offers them in hyper-realistic colors that look more like fish to better match the hatch. There are over 200 different variations and Bill Lewis is always adding more colors every year. 

Bill Lewis Rat-L-Trap Review

Bill Lewis 1/2-Ounce Rat-L-Trap

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The Bill Lewis Rat-L-Trap is the most versatile search bait. It can cover water quickly at different levels of the water column. 

Pros

• Affordable and can be found anywhere
• Simple design, but effective action
• Versatile – Can be fished different ways, at different speeds, and at different depths.

Cons

• Can be snagged easily if there is a lot of brush
• Paint and finishes can chip over time

How to Fish the Bill Lewis Rat-L-Trap

The beauty of the Rat-L-Trap is that you can fish it several ways in different conditions and still catch fish. You ask any angler how they fish it and they will most likely say one of the following ways. A straight retrieve, slow rolling it, twitching it, burning it, or yo-yo-ing it.

Straight Retrieve

The straight retrieve is just like it sounds. You cast it out and let it sink to your target depth and start reeling it in at a steady pace. The wiggling action, noise, and vibration will attract fish with a simple retrieve. This is one of the best way to search for fish and an easy way to fish this lure.

Slow Roll It

Similar to a straight retrieve, except you’re slowing it down. If you’re struggling to get a bite, slowing it down can be a great way to get that bite. We like to do this on the hot summer days or after huge temperature changes.

Burn It

This is the opposite of slowing it down. You want to reel this in as fast as you can. When the reaction bite is hot this is how you get a strike. The flash and rapid movement will drive a bass nuts and it wont be able to help itself and strike the lure.

Yo-Yo It

One of our favorite ways to fish it. Just like a yo-yo, you cast it out and let it sink towards the bottom. Once it hits the bottom you raise your rod tip and it will lift the lure up and then you let it sink to the bottom again while slowly reeling in your slack line. Repeat this until a fish hits or you’ve retrieved it back to the bank. This is a great way to search through the water column and find fish.

Twitch It

A mix between the straight retrieve and the yo-yo, kind of. Essentially while you retrieve your lure you give your rod a few pops or twitches to give it some erratic action. Sometimes we just twitch it back without a retrieve and it can be a really good way to get a bite when it gets tough.

Conclusion

Ultimately if you’re looking for a great lure that can catch fish in almost any type of bass fishing situation, we cannot recommend the Bill Lewis Rat-L-Trap enough. Affordable, lots of colors, different sizes, and it just catches fish! Pick one up and Get Fishing!