Rat-L-Traps: Quality Control Problems? (response from RatLTrap) 2024
Micro reply :
The best lipless thread got me thinking about this. I've bought some Rat-L-Traps recently where the quality control has been questionable.
On several, the oval split ring had been spread so far to put it on that there was a gap and it wouldn't slide through the eye of the bait very easily.
Another had a crack in the seam on the bottom of the bait that I didn't see when I purchased it that was big enough to stick my fingernail into.
And more recently, I bought a firetiger colored trap and the paint was still tacky enough that it was sticky, I left finger prints in it, and it smelled heavily of fresh paint.
I know these are inexpensive baits, but they are still one of the best baits on the market and in years past I never experienced the shoddy workmanship that I have seen recently.
Anyone else seeing these sorts of problems?
Catt reply :
Have you considered emailing rat-l-trap.com or are you just continent complaining to us
Micro reply :
QuoteHave you considered emailing rat-l-trap.com or are you just continent complaining to us
For a lure under $5, I'm pretty much just content complaining to you. I knew you wouldn't mind.
Sam reply :
Nope, never encountered any problems with the Rats.
I would think that a phone call to Louisiana would produce some very good results as I know those people want their product to be the best.
I will now have to double check all of my Rats for problems.
Micro, thanks for the information.
This is why we post and then discuss situations so everyone can be come more knowledgeable. 
TrippyJai reply :
I got a few from *** and I am not pleased. First off, the hooks are SUPER SHARP, so sharp that when I took the bait out, my trap had scratches all over it. Secondly, it was cracked on the bottom. Not really cracked, but more so split apart. I had to super glue it back into place. Lastly, the paint job was tacky as well and I could see my finger print on it, but I fixed that problem by placing in extra cold water.
I am actually glad you brought this topic up because I wanted to ask the same questions. I didn't want to be the lone wolf ranting about the good old Rat-L-Trap.
In my opinion, I wrote Rat-L-Trap an email, but I wouldn't extend myself trying to reach them, but if I had this happen to my lucky crafts, that's another story. Like Micro said, they are about $5.
Micro reply :
I did send an e-mail to the company, btw, but no response yet. I'll let you know what they say.
roadwarrior reply :
I'm not defending them, but you can exchange the lure hassle free.
The lure is inexpensive to make and sells at a low price, often on sale.
I doubt it's worth anything to the company to improve the lure.
Several years ago when I fished Rogues, I ran into a distributor for
Smithwick and had this same discussion. The bottom line is, most of
the lures are fine and the cost/benefit of improving the lure isn't
justifiable for the company.
So, my suggestion is to either fish another brand or consider it your
duty to take defective lures back for exchange. I have chosen to fish
other brands.
8-)
flechero reply :
I bought 3 earlier this month... first new rattle traps (or lipless baits of any kind) that I have purchased in a couple years... 2 of the 3 had the tacky paint. Obviously it is something wrong with the process as any paint will dry to the touch in the weeks or months since it's manufacture. Maybe we got baits from the very beginning or very end of a run where paint or thinner was running low/out causing the cure issue. ?
I haven't looked to see if the paint has cured since I bought them...
Micro reply :
I've had the lure in the picture for a couple of months now, and the paint is still tacky and it still stinks.
BARON49_Northern NY reply :
Due to this very thing I have chosen to leave them behind and look for other lipless baits and to be honest have found several that actually work better and have had little or no problems out of the package.
BassFishingMachine reply :
Don't think I ever had this sort of problem with cracks, or bad paint on them. Only problem I ever have is the hooks being total garbage, I have no clue what your talkin about TrippyJai, the hooks I get when I buy em at sportsauthority, or dicks are total garbage, I sharpen them with a hook hone.
bigbass49 reply :
I would go with a different brand like strike king or rapala but that up to you.
Munkin reply :
QuoteI would go with a different brand like strike king or rapala but that up to you.
SK and quality should never be in the same sentence!
