Bassmaster Elite Series pro Cliff Crochet spends of lot of his stump-field time behind a Rat-L-Trap.
While the bait does most of the work, Crochet knows the right tackle setup can make a big difference.
Preferring 15- to 20-pound monofilament, which helps keep a bait up and out of entangling roots, Crochet throws his lipless baits on a medium-heavy signature series No. 5 Falcon Lowrider graphite rod.
“With graphite, you do have a little bite to it,” Crochet said. “The mono is taking up all the shock, but the graphite gives me the power.
“Most of this is going to be tight-quarters fishing. Because you’re banging it and that Trap is floating, you’re going to get a lot of hard reaction bites.”
That’s where the balanced outfit proves its merit. Mono absorbs the shock of aggressive close-range bites, and a graphite rod brings the heat.
“Once I have the fish hooked, that graphite gives me the power to move him,” Crochet said.
