Fans of professional bass fishing know that when the jig bite's on, Ron Shuffield is a man to watch. He's a master when it comes to slow, patient fishing with a jig tied to stout line.
What is less known, however, is his prowess with the Rat-L-Trap – a lure he describes as one of his best search baits. The Bismarck, Ark. pro notched his first big-league victory back in 1987 at the Lake Okeechobee Top 100 on – you guessed it – a Bill Lewis Rat-L-Trap. To this day, he always has a lipless crankbait at the ready when he's fishing grass lakes.
Early Season Go-To Bait
Two decades of tournament experience have convinced Shuffield that Rat-L-Traps are at their best early in the year, when bass are moving up to spawning areas.
"That's what produced for me back in '87 at Okeechobee," he said. "It was in November, but it was pre-spawn, and I used a Rat-L-Trap to catch limits each day in the pepper grass."
At January's Bassmaster Tour season opener on Lake Toho, he likewise rattled up limits the first 3 days under tough conditions and finished in 4th place.
"At Toho, the trick was to stay away from the hydrilla," he said. "I found the fish suspended around pad stems close to a major spawning area on the north end. The pad stems were the only cover available. It was perfect for running that Rat-L-Trap through the gaps in the lily-pad fields."
When Less Is More
Shuffield noted that after he tried a few modifications to his lipless baits over the years, he discovered that even slight changes in vibration and sound trigger strikes.
"I've experimented with taking out some of the BBs by drilling a small hole, which I then refill with epoxy," he said. "I take out about half of the BBs. That produces a totally different sound and vibration, which can be very important when the fish aren't responding to a stock bait."
In water more than 5 feet deep, or where the vegetation tops out at that depth, he fishes a 3/4-ounce Rat-L-Trap. He uses 1/2-ounce models in shallower areas.
Good Trap Water
Shuffield said few baits are more effective on bass that are moving up to spawn. "I pick out areas close to where the fish are going to spawn and concentrate on the points and sides leading into spawning areas."
When he finds such places, he keeps his foot on the trolling motor. "They're a great search bait, without a doubt," he said. "I can cover a lot of water with a lipless bait.
"Most any time I'm in the state of Florida, I have a Rat-L-Trap tied on because I know I can find the bass with it, even though I may later have to flip them out of the mats."
He prefers shad, gold, chrome/blue and white-sided lipless crankbaits in Florida, and often adds crawfish and red patterns in weedy waters elsewhere.
Autumn is another good Trap time. "They work great when the bass are up in the backs of creeks chasing shad," he said.
While the baits produce numbers, he said they also find quality fish. "My biggest Rat-L-Trap fish was a 9 1/2-pounder on Sam Rayburn in Texas, and my personal best five-fish Trap string went 28 to 30 pounds. I've hooked bigger fish, but lost them."
Better Catch Ratio
Anglers familiar with Trap fishing know all too well how easily fish can shake the hooks. Shuffield offered a few tips to boost the percentage of fish that make it to the livewell.
"On 1/2-ounce models, I change the rear hook to one size bigger," he said. "I don't change the hooks on 3/4-ounce baits, because I believe they're big enough."
And he puts forth an extra effort to keep lipless crankbait fish from jumping. "If they're really hot, I actually try to put more pressure on them and I'll keep the rod low," he said. "I think if you keep a wild fish coming, it's not as likely to shake the hooks. Plus, you're usually in grass, so you have to keep their heads up or they'll bury up real quick."
He said soft-action fiberglass rods also provide enough flex to absorb the surge of strong fish and prevent them from tearing loose.
Notable
> Shuffield said his Rat-L-Trap gear includes a 7-foot medium Quantum fiberglass cranking rod, and a Quantum Energy PT 600 casting reel (6.2:1 gear ratio).
> "Low-stretch line is a must," he said, and he spools up with 15- or 17-pound P-Line Fluorocarbon. "You want to feel the bait tick the grass, then be able to rip it free."
