Throwing a wake bait. A question.

[Darth-Baiter]

I saw one on my buddys boat dash board. Just rattling around.  
 

I bought one on a whim.  Throw it anywhere I would throw a whopper plopper?  Buzz bait?  
 

ive neve owned one before. Looks interesting. 

[Hammer 4]

Throw it anywhere that there isn't thick vegetation on the surface. If the vegetation is a foot under the surface, you can work it over the top of it. 

[WRB]

Which wake bait???

Tom

[Bluebasser86]

They're a good option for me when fish are just swirling on spinnerbaits or topwaters but not committing. Being just subsurface and having trebles seems to grab a few of those noncommittal fish. 

[papajoe222]

I throw them on calmer days when a spinnerbait isn't a good choice. I have a couple that I've made silent and they seem to work much better without rattles for that.

[Mr. Aquarium]

Throw it anywhere and everywhere. I use it for a search bait, I love wakes, 99% I’m throwing a wake from 4-10 inches. You can walk it, twitch it, burn it, crank it just barely subsurface,  slow roll,  night or day, from water in the low 40s to summer highs. 
 

lipped or non lipped multi joint 

[Bluebasser86]

Threw one quite a bit this morning, a KVD 2.5 wake. Conditions seemed perfect with clouds and slick calm water, the fish did not agree with me. 

[Darth-Baiter]

Had a med sized bass short strike my wake-B today.  Very exciting, but he didn’t want seconds.  Total quitter.  
 

im still tied on fir tomorrow. Mine is a fish lab shad looking thing. 

[bulldog1935]

What I've noticed about them in thick bait concentration (tide pass), is they make the exact wake pattern on the surface that the real bait makes. 

My most productive is the YoZuri "Real Gizzard Shad", which reflects green and transmits pink - that's also what the live bait does in low-angle sunlight. 

[JustJames]

I like it over flat with some shallow weed. I mostly rip them fast and paused.

My friend use Depp buzzjet a lot. It is combination of wakebait and buzz bait.

 

[ChrisD46]

On 10/8/2021 at 12:39 AM, Bluebasser86 said:

Threw one quite a bit this morning, a KVD 2.5 wake. Conditions seemed perfect with clouds and slick calm water, the fish did not agree with me. 

*Casting the KVD 2.5 Wake Bait is akin to trying to cast a potato chip ! It takes a little practice if their is any sort of a breeze at all . I use it as there are less options in this style of wake bait I like , so I work around the disadvantage of the KVD 2.5 wake (casting with any breeze present) . Another similar one to try is the Berkley Wake Bull 70 in Bone or Ghost will have you covered - much easier to cast than the KVD 2.5 (both models have their merit though) .

[Scott804]

Just took a tournament win with a wakebait so now I feel qualified to answer this thread haha. I throw my wakebaits on a St Croix Legend Glass 7'2M with Sunline Crank FC 12-17lb. As for the reel, it helps to have a ~100 size spool from my experience. I like to use the KVD2.5 Wake. Some of the other replies have stated that the KVD2.5 Wake doesn't cast well. Using my setups I have never had issues. I plan to try some other wakebaits soon but what really stands out about the KVD to me is that it makes a very loud clicking sound with every wobble. Called up some big ones for me! 

 

Lots of wakebaits will dive about a foot under but generally I want my wakebait to be on the surface and obviously making a big wake. I point my rod almost 12 o clock and reel at the speed the situation requires as long as the bait isn't diving or waking incorrectly. The line should barely or not touch the water at all. Generally calmer water helps, I have not have much luck with fishing them in rough water. Ideal conditions for me would be light rain + calm water. 

[fin]

3 hours ago, Scott804 said:

Just took a tournament win with a wakebait so now I feel qualified to answer this thread haha.

Did you try any other topwater in the same place?

 

I have very limited success with wake baits and feel like I have given them a fair try. I like the way they look, so it's not like I have anything against them besides their track record with me.

[Scott804]

39 minutes ago, fin said:

Did you try any other topwater in the same place?

 

I have very limited success with wake baits and feel like I have given them a fair try. I like the way they look, so it's not like I have anything against them besides their track record with me.

Full sized spook was the two hits I got, but that fish came off on after a big second jump. The rest came from the wakebait. Also threw the new Heddon Boyo Spook with no luck. Whopper Plopper and Buzzbait didn't seal the deal either. There was a Jr size popper bite working too. 

 

Honestly I had a little trouble getting onto the wakebait at first too. I thought for sure that they just wouldn't be able to see it/ignore it. Compared to other topwaters it seems very muted to an extent. Spooks crash back and forth, poppers pop, buzzbaits buzz. But the rattle of the wakebait really gives it a presence. 

[fin]

17 hours ago, Scott804 said:

Honestly I had a little trouble getting onto the wakebait at first too. I thought for sure that they just wouldn't be able to see it/ignore it. Compared to other topwaters it seems very muted to an extent. Spooks crash back and forth, poppers pop, buzzbaits buzz. But the rattle of the wakebait really gives it a presence. 

Maybe it's the type of rattle that was working for you. I've thrown a Jackall Mikey Jr. until my arm falls off and can't get a bite off it. It makes all kinds of noise, a rattle and a clickety clack noise from the joints, plus a huge wake.

 

I've tried several different brands of wake baits, but I don't know if I've tried the KVD2.5. I'll have to check that out.

[Bluebasser86]

On 10/10/2021 at 6:55 AM, ChrisD46 said:

*Casting the KVD 2.5 Wake Bait is akin to trying to cast a potato chip ! 

That's odd, the one I have cast like a bullet. 2.5" 1/2oz with hardly any bill shouldn't be an issue to cast. 

[ChrisD46]

6 hours ago, Bluebasser86 said:

That's odd, the one I have cast like a bullet. 2.5" 1/2oz with hardly any bill shouldn't be an issue to cast. 

Throwing into the wind would cause the sides to catch air ... More to do with my challenge to keep casts lower than perhaps the lure itself . 

[bulldog1935]

On 10/10/2021 at 11:43 AM, Scott804 said:

Just took a tournament win with a wakebait so now I feel qualified to answer this thread haha. I throw my wakebaits on a St Croix Legend Glass 7'2M with Sunline Crank FC 12-17lb. As for the reel, it helps to have a ~100 size spool from my experience. I like to use the KVD2.5 Wake. Some of the other replies have stated that the KVD2.5 Wake doesn't cast well. Using my setups I have never had issues. I plan to try some other wakebaits soon but what really stands out about the KVD to me is that it makes a very loud clicking sound with every wobble. Called up some big ones for me! 

 

Lots of wakebaits will dive about a foot under but generally I want my wakebait to be on the surface and obviously making a big wake. I point my rod almost 12 o clock and reel at the speed the situation requires as long as the bait isn't diving or waking incorrectly. The line should barely or not touch the water at all. Generally calmer water helps, I have not have much luck with fishing them in rough water. Ideal conditions for me would be light rain + calm water. 

 

I use the very same rod for first-light wakebait

Not showing off the fish, but the pink light coming through the YoZuri Real Gizzard Shad - it cleaned up on this morning, and kept me hooked up for more than an hour. 

[Scott804]

11 hours ago, bulldog1935 said:

 

I use the very same rod for first-light wakebait

 

It's been hard to pick up anything else since I got it! So fun to fish and it is beautifully crafted too. Definitely one of the best looking rods out there.

 

I like the whole reflection deal with those Yo-zuri wakes. I am gonna give one a go and see how it does soon.