This fall I have been playing around with a new squarebill from Rapala, the Balsa Xtreme BX Brat Squarebill Crankbait. Even though fall is not my normal time to throw them, it has worked well and I have come away impressed with these little baits.
One of the first things that caught my attention when I received them was how small they are compared to other squarebill crankbaits. Not that that is a bad thing, it was actually pretty impressive that they can get down to 4 and 6-feet deep depending on the model. They are compact yet get down quickly thanks to the bill angle. This will allow me to fish a little deeper and still get that squarebill action.
Speaking of the action, both of the baits have a nice, tight wobble. It is fairly "aggressive", but not too much. I think this is why I was able to catch a few with it this fall when the water was starting to get chilly.
Another key to these baits is the durability. I fished it over the course of a few days and have had no issues. Squarebills are meant to bang and bump into everything so they need to be built to last. These are part of the Rapala Balsa Xtreme series, so they have the great action of balsa with a protective copolymer coating surrounding them.
The one thing I would say is a negative to the bait is the price.The bait retails for $9.99 and while that isn't outrageous, many of the squarebills I use are sub $6 baits because I lose more than my fair share.
Overall though, the bait is solid, catches fish and comes in plenty of good colors. I would give it my approval as it does the job and if it is as durable as they claim it will make up for the cost.
They are available at TackleWarehouse.com and many other retailers.
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