RatLTrap

Description: The Bill Lewis Lure Company, which introduced the world famous Rat-L-Trap over 30
years ago, has developed a new twist in the lipless crankbait category. This new Rat-L-Trap comes
complete with bleeding Reflex red hooks and blood markings on the body sides on and behind the
fish's gill markings.

Review: Rat-L-Traps work very well on the vast majority of most southern lake impoundments due
to the similarity of the bait's shape and size to the baitfish and forage the bass are feeding on.
This particular review strives to differentiate between the existing and new Rat-L-Traps and how
the bass responded during the testing phase to the old and new colors and patterns.
When testing the new versions, three colors and patterns were selected, which the prior version
had previously produced well in our home lake, Millwood Lake, in southwest Arkansas. The three
colors selected for the purpose of this review were Bleeding Shad Chrome Blue, Bleeding White
Shad, and Bleeding Shad Diamond Dust. The new lures additionally possessed another twist or
property, which the prior versions did not, called Liv-N-Sound. "Liv-N-Sound, according to Bill
Lewis Lures, is a result of years of research and refinement to the design of the Rat-L-Trap resulting
in a near exact duplication of the signature fish attracting sounds made by baitfish. These findings
are among the most significant in fishing history and provide scientifically proven correlation
between natural bait and artificial lure design�the Rat-L-Trap. In fact, independent tests have
confirmed and proven that the new Rat-L-Trap design with Liv-N-Sound produces natural sounds
which are nearly identical to sounds made by schooling shad under distress. These specific sounds
are highly effective for attracting bass and other gamefish and for stimulating aggressive feeding
behaviors, based on years of extensive research conducted by Dr. Loren Hill, University of
Oklahoma in association with Biosonix Systems, Inc and other studies" 1. Additional information on
this research can be accessed at Bill Lewis Lures, Inc., website, www.rat-l-trap.com. In addition to
the independent analysis, including a frequency sound graph, by a leading bio-acoustic research
lab confirming striking similarities between sounds made by live baitfish and the sounds of the new
Rat-L-Trap lure.

As the action of these new lures appeared similar in movements as their predecessors, the results
were above and beyond expectations from the originals. The sounds were dramatically different
coming through the water, while listening from above the water surface in a fiberglass bass boat.
The new version baits look strikingly realistic swimming through the water and fish were not shy to
bust them in a mean, aggressive manner, from a distance or in close proximity to the boat. The
bleeding red hooks were very easily seen in stained water with 6-7 inches of visibility (water
clarity). All three color patterns tested, were the � oz lure size, fished on 17 pound Excalibur
monofilament fishing line and each produced equally well, with the chrome blue bleeding shad
color catching the most fish. The Diamond Dust bleeding shad color succeeded in catching the
largest bass. White bass and black bass both equally attacked the chrome blue, with the diamond
dust color catching the largest black bass of 6 pounds, 4 ounces. This test was conducted over 3
different days with conditions ranging from high bluebird skies to cloudy and overcast. Water
temperatures recorded in the upper 60�s and low 70�s.

The Breakdown:
Simply put these lures to work. Having been using Rat-L-Trap lures in over 30 years of fishing and
guiding, these new and unique features enhance an already top-notch lipless crankbait. The bass
responded well to the stimuli created by the unique sound, vibration and visual signals the Bleeding
Shad exhibited on our home lake under a variety of ambient conditions.
Innovation: Extremely innovative, the new sound and color patterns combined with the bleeding red
hooks attached, make this lure the innovation of the new fishing season that we have had the
privilege to fish.

Strength: Extremely durable, quality paint and finish, all the way down to the size and quality of the
split rings. We did not have any failure of any component of these new lures, even after 6 months of
extensive testing. However, we did have a few largemouth bass teeth marks on the side of the lures,
which is to be expected.

Overall: Bill Lewis Lure Company's Rat-L-Trap Bleeding Shad with bleeding Reflex red hooks gets high
marks. It catches good numbers of multi-bass species, large bass, is extremely durable and strong,
and is an excellent "searching tool" lure. This lure is available in a multitude of colors and patterns,
including most likely, your favorite color. It is available in all four of their major lure sizes ranging
from 1/8 oz Tiny Trap all the way up to the � oz Mag Trap, the one tested here.

Where to Purchase:
Bill Lewis Lures, Rat-L-Trap Bleeding Shad lures can be found at nearly any sporting goods or tackle
store, including Wal-Mart, Bass Pro Shops and Cabella's. The company also has additional information
and possibly can be ordered at www.rat-l-trap.com. which has a complete selection of sizes and all
available colors and patterns.

1. Excerpt taken from Bill Lewis Lures, Rat-L-Trap 2004 product catalog, Bill Lewis Lures, P.O. Box
7959, Alexandria, LA, 71306, Sports Design & Development, Inc., www.rat-l-trap.com.

By Mike Siefert

Criteria	Score
Bass caught	37 black bass, 43 white bass
Innovation	4.75
Strength	5.0
Overall	4.90