Shop SacPigThe garage years
Bass Love Rats, then SacPig.
This site is not the store. It is the reason the store has rats worth buying: a missing bait, a printer, a collaboration, and a pile of videos that still do the selling better than any paragraph.
Hooked on Rat Lures
Nothing detonates a surface like a bass crushing a rat. When my beloved Moreau Rat vanished from shelves, I refused to quit — I started designing in 2020 and set out to create the ultimate replacement.
- Rat wake baits create violent topwater eats that are hard to replicate with other lure styles, so the obsession started there.
- When favorite options became hard to find, the plan shifted from searching stores to building a replacement from scratch.
- That first phase was all about studying body shape, buoyancy, and wake profile so each cast could stay consistent in real fishing conditions.
Learned the Craft
Blender3D tutorials and an entry‑level printer turned sketches into plastic overnight. Watching pixels become a lure was addictive.
- The process began with Blender to model joint spacing, body thickness, and line tie locations before printing a single prototype.
- An entry-level printer made rapid iteration possible, turning concept edits into physical test pieces within hours.
- Each build cycle sharpened the workflow: design, print, inspect, tune, then repeat until the swim looked and felt right.
Prototyped Relentlessly
Screen‑perfect doesn't equal water‑perfect. After each 17‑hour print I'd sprint to the test tank—some floated true, others flopped, every one taught a lesson.
- Long print sessions produced new shapes, but the real test was always flotation and tracking once the bait hit water.
- Some bodies rolled, some hunted, and some failed immediately; each result highlighted what to tweak next.
- This stage focused on repeatable performance so the lure could cast cleanly and track naturally across multiple retrieve speeds.
Explored and Shared Designs
Got in touch with the maker community and started sharing lure designs while continuing to iterate in public.
- Community feedback helped identify better print settings, material choices, and rigging options.
- Publishing open designs invited more builders to test and improve ideas across different waters and techniques.
- The Cyber Rat was open sourced on Thingiverse to share progress and accelerate iteration.
Experimented Everywhere
Bathtub trials, dawn reservoir sessions, endless tweaks to joints and design. Dialling in that seductive swim proved half science, half art.
- Controlled tests helped isolate balance and wake, while open-water sessions showed how the lure behaved in wind and chop.
- Joint tuning, tail movement, and retrieve cadence were adjusted repeatedly to create a more natural and enticing profile.
- The result was a broader confidence window: a lure that could stay productive in varied water types and light conditions.
Connected & Collaborated
Linked up with veteran builder SacPig on Instagram. Together we birthed Mischief series of precision‑tuned rats built to smash personal bests.
- Connecting with SacPig through Instagram opened the door to deeper bait-building feedback from experienced hands.
- Collaboration accelerated quality improvements in hardware, tuning consistency, and fishability for the Mischief series.
- The focus shifted from one-off testing to repeatable builds that anglers could trust cast after cast.
Cooking at SacPig Bait Co.
Now we're scaling production, serving a fresh menu of custom rats, topwaters, and accessories — each designed to put giants in the net.
- With core designs validated, production systems expanded to deliver dependable quality at larger volume.
- The lineup broadened beyond rat wake baits into supporting topwater and accessory options for serious bass anglers.
- This phase centered on reliability, finish quality, and maintaining the same fish-catching identity in every bait shipped.
Live on Tackle Warehouse
The rats have officially hit the big leagues. In 2025, SacPig baits launched at Tackle Warehouse — the world's premier fishing tackle retailer with more retailers coming soon.
- Landing on Tackle Warehouse marked a major milestone in the Bass Love Rats journey from concept to trusted retail placement.
- Broader availability means more anglers can fish proven rat lure designs without relying on limited small-batch drops.
- The launch also set the stage for future partnerships and expanded availability across additional tackle retailers.
Go Anywhere
Introducing the Go Anywhere SwimFrats with an industry-first TPE-lock hook attachment and an ultra-durable TPE body for navigating the gnarliest environments where fish thrive, without worrying about getting hung up.
- The TPE-lock system secures to the hook for reliable rigging and repeatable action.
- Durable TPE construction is built to survive heavy cover and repeated strikes.
- This release focuses on confidence in rough, high-snare water where fragile baits fail quickly.
Landing Big Fish
The lineup of rat lures has been extremely well received by largemouth bass — consistently landing personal bests, putting smiles on anglers’ faces, and proving to be an absolute joy to fish. Bass really do love rats, and the journey continues.
- The lineup of rat lures has been extremely well received by largemouth bass, with anglers consistently landing personal bests.
- Beyond the catch counts, the rats have been a genuine joy to fish — putting smiles on anglers’ faces every time a bass detonates on the surface.
- Bass really do love rats — and with every grin and every new PB, the journey continues, fueling the next wave of designs and refinements.
Straight answers
What is Bass Love Rats?
Bass Love Rats is the story and video site behind SacPig rat baits. The garage years, the prints, and the clips live here. The checkout lives on SacPig.com.
Where do I buy the baits?
Buy Mischief Go, SwimFrat, handmade rats, and gear on SacPig.com. Selected SacPig baits are also at Tackle Warehouse.
What is the difference between Mischief and Mischief Go?
Mischief is the handmade rat lineage. Mischief Go is the in-stock ABS version you can order tonight — same family of wake, walk, and crank-down attitude.
Should I set the hook when a bass explodes on a rat?
No. Wait until the line loads, then lean. The splash is not the hookup. Watch the SacPig “do not set the hook” video on this site.
What is a SwimFrat?
A floating TPE frog that swims, with an industry-first TPE-lock. Rig it on a BKK 8/0 Titan Diver. It is the “go anywhere” bait from the timeline.