Super User everythingthatswims Posted November 26, 2018 Super User Posted November 26, 2018 Something I haven't dabbled with much at all are the old school wakebaits. Seems like 99% of the time they are used in bone colors. Cotton Cordell Redfin, Storm Thunderstick, Bomber Long A, etc. I have been playing with them lately and I feel dumb for not having used them before, they get bit and are a presentation that I can tell will get bit in many of the places I fish. You will be seeing photos of fish with these baits coming from me in the near future. Who all throws them, tackle preferences, conditions you look for, etc? Quote
Harold Scoggins Posted November 26, 2018 Posted November 26, 2018 I like running them over grass beds on those cloudy days. Favorites: LC Wake Bait, IMA Roumba, and the Megabass I-Loud. Quote
Super User Team9nine Posted November 26, 2018 Super User Posted November 26, 2018 Several of those date back well over 25 years. I think the old Redfins might have started it, at least those were the ones I was first exposed to by some of the great Ozark guides who used them on morning schoolers. You coukd take a heated knife blade and slightly bend back the lips to help keep the bait waking on top instead of diving. Using 20# mono helped too. Then there were the old original Bomber Long A's. You could dip the head half in boiling water and get the plastic to swell without cracking. This would keep the head more buoyant and allow you to wake the bait better. Clear water lakes and lakes with schoolers always seemed best for this tactic, though they also had their moments around the spawn-postspawn in some waters. 2 Quote
rangerjockey Posted November 26, 2018 Posted November 26, 2018 The Red fin has always been popular around here. You have to go through a few to get a good one but they still work. I never had a lot of luck heating the bills, 2 or 3 suspend dots behind the joint and a feathered treble on the back is about the best recipe and still some never wake right. Guard the ones that do. I like smokey Joe and blue or black and chrome. 1 Quote
Super User Deleted account Posted November 26, 2018 Super User Posted November 26, 2018 Move along, nothing to see here.... A Long a or Redfin will dive down somewhat. Heavy mono, or a slight mod will keep them up and waking. I use them more like a power original rapala most times on tough days. Most everything eats them. 1 Quote
Super User scaleface Posted November 26, 2018 Super User Posted November 26, 2018 I use the Long A a lot during the post spawn period . Sometimes I'll wake it , twitch it , let it sit . I have an old Ripplin Red Fin in my top water box that I have never used . This sounds strange but I have an old Rebel popper thats bigger than a Pop R that I reel in slow and it will wake and wiggle . I caught my PB spotted bass by waking it . For some real old school wake baits , pick up a Bass Oreno and Heddon Lucky 13 . 2 Quote
Super User WRB Posted November 26, 2018 Super User Posted November 26, 2018 George Perry 22 1/4 lb Bass was reported to be caught on a Creek Chub Wiggle Fish or FinTail Shiner depending who you believe, both are old school wake baits back in the 30's. I waked Wooden Creek Chub jointed Pikie lures in the 50's. Tom 2 Quote
Super User Mobasser Posted November 27, 2018 Super User Posted November 27, 2018 As scaleface says,Bomber Long A, heavy mono line. Post spawn, casting tackle. I've done best with a slight chop on the surface. Another that I like is Smithwick Rattling shallow Rouge. These have been popular in the Ozarks for years 2 Quote
Global Moderator TnRiver46 Posted November 27, 2018 Global Moderator Posted November 27, 2018 3 hours ago, scaleface said: I use the Long A a lot during the post spawn period . Sometimes I'll wake it , twitch it , let it sit . I have an old Ripplin Red Fin in my top water box that I have never used . This sounds strange but I have an old Rebel popper thats bigger than a Pop R that I reel in slow and it will wake and wiggle . I caught my PB spotted bass by waking it . For some real old school wake baits , pick up a Bass Oreno and Heddon Lucky 13 . I have two of my papaws lucky 13s but they are poppers not wake baits. Bomber long A is my fav, second place is storm jointed thunderstick 1 Quote
Global Moderator Bluebasser86 Posted November 27, 2018 Global Moderator Posted November 27, 2018 The new Berkley Surge Shad is an awesome wake bait. Really similar action to the old school Red Fins but much more consistent. Use to have to buy several and mess a hood number of them up trying to heat the bill and bend it just right. The Surge Shad has the perfect action without having to mess with that. I really like to fish them when it's calm and fish won't commit to breaking the surface. Also a great bait around docks, especially if the shad are spawning on the docks. 3 Quote
