Rattlin' Up Largemouths

No doubt you've heard about the evolution of lures with rattles inside. Here's why they work so well on largemouth bass.

Other than hooks, rattles have become the single most common item in today's largemouth bass baits. Lures that aren't manufactured with a internal rattling chamber are often doctored by anglers to include the attractive noisemakers. Rarely do bass react negatively to the rattling sound. Since sound is important to a bass' attack on natural prey, it stands to reason that a lure which emits some sound will also get a largemouth's attention. It's a scientific fact that water is an excellent medium for the transmission of sound. The speed of sound in water is about 1,500 meters per second, nearly 5 times it's speed in air. Sound also carries longer distances in water. It's reflected off the bottom (and off the surface) from density boundaries caused by differences in temperature.

Fish have a number of sound producing body parts, including their teeth, skeleton and gas bladder. As fish swim, noise is created by the movement of their parts and by the turbulence caused by their motion through the water. Schools of swimming fish make noises described as "rustles" or "whooshes." Feeding activities are usually noisy, particularly when fish break the surface. In addition to fish, some other things that bass like to eat make noise. A crawfish crawling along a rocky bottom is a chattering critter emitting clicks and pings. Frogs swimming through the weeds make noise, as do insects that fall on the surface. Some voluntary noises produced by fish are used to communicate. Biologists speculate that these sounds might act as an alarm signal to other individuals or to indicate the presence of a predator.

Ironically, the noise most rattling lures make exceeds the level of the normal sounds bass are accustomed to hearing. It is also unlikely that the sound many rattling lures emit actually mimics the pitch and tones that natural prey make. Nevertheless, this extra sound seems to pull largemouths to a lure. Lure makers have caught on to the importance of the rattle, both as a fish attractor and as a selling point.

HARD PLASTIC BAITS: In most hard lures, the rattling sound is produced by collision of metal balls, BBs or shot inside a chamber. As the lure moves, the shot strike each other and the chamber walls. In crankbaits, the chamber's shape, the thickness of its walls, the size of the rattling shot and even the type of plastic used in the bait's construction contribute to the volume and the pitch that is produced. A crankbait's overall shape plays a major role in determining the sound it makes. In general, the flatter baits produce a louder, more intense sound, while rounder baits produce a softer, more muted sound. Unfortunately, some lure makers have the notion that a large, deep diving crankbait should sound as loud as a baby's rattle. But high-volume baits may be a case of overkill.

SOFT PLASTC BAITS: Rattles intended for soft plastic baits are constructed of glass, plastic or metal. Some manufacturers make an array of hard plastic or metal chambers that produce sharp, loud clicks, while others use a soft polypropylene to achieve a more muted sound. Most sound chambers designed for soft plastic lures are shaped like the point of a pencil and contain two or three steel or lead balls of one size. The noise they create is a tinny, thin jingle that resonates in the dense polymers used to make today's worms, lizards and tube baits.

Besides the sound they make, rattling lures can also be classified by their rhythm. Some baits rattle all the time; others only rattle when you twitch the rod tip. Crankbaits and jerkbaits fit the first type; rattles associated with soft plastics fit the second type.

WHERE TO USE RATTLES: By far the most important place for rattles is in stained water. We know that bass find food through a range of senses. Besides sound, these include sight, smell and vibration. When a bass is close to its intended prey, sight is the most critical factor. But take away some measure of sight (with the effects of stained water) and sound becomes even more critical. When sliding a jig along a soft bottom, in either stained or clear water, you'll find that the extra sound a rattlin' jig makes is a big plus for bringing bass in. When anglers slink a jig or a soft plastic lure through dense weeds, they find that an addition of a rattle indispensable. Bass working a weed patch have limited vision due to the weeds blocking their view. It stands to reason that anything which helps them find a lure in the dense jungle will be a plus for the angler. Any structure where a bass' vision is limited is an excellent place for rattles. In lakes or rivers with warmwater discharges, you can often catch bass at the discharge point during cool water period because the immediate water is warmed at the outflow. But these outflows are often thick with air bubbles, and the rushing current makes a noise of its own. From experience, you'll find that lures which rattle are the things to use at most discharges. The clicking sound of the lure differs from the noise of the current, and the lure sound also helps bass zero in through the bubbles. In addition to being important in murky and off colored water, rattles can be important in deep, clear water.