Allen
Garnet reply :
I would mail it back and stay positive and firm. You might be very surprised at what you get.
Garnet
Fishing Doug reply :
My luck recently with Rat-l-Traps has not been good. Bad paint, bad hooks, split on the bottom..you name it. I officially put them on my 'do not buy' list.
Not to highjack this thread, but wasn't Bill Lewis Lures coming out with a new model with tungsten rattles? Does this sound familiar to anyone? Just wondering if any has used these...
FD
wishin4fishin reply :
QuoteMy luck recently with Rat-l-Traps has not been good. Bad paint, bad hooks, split on the bottom..you name it. I officially put them on my 'do not buy' list.Not to highjack this thread, but wasn't Bill Lewis Lures coming out with a new model with tungsten rattles? Does this sound familiar to anyone? Just wondering if any has used these...
FD
There is the Vibra-Trap line. I have no experience w/ this bait but it is one of BL most recent offerings.
fourbizz reply :
LOL @ "continent"
burleytog reply :
There are much much better lipless baits on the market, so why bother with an obviously inferior product?
Catt reply :
QuoteThere are much much better lipless baits on the market, so why bother with an obviously inferior product?
Not by much
I buy my traps here in Louisiana and have never had a problem with the paint on them; I also worked for Academy Sports and Outdoors traps are the #1 selling lipless crank bait for both salt and fresh water in during that time frame I never once had a complain other than the hooks. So if y'all will just box them up and ship them here I gladly take them off your hands.
TrippyJai reply :
QuoteDon't think I ever had this sort of problem with cracks, or bad paint on them. Only problem I ever have is the hooks being total garbage, I have no clue what your talkin about TrippyJai, the hooks I get when I buy em at sportsauthority, or dicks are total garbage, I sharpen them with a hook hone.
I don't have my camera on me so I can't take a picture to show you the cracks or scratches on my baits.
As you can see in the picture, the new Rat-L-Traps uses a black EWG treble hook and they are sharp. So if you are saying the new hooks are dull, then I have no idea.
You can also see the hook points on the bait and that is where my lures have scratches.
I'm not the only one complaining about these baits, so there is a problem here. If I had any ideas my order would be like this, I wouldn't have placed it. My old Rat-L-Traps that I've had for years have caught me fish since I was a kid. It's the only reason why I went back, but I will not order anymore.
ptomacbass reply :
I've only bought one bill lewis rattletrap and dont think i'll be buying another. The Eagle Claws are terrible. They rust and dull way too easily.
cart7t reply :
I've only purchased a few traps in the past year. Most of them were floating traps with a couple regular ones thrown in. I didn't have an issue with any of them.
senko_77 reply :
The lack of quality is one of MANY reasons why I am no longer with Rat-L-Trap, and the other reason being that they stole an idea I gave them and they gave me no credit other than a pat on the back and a thank you >
Fish Aruku Shads and Rattlin' Vibes....you will be alot happier.
Maxximus Redneckus reply :
it must be a 2008 thing i have some 15 yrs old still kickin with plenty of bite marks on um who is payin 5 bucks for um anyhow you can get um 3 bucks and change mostly anywhere and for that price u can afford to buy 4 at a time
cbfishalot reply :
I just picked up 6 traps today at Gander Mountain. I went through all the ones on the pegs that were still marked $3.29. They are marked on the pegs at $5.99. Are you kidding me!! The store wasn't to happy but the gave them to me for $3.29. They all were in the old packing except the LEGEND sticker. Same old cheap hooks and round o-rings. The first thing I did was change all the hooks and increasd the baits price by a little over a dollar. Now I can't wait to go out and beat them against all the cover and trash that pretty looking paint job.
Dogface reply :
QuoteI've had the lure in the picture for a couple of months now, and the paint is still tacky and it still stinks.
I wonder if the paint could be reacting to the packaging and becoming soft.
Garnet reply :
There are plenty of rat-l traps copies and they are all cheap copies.