Super User scaleface Posted November 27, 2018 Super User Posted November 27, 2018 6 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said: I have two of my papaws lucky 13s but they are poppers not wake baits. They can be reeled in slow and will act like a wake bait . 1 Quote
Global Moderator TnRiver46 Posted November 27, 2018 Global Moderator Posted November 27, 2018 26 minutes ago, scaleface said: They can be reeled in slow and will act like a wake bait . You learn something every day! Although I’m not taking them out of the shadow box 2 Quote
Super User Mobasser Posted November 28, 2018 Super User Posted November 28, 2018 On 11/26/2018 at 9:51 AM, everythingthatswims said: Something I haven't dabbled with much at all are the old school wakebaits. Seems like 99% of the time they are used in bone colors. Cotton Cordell Redfin, Storm Thunderstick, Bomber Long A, etc. I have been playing with them lately and I feel dumb for not having used them before, they get bit and are a presentation that I can tell will get bit in many of the places I fish. You will be seeing photos of fish with these baits coming from me in the near future. Who all throws them, tackle preferences, conditions you look for, etc? It's good that your getting in to fishing these baits. For many, they have gone out of style. Years ago most guys carried some model of this type of lure. They will always work well at certain times. In calm flat water they can work well twitched on the surface, pulled under slightly and allowed to float back up. Versatile baits. As you said, many favor bone. Chrome/ black is good too Quote
Super User scaleface Posted November 28, 2018 Super User Posted November 28, 2018 2 hours ago, Mobasser said: many favor bone. Chrome/ black is good too On the Long A I use the silver flash almost 100 per cent of the time . I have a bunch of them with the propeller . They were called prop A's . They can be waked easier than the regular ones but they lose a little of the action doing so . 2 Quote
Super User ChrisD46 Posted November 28, 2018 Super User Posted November 28, 2018 Check out the BPS XPS Lazer Eye "The Egg" in the larger 3/4th oz. size ... The fat rascal is like an oversized DT series crank for the surface . Quote
Comfortably Numb Posted November 30, 2018 Posted November 30, 2018 I have used the old school Red Fin and Long A as wake baits successfully. I prefer the more modern "true" wake baits. Favs are..... Strike King Wake Shad Ima Roumba LC 1.5 jointed wake And these custom painted ones. 1 Quote
ItsHardwick Posted November 30, 2018 Posted November 30, 2018 39 minutes ago, Comfortably Numb said: I have used the old school Red Fin and Long A as wake baits successfully. I prefer the more modern "true" wake baits. Favs are..... Strike King Wake Shad Ima Roumba LC 1.5 jointed wake And these custom painted ones. I have 4-5 of those custom painted deals right there and really like them as well. Quote
BrackishBassin Posted December 1, 2018 Posted December 1, 2018 I’m a really big fan of the Arashi crank wakes, or wake cranks, can’t ever remember the order right. Either way, they’re responsible for my PB. Best surface fishing lure I own, by far. Beats out everything else I’ve thrown by a huge margin. Quote
Super User Deleted account Posted December 2, 2018 Super User Posted December 2, 2018 Minnow style wake baits and crank style wake baits work for me well at different times. The minnows have a wider slower action more like walking the dog, where as the cranks have a faster more pronounced tighter action. The minnows usually work better in clearer calmer conditions, but it varies. Quote
Super User Choporoz Posted December 3, 2018 Super User Posted December 3, 2018 Old school... These have been retired, though 2 Quote
Primus Posted December 3, 2018 Posted December 3, 2018 The wakebaits that I throw are in the swim bait category though I also have a few wake style crankbaits as well that I throw on occasion. Some of my favorites are the 3: 16 Wake Jr. , MS Slammer , Black Dog Shell Cracker and the floating versions of the Got'Em Coach Bluegill & Matt LURES Hard Gill. In terms of Crankbait style I like the discontinued Excalibur wake the best out of all the ones I have tried. Quote
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