The Norman Fat Boy (redear) has been my go-to square bill for over a decade, but now it has some competition. The new Bandit Rack-It may be the ticket. I've been putting this bait through the paces for the past several months, and I'm impressed.
This square bill's unique "hunting action" is something the bass on your waters probably have never seen, at least not yet! This aggressive action that triggers strikes uses a unique molded-in, shaved bill. The bill’s design also improves durability, precisely what you want in a bait used for bouncing off hard cover such as rip-rap and rock piles. And when it deflects off the cover, it will shoot off at a sharper angle than most square bills, which can trigger more bites.
But the sound it makes is vital. The unique design emits a sound that bass are not used to hearing. It’s made from a polymer not common in the fishing world. Butyrate is a tough, rigid, buoyant material with a different density than plastic, accounting for its unusual underwater sound. The exclusive design of the rattle chamber takes advantage of the butyrate’s characteristics to create a sound that makes bass want to destroy it.
The butyrate also gives it more buoyancy than plastic, which is critical when fishing with square bills. You want that buoyancy because when you're fishing through that cover, especially wood, and you hit it, pause and let it drift up a little bit. That makes it look like a wounded or stunned baitfish which often triggers vicious strikes.
This highly aerodynamic lure maximizes casting distance, reducing the "foot-in-mouth" problem frequently affecting standard treble hook baits. I don’t get that tangled mess with this bait as I do with other crankbaits.
The 2.75-inch, .625-ounce Rack-It is designed to run four to six feet deep and comes in twelve colors. So pick your favorite.