I have 17 rat-l traps that never get used unless I'm fishing for money. I buy more ever year take them out of package and fish a bit and get rid of them if they start catching fish I change hooks and rings and see if they get in the money box.
Garnet
Micro reply :
I sent my complaint to RatLTrap and got the following:
Please e-mail me your address so I can send you replacements of those lures. Our lure is the most popular and original lipless crankbait out on the market and sometimes the demand catches our production department and things might not have cured out as a result you got some tacky lures heavy with the top coat smell.
Sorry for your inconvenience and good fishin.
Everett Gill
Product Development
Whether or not you like Rat-L-Taps, there's no arguing that is awesome customer service.
Stringjam reply :
Great to hear they're taking care of you - good on em'.
QuoteOur lure is the most popular and original lipless crankbait out on the market
No it isn't - how about a little credit where it's due.... I keep seeing this from Bill Lewis and others.
See the bait on the left? It's Cotton Cordell's Hot Spot and it came out over 10 years BEFORE the Rat-L-Trap. Notice any similarity? :
fishfordollars reply :
Well other than changing hooks I have never had a problem with any of them. Some(At least 50) are over ten years old. If I had to count I would bet money there are over 100 in my boat. Never ever a problem except the hooks. I will not fish one unless it has the updated hooks put on it.
tyrius. reply :
QuoteWhether or not you like Rat-L-Taps, there's no arguing that is awesome customer service.
I agree with stringjam. This isn't that great of customer service. According to the email response this is a known issue with their production and instead of fixing the known issue and not selling defective products they only take care of the people who go through the effort of contacting them.
Great customer service would've been taking care of the root problem in quality control or production.
roadwarrior reply :
QuoteI sent my complaint to RatLTrap and got the following:Please e-mail me your address so I can send you replacements of those lures. Our lure is the most popular and original lipless crankbait out on the market and sometimes the demand catches our production department and things might not have cured out as a result you got some tacky lures heavy with the top coat smell.
Sorry for your inconvenience and good fishin.
Everett Gill
Product Development
Whether or not you like Rat-L-Taps, there's no arguing that is awesome customer service.
Great post! Great response!
You can't ask for any more than that.
8-)
flechero reply :
QuoteGreat customer service would've been taking care of the root problem in quality control or production.
Really? Since when does manufacturing and quality report up through marketing and customer service? Answer NEVER, unless it's a very, very small operation with one guy running all the functions.
Given the most common definitions of customer service, I'd say they did exactly what they should have. They didn't even ask for a return... just learned of a problem and offered to send replacements out, no questions asked. There is no better response.
Quotethey only take care of the people who go through the effort of contacting them.
Unless they have a crystal ball, they can only help those who take a minute to contact them.
roadwarrior reply :
As I noted earlier in this thread, there is no incentive to improve the
product. The small number of replacements is just part of the "cost of
doing business."
8-)
tyrius. reply :
QuoteReally? Since when does manufacturing and quality report up through marketing and customer service? Answer NEVER, unless it's a very, very small operation with one guy running all the functions.Given the most common definitions of customer service, I'd say they did exactly what they should have. They didn't even ask for a return... just learned of a problem and offered to send replacements out, no questions asked. There is no better response.
So what happens when the ones they send as replacements are tacky or split? What happens when the customer goes to purchase replacements and runs into the problem again?
The best answer would have been "Thank you for notifying us of this issue. We will work with our quality control and manufacturing departments to ensure that this issue is resolved. While that is occurring we will be happy to send you replacements for the defective products that you purchased."
This way they are actually taking care of the issue. With the response received the customer is required to continue to jump through hoops to replace baits that are defective.
The response received implies that they have known about the issue for some period of time and are choosing not to fix it.
Just my opinion though.
tyrius. reply :
QuoteAs I noted earlier in this thread, there is no incentive to improve theproduct. The small number of replacements is just part of the "cost of
doing business."
