The Sneaky Baits
"Sneaky" Rat is a
rat constructed out
of various types of
wood
Impressions and
Craftsmanship:
The amount of labor
that goes into
making a hand carved
wooden swimbait, and
especially a rat, is
staggering. The only
way I could really
appreciate it was to
make some of my own
to study the entire
process, and this
endeavor gave me a
far greater
appreciation for
just how difficult
it is to carve,
weight, and apply
the lip at just the
right angle, and
finally finish the
bait so it even
looks like something
you would want to
tie on. When it
comes to wooden rats
Brady at Sneaky
Baits has continued
to refine his
signature bait, the
Sneaky, and has
built a strong
following among
anglers that know
how deadly this
custom bait can be.
Underneath the
Sneaky you can see
the plugs where it
is weighted
In terms of
craftsmanship the
Sneaky is great
example of why wood
continues to be one
of the very best
materials in which
to build rat
swimbaits with. The
wood grain is on
full display on
unpainted Sneaky
baits, and each lure
is truly unique.
Brady employs a
variety of woods in
his builds, and each
bait is weighted,
and swim tested to
ensure it delivers
the intended action.
Scars on the gloss
surface only add
character and each
bait is finished
with a set of large
round eyes under the
rounded ears. The
best way I can
describe the overall
profile of the
Sneaky is that it is
compact and “cute”
looking. The bait is
finished with a hand
poured Illude tail,
which many rat
builders use due to
excellent float and
durability.
The Sneaky is
finished with a hand
poured tail that
screws into a
recessed area for a
seamless look
Ready to Rumble: I
previously had been
trying to trade for
a Sneaky for about a
year without success
when Brady let me
know that he had one
Sneaky available for
me from his 2020
batch. I jumped at
the opportunity and
purchase my first
Sneaky, a Toasted
Ambrosia Maple rat.
The “toasted” term
means that a flame
has been applied to
the wood to darken
certain areas before
the final gloss
layer is applied.
The technique gives
the bait some
additional depth and
color, as well as
further brings out
the grain.
My first Sneaky was
made from Ambrosia
Maple and toasted to
add color and
character
I fished this Sneaky
for an entire season
and was able to
secure a second one
in the 2021 build,
and this time was
able to request a
customized painted
one. Over the last
season I fished both
baits in our
RatRumble alongside
a variety of other
rats, some of which
were also made of
wood, and many that
were constructed
from resin.
The Sneaky is a
relatively compact
rat with a 5 inch
body
Dexterity: The
Sneaky may look
compact but it is
surprisingly heavy
at 3.1 ounces, for
rat of this size,
due primarily to the
solid wood
construction, but
also the way that
the bait is
weighted. This bait
is best fished with
a dedicated swimbait
stick, and I really
like the weight of
this bait which
makes it easier to
cast accurately near
structure. Unlike
other longer, and
dual segmented rats,
the Sneaky casts
“tight,” which means
that it doesn’t flop
or flail around when
cast, making it easy
to accurately place
into target zones.
The bait even looks
"sneaky" in the
water
