Squarebills are a staple for us because of how versatile they are.
You can run the better ones through some seriously nasty stuff all the while banging them off every manner of obstruction including rock, wood, hard bottom, soft bottom and everything in between.
While some of us not only remember but still have our favorite real wood versions (yeah, showing my age here), there are a lot of anglers whose only exposure to these little gems has been the plastic versions that have dominated the market the last few decades.
Rapala has recently combined the best of both worlds with the introduction of the BX Brat. The Brat currently comes in two sizes. The BXB-3, which comes in at 2” – 3/8 oz and the BXB-6, which is also 2” – 3/8 oz. Both employ two size 6 VMC round bend short shank trebles that are sticky sharp out of the package.
Both models are not only the same size and weight but are offered in the identical color palettes, share the same hardware, components and big 3D eyes with the only difference between the two being the size of the bill as well as the running depth.
As far as the colors, there are currently 12 available. Some are the standard shad imitators while others, Haymaker, Homers Buddy and Blue Ghost among them are unique, while at the same time subtle, which make them excellent choices for clear water fishing.
Balsa Versus Plastic
For those of you who have never fished with an old-fashioned wooden squarebill, you probably haven’t been exposed to the flaws that are inherent as a result of using wood. The single biggest drawback being durability followed closely by consistency from one to another.
The construction of the Brat mitigates these weaknesses. Rapala uses a balsa core encased in a copolymer shell with the result being a bait that behaves almost identically to an all wood bait while delivering the advantages of a plastic lure.
While the Brat is a relatively flat sided plug, it is at the same time on the short, stubby side. This design maximizes the flash put out by the individual color schemes.
Fishing Them Straight Out of the Package
All of the baits that we’ve obtained have run absolutely true out of the package. We’ve not had to tune any of them even though we have flat out abused them. We intentionally have run them into, over, under and around any hard thing that we could find to see how well the shell would hold up. The worst we’ve been able to do is put some scratches on the exterior shell which hasn’t impeded their performance in the least.
This squarebill comes through grass fairly well too. That is an added bonus that allows you to fish it longer during the season.
At 3/8 oz, the Brat casts exceptionally well with little to no helicoptering even in some moderately stiff wind. We prefer to use this bait on medium to medium light casting gear. Usually these rigs are spooled with no more than 10# line. Co-polymer, mono or fluorocarbon all work well.
The action of the BX is on the subtle side. Not a large wobble, more of a tight wiggle. You know, kinda “finessy.” This adds to its fish attraction because it is again, something unique.
The Brat, with its tantalizing wiggle also has a tendency to hunt a bit if you just give your rod tip little intermittent pops. It’ll get back on center quickly which is the retrieve that has produced the most strikes. Of course it deflects exceptionally well but the ability to exhibit an erratic action without having to deflect is another plus for the BX.
No Need for Discipline
The hook up ratio has been above average. The stock 6’s do the job but we have lost a few fish. We’ve thought about upsizing the hooks to a #5 but, because the front hook will occasionally get caught on the bill, we haven’t tried that yet. Maybe the answer is to just replace the rear hook.
Rapala priced this bait well. At $9.99 retail, you can pick up a bunch of them without breaking the bank.
The Rapala Balsa Extreme BX Brat Squarebill crankbaits have been a pleasant surprise for us. This Brat has amazingly good manners. A value priced bait that exhibits all the features that this one does is a fairly rare commodity in this day and age.
| Rapala Balsa Extreme BX Brat Squarebill | |
|---|---|
| Overall Rating |   |
| An extremely well behaved brat | |
See ya’ on the water …