I agree with you, but given this statement I can't see how anyone would classify it as "great/awesome" customer service. I'd classify it as adequate.
roadwarrior reply :
QuoteThe response received implies that they have known about the issue for some period of time and are choosing not to fix it.
Read my last post, just above yours.
8-)
tyrius. reply :
QuoteQuoteThe response received implies that they have known about the issue for some period of time and are choosing not to fix it.Read my last post, just above yours.
Responded to it already.
roadwarrior reply :
I guess we were tying at the same time!
Listen, I don't disagree in principal, but from a practical standpoint,
delivering a lure that has a huge reputation for producing fish at such
a low price is quite an accomplishment. Anyone selling any product
knows the combination of tremendous volume and wide spread is a
dream come true.
8-)
firefightn15 reply :
So what happens if the quality issue isn't discovered until reports come in from the end users? In a volume manufacturing atmosphere, QC only actually gets to inspect a certain percentage of the product. I would bet management is doing some chewing on the floor and making other arrangements for the employees who did let the product thru, reguardless of what QC inspected. That is, right after they received the call from a disgruntled user and promised to send them replacement products immediantly. I'd say Micro was treated fairly. He sent a complaint and they responded with an acceptable fix.
CWB reply :
Try Cordell Super Spot or Strike King Diamond Shad.
Much better made for same if not less and they work as good or better. Personally, I've never liked Rattle Traps as even if they are good, they look like they are made by Wal-Mart.
Tin reply :
QuoteQuoteI agree with you, but given this statement I can't see how anyone would classify it as "great/awesome" customer service. I'd classify it as adequate.
x2
Nothing great about it, they just did what they said they were going to do. Sad that we live in a world that applauds and is amazed by someone doing something they said they would. It's just like giving raises for someone doing the job they are being paid to do.
Compared to other lipless baits you can buy for under $5, Bill Lewis makes garbage and there are other lipless baits out there that cost the same price and catch just as many fish, if not more, and are more durable... Plus you don't get those wonderful Bill Lewis hooks...
farmpond1 reply :
The nerve of some companies! Pretty soon they'll be adding melamine to their lures!!!!!!
Micro reply :
For those of you who don't think owning up to a problem, no questions asked, and offering to replace defective lures without the return of the originals is not great customer service, what the heck is?
burleytog reply :
QuoteFor those of you who don't think owning up to a problem, no questions asked, and offering to replace defective lures without the return of the originals is not great customer service, what the heck is?
Delivering a quality product initially.
Tin reply :
QuoteFor those of you who don't think owning up to a problem, no questions asked, and offering to replace defective lures without the return of the originals is not great customer service, what the heck is?
1. As Burley said
2. Since when is owning up to something you did wrong great and above and beyond? It is just what is right and what you should do. If they sent you a couple freebies or something to make up for your issue now that would be great and going above and beyond.
Micro reply :
Quote1. As Burley said
Duds are going to occur, no matter the product or manufacturer. Whether its Shimano or Rat-L-Trap I find it unreasonable to condem a company's customer service when the inevitable occurs.
Quote2. Since when is owning up to something you did wrong great and above and beyond? It is just what is right and what you should do. If they sent you a couple freebies or something to make up for your issue now that would be great and going above and beyond.
Since when? Since it's no longer common. It's unusual to find a company that does that. Expecting a company "give some freebies" when they are already doing what they should (without question) is unreasonable to me. Would you expect Shimano to send you a free reel or two when you send one in for repair? Perhaps Ford should allow you to waive a car payment because your radiator leaked and had to be repaired? The principle is the same. Too many companies provide too little. But too many people expect too much. I didn't suffer any damages. Hell, I didn't even suffer any inconveniences. Rat-L-Trap met MY expectation for excellent customer service, and that's all I care about. I would never even have thought twice about expecting them to provide some "freebies" on top of the replacement. That "gimme" mindset just isn't for me.
roadwarrior reply :
Micro started this thread and it seems appropriate that he make the last comments.
Goodnight Irene.
-Kent a.k.a. roadwarrior
Global Moderator
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