Rapala Clackin’
Raps into the rotation.
Reehm tends to downsize his lures in the fall,
RatLTrap
often employing a diminutive ¼
ounce model. He said that it
doesn’t discriminate against
any size fish, and is often
pleasantly surprised when it
produces a kicker or two.
The one alteration he does make it to upgrade
and upsize the treble hooks to get more bite
and better holding power. He increasingly finds
himself fishing the thin-bodied Duo Vibration
bait, especially when there’s submerged grass
present, because it seems to rip
free more cleanly. He said that
the Yo-Zuri Ratllin’ Vibe is
another perpetual
favorite, since it puts
a lot of weight into
a compact package.
He also remains a fan of
the model that many of us
started with, the Original Rat-
L-Trap, which continues to catch
fish today at a bargain price.
“There are so many
variations to choose
from,” Reehm said. “Pick
the one or ones you have
confidence in and stick with them.”
While lipless lures produce a lot of strikes, they also produce endless amounts of frustration as fish slash at them, don’t get hooked well, and then throw the baits on the jump.
“You have to change the hooks,” DeFoe
implored. “Also, a lot of people fish them on the
wrong action rod. They go to extremes. I prefer
a truly parabolic rod, usually a medium-heavy
moderate action with a fair amount of
power that bends down deep.
The one I
use now is a
7’3” Fenwick
YoZuri Rattlin Vibe
glass Lunker Stik.” He uses
15 pound test
Trilene 100%
36
Credit JD Blackburn
®