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Swimbait Review


Smelly Rat - It's not Spro's Fault Their Rat 50 Stanks (continued)

Drawing Power: What we've established thus far during our Rat Rumble focus on these baits this year is a general observation that wood wake baits knock and synthetic material (resin, plastic, etc.) wake baits slosh. There are exceptions of course, but this is the general result based on material. The Spro Rat 50 is an ABS plastic bait, and following suit, there is no real knocking sound generated from the two body pieces coming together during your retrieve. However, inside the bait is a large bearing that slides back and forth knocking against the inside of the bait's rear end as you retrieve.


Hardware is stout, and hooks are by Gamakatsu

That knocker is the difference maker with this bait. Without it, other than the Rat 50s versatility during the retrieve, there's not much to distinguish this bait from other more affordable, mass produced alternatives. With the knocker, this bait is similar to some of the coveted wood rats with the amount of noise it makes. In my mind, that noise equates to drawing power instilling confidence with each knock, that a fish is going to rise up and devour the bait.


The tail is secured with a toothpick and is susceptible to falling out. Be sure to check yours before fishing

Vitality: The real question with any mass produced bait is how well is it made. The Spro Rat 50 comes with pretty stout hardware and as is the case with all Spro baits, Gamakatsu hooks. The one weak link in this bait's construction is the tail attachment. That segmented, hard plastic tail is attached to the back of the bait via a recessed pocket and thin wooden dowel (i.e. a toothpick). This is not an uncommon strategy for securing the tail in a big bait, however, for some reason, with the Spro Rat 50, that dowel is susceptible to falling out while you're fishing.


This view shows you how the Rat 50's tail curls down in the water when the bait is at rest

This happened with one of the baits I was fishing early on, before even getting a fish. The bait just came back without a tail. Back at HQ, I simply trimmed a soft plastic worm (in this case, Berkley Fishing's Powerbait Flute Worm) and repeated the toothpick strategy making sure that toothpick was pushed in there tight and snug. Spro does package their rats with a spare tail, but they're not the same color as the one installed on the rat originally, so it's more of an opportunity to swap tail colors than replace the one you already have. I suggest simply checking the security of the factory dowel holding the tail in place before fishing the bait. Mine was probably loose out of the package and I failed to notice.


Here, I replaced the tail (that fell out) with a Berkley Fishing Powerbait Flute Worm. In this case, the tail easily floats up

However, what this did do was provide me the opportunity to install the type of tail I prefer, one that floats out the back of the bait rather than sinks. The bait's swim is unaffected by this change and the tail action is similar, so it's a matter of preference at this point. One thing I will add is a soft plastic tail makes this bait easier to stow. That hard, segmented tail does not curl up very easily to stow in a lure wrap.


Bait Detail : A feature and dimension breakdown of the Spro Rat 50 as detailed by our Swimbait SkunkWerx division

Price & Availability: As mentioned earlier, Spro's full size Rat 50 retails for just $30.99 and is commonly available anywhere Spro products are sold. There are also several smaller sizes with correspondingly smaller price points each requiring progressively less robust combos on which to fish them, but really, the one that matters is the Rat 50. The smaller sizes are like toys. If you want a serious bite, one that will get your heart pumping and that adrenaline flowing, don't mess around and get the Rat 50. Bigger baits increase your chances of yielding larger strikes and better your odds for a larger than average catch.

 

Ratings:

Spro Rat 50 Ratings (?/10)

Construction/Quality The Spro Rat 50 has that mass produced feel to it (because it is) but what it lacks in refinement, it makes up for in detail 8
Performance I was truly surprised how well this bait swims and performs all three tricks - wakes, cranks down, and walks 9
Price A legitimate, full sized waking rat bait that's not only affordable, but accessible 8
Features Built with robust hardware and quality hooks, but for this bait, it's all about that rear rattle chamber 8
Design (Ergonomics) Available in a multitude of colors and sizes with the only real questionable aspect of the bait being the way in which that tail is attached - it's not very secure 7
Application Whether you're a seasoned pro or a novice looking for your first topwater rat fish, Spro's Rat 50 is a legitimate contender 8

Total Score

8.0
Ratings Key: 1 = terrible : 2 = poor : 3 = lacking : 4 = sub par : 5 = mediocre : 6 = fair : 7 = good : 8 = great : 9 = excellent : 10 = unbelievable!
For More Details of the updated rating system visit our explanation here

 

Pluses and Minuses:

Plus

Minus
+ An affordable, full sized rat bait - Tail could use a more reliable method of attachment
+ It's all about that rattle - I prefer a soft plastic option at the tail
+ Good quality hooks and hardware  
+ A size to fit just about every need, but the Rat 50 is the deal  


Spro's Rat 50 just wreaks of big hits

Conclusion: If you're on the hunt for your first or even fifth rat bait, there's only one reason I can think of that would keep you from trying Spro's Rat 50. This is not a bait for clout chasers - big bait anglers who enjoy fishing only the hardest to get, most expensive baits with wait lists in excess of a year. To them products like this, that wreak of mass production and accessibility just smell bad. Oh, I understand the mindset. I do it myself and not just with baits. But if something performs well, I also enjoy fishing product that's affordable and accessible. The Spro Rat 50 performs better than "well." It is super easy to cast and can be effectively fished a number of ways. However, if all you do is cast it out and swim it back, that's perfectly fine too, because the sound this bait makes is so good it doesn't just smell bad, it "stanks." It stanks of nasty, destructive, explosive strikes. If there's one thing you should search for in a rat bait, it's one that stanks. Spro's Rat 50 just reeks of big hits.

 

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