Dead Bait 3D Printed Swimbaits – Meet the Dead Rat and Dead Walker (continued)

The second bait, and the one I was more naturally at home with, is the Dead Rat. This wakebait features a shorter, wider body than the original Illude Rad Rat OG. It measures 4 inches and is finished with a 5-inch hand-poured Illude tail - the same one used across Illude and Lunker Fighters rats. This tail remains my favorite thanks to its high buoyancy, realistic movement, and durability.

Time to see what the Dead Rat can do

Over the last three weeks, I’ve caught more than 20 fish on the Dead Rat. Initially, I fished it just like any other rat bait and noticed it produced a distinctly different knock. Unlike the deeper thud of wood or the clack of resin, this plastic bait emits a higher pitched “click.” Fish were intrigued by a slow, straight retrieve, and the bait stayed near the surface even when cranked quickly, behaving like a tight-wobbling subsurface wake. It reminded me of the Lunker Fighters Gerbil, with its flatter joint and stability when cranked.

The plastic material is lighter than resin and casting this 2oz. bait is easy with even lighter swimbait rods

But where the Dead Rat really shines is in its walk. This bait is one of the easiest and most convincing walking rats I’ve ever fished. With short twitches or subtle reel bumps, it springs to life with a tight, almost stationary side-to-side action. The lip design keeps it from diving, letting you fish it precisely in tight, shallow pockets - perfect for drawing out explosive strikes.

The Dead Rat gets it done on straight retrieves but is absolutely deadly on the twitch. You can see a cast to catch of this fish here, and a C2C POV of a shallow water strike on the Dead Rat here on IG

Both the Dead Walker and Dead Rat are made from 3D-printed thermoplastic monomer filament, and the construction is impressive. The hardware includes rotating swivels for the hook hangers, a heavy-duty twisted wire joint on the Rat, and a toothpick-secured tail. All metal-to-plastic connections are cleanly filled for a polished finish.

The Dead Rat has held up really well through 20+ fish

Hard to Kill? The big question for me was durability - how well could a 3D-printed swimbait hold up? The answer: surprisingly well. I’m still working on presenting the Dead Walker to Delta stripers, but the Dead Rat has been absolutely crushing, and it’s holding up beautifully. I’ve already worn out the rear hook - a common occurrence in swimbait fishing - but the body, lip, and hardware have performed flawlessly.

The Dead Rat's build is deceivingly simple. Everything in this bait is still very refined. All pinholes, wires, and the lip are precisely fitted and finished

The team is still finalizing hook options, which will likely be Size 2 Gamakatsu or Owner trebles depending on availability. I especially like the Illude Triple Coil split rings, which have never failed me, even under the stress of a striper battle.

Bass Espionage and Dead Dead Bait are taking 3D printing from prototyping to production

The Dead Bait prototypes that I received already look retail ready. Final packaging is being worked on now, and the baits reflect the same polish and attention to detail seen across the Illude and Bass Espionage entities. With 3D printing, the team has more flexibility with filament colors. In addition to white, we can expect OD green, black, tan, brown, and more. While painted versions may come later, the initial launch will likely feature raw finishes, which I love - the natural printed texture and matte finish highlight the bait’s unique construction and character.

Illude will still be making wooden rats like this custom BNB Rad Rat...

One of the biggest perks of this new material is the price point. A wooden Illude Rad Rat OG retails for $180. In contrast, Dead Rats are expected to retail between $60–$70. These baits still require a lot of hands-on work including printing, assembly, hardware, and detailing, but the cost savings from 3D printing in smaller quantities makes it possible to introduce new designs faster and make them more accessible. Every Dead Bait will be handmade in New York.

... and Dead Bait will be the entity that brings the 3D printed swimbaits to market. Dead Bait will officially launch in just a few weeks and based on what I've experienced with these custom printed swimbaits thus far I'm very stoked for what the new brand will be bringing for big bait enthusiasts

From the moment I started fishing these Dead Baits, I was excited by their potential. I’ll continue slinging them throughout the season and follow up with a long-term durability report and full blown review. But so far, what I’ve experienced is nothing short of impressive. These baits are so stinking cute, and I laughed out loud every time a fish blew up on them. Any concerns I had about durability quickly gave way to confidence in just how fun and effective these 3D printed swimbaits really are. Dead Bait’s official launch is just weeks away, and I’m stoked for the first drop. The Dead are coming!
 

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