Since its debut, Rat'l Trap fans everywhere have been singing the praises of the newest addition to the Bill Lewis family of lipless crankbaits, the Hammer Trap. Perhaps no one is a bigger fan than Major League Fishing BPT Angler and long time Rat'l Trap Pro Staffer, Mark Daniels Jr. In fact at the Bass Pro Tour 2026 Lake Guntersville Season Opener, Daniels utilized a 3/16 oz Mini Hammer Trap in both the Rayburn Red Craw and Fire Craw colors to earn a Top 10 finish. Recently Daniels joined the Inside Line to talk about the Hammer Trap.
“Anytime you can show the fish something that they have not seen or heard, that's a recipe for a winning bait selection and that is what we have with the Hammer Trap,” explained Daniels. “Right off the bat, we have three sizes in the Hammer Trap that we don't have with the original Rat'l Trap. We have 3/16 oz, 3/8 oz, and we have a 5/8 oz. Those sizes don't exist in the original and when you start playing with sizes and dimensions you are gonna create a different action and a different sound. That in my mind are the biggest differences between a Rat'l Trap versus a Hammer Trap. The Hammer Trap definitely hits harder. It's a very hard hitting bait, it's not subtle or soft. The original Rat'l Trap is kinda on the subtle side, very tight. The Hammer Trap has different chambers in them, so they separated the sound so to speak. Having the sound separated and dispersed throughout the bait is a unique sound all in itself.”
One of the most frequently asked questions when it comes to fishing a Trap is regarding choosing the correct size bait. “A lot of time when selecting the size of a Trap, it is not based on the size of the fish, but on the depth,” explained Daniels. “The depth will help me determine which size bait I will start with. The other key element is forage. If I am at a lake and I know the fish are eating big gizzard shad then I am probably not gonna want to throw the 3/16oz if I can get away with it. I want to match the hatch so to speak, but again those other sizes can be very effective. You just gotta play with them all, but the depth is very key for efficiency. As a general rule from 0'-4' the 3/16oz, 4'-6' the 3/8oz, and 6'-8' the 5/8 oz. I am a fluorocarbon line guy and I can get the bait to run a little deeper by going down in line size and conversely I can get some rise out of the bait with a heavier line and fish it shallower.”
The way in which Daniels fishes the Hammer Trap is not for the faint of heart. “It's an aggressive style of power fishing, there's a lot of snapping, and ripping and pulling, clearing that grass,” said Daniels. “I'll make a long cast and I'll intentionally wait for the Hammer Trap to hit some grass or bog down and then I'll snap it out and when it breaks free from the grass, that's when the bass will eat it. If you have one small blade of grass on your bait then you are not going to get bit. It is not easy, at the end of day yanking that trap will wear you out.”
Having the right setup is critical to success with any bait and the Hammer Trap is no exception. When throwing the 3/16 oz Mini Hammer Trap, Daniels chooses a 7' M Bass Pro Shops CarbonLite Jerk Bait Popper Rod with a 6:8:1 Johnny Morris Platinum Casting Reel spooled with 15lb Seaguar Invizx Fluorocarbon Line. When fishing the larger 3/8 oz & 5/8 oz Hammer Traps, he opts for a 7'2” MH Bass Pro Shops Signature Series Rod with a 6:8:1 Johnny Morris Platinum Casting Reel spooled with 15lb - 17lb Seaguar Invizx Fluorocarbon Line.
Finally, no conversation about the Hammer Trap would be complete without considering color. Daniels recommends: Chrome Blue Splatter Back, Rayburn Red Craw, Gold Black Splatter Orange Belly, Purple Nurple and Silverado.