Wake Baits

[Functional]

I'm not sure how I did this but I'm just learning wake baits are an actual thing. I've fished lures that werent wake baits like a wake bait with really good success and now I want to pick up a few.

 

Eyeing the 6th sense movement 80 but wanted to hear any other opinions...at $10 a pop I want to make sure I'm picking up something proven. 

 

Also open to color recommendations but one of the 2 I think I'll end up with 4k shad or shad scales, not sure on the 2nd color. 

[Bankc]

I really like the BPS XPS The Egg.  And at almost half the price of the 6th Sense, it's probably worth a shot.  

 

As for color, I guess the depends on what your local lakes look like.  Personally, I do the same color thing with all of my hardbaits.  Two colors are all I need for any situation.  I get one in either Chartreuse and black or Firetiger for dirty water, and one in whatever that brand's equivalent to Sexy Shad or some other realistic baitfish color for clearer water.  There are a few exceptions in my kit, like red craw for prespawn presentations, but that's 90% of the hardbaits that I own, right there.

[Scott804]

Wakebaits like swimbait wakebaits or wakebaits like 0ft running crankbait wakebaits? 

 

If the crankbait kind, the KVD 2.5 is really good. 

[GRiver]

2 hours ago, Bankc said:

really like the BPS XPS The Egg. 

I like these too, good color selection and sizes too.

[gim]

2 hours ago, Bankc said:

I really like the BPS XPS The Egg.  And at almost half the price of the 6th Sense, it's probably worth a shot.  

There is also one called the XPS Super Shallow Crank that reels in very similarly to a wake bait.  @NorthernBasser started a thread about these not long ago.  I have three of them that I bought last March, and had pretty good success using the Orange Craw color for river smallmouth this past season.

[Functional]

2 hours ago, Scott804 said:

Wakebaits like swimbait wakebaits or wakebaits like 0ft running crankbait wakebaits? 

 

If the crankbait kind, the KVD 2.5 is really good. 

 

looking more at the 0ft crankbait kind, not ready to jump into the swimbait world just yet. For context, i've been taking 5" jointed rapala floating jerkbaits and skimming them just under the surface. Looking for the same effect but try it with a purpose made lure. What I do works, but I have a problem and I need to try a real wakebait ?. (hey first step is admitting you have a problem right?)

[suzuki2903]

https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Shimano_Macbeth_50_Crankbaits/descpage-SMSC.html  
 

 

shimano has these that are 0-1 ft depth.  

[Munkin]

Manns Baby 1-

 

Allen

[GreenPig]

I know what you said. But if it's worth doing ..............?. A Cotton Cordell 7" Redfin in white produces nicely after upgrading the hooks.

[Munkin]

27 minutes ago, GreenPig said:

I know what you said. But if it's worth doing ..............?. A Cotton Cordell 7" Redfin in white produces nicely after upgrading the hooks.

 

Looks like a swimbait to me?

 

Allen

[Columbia Craw]

Non jointed, the Ima Roumba in bluegill and bone.  The Movement also has a good action. 

[GreenPig]

1 hour ago, Munkin said:

 

Looks like a swimbait to me?

 

Allen

It is indeed a Bull Wake swimbait. The very reason I said "I  know what you said". I also mentioned a CC Redfin, normal weighted bait while being 7 inches long. A couple post up Functional mentioned he needed to try a real Wake. Just trying to help a fishing brother feed his monkey. I own 10 - 12 conventional wakes that never produced quality fish like the BS Wake does.

[The Bassman]

I use several smaller wakes (1-Minus, Yo Zuri 3DS, disc. Storm Sub Wart) with my spinning tackle but my favorite is an Azuma Wake Z on heavier gear. Bass flat out want to kill that thing.

[GRiver]

5 hours ago, Munkin said:

Manns Baby 1-

X2

[PotatoLake]

That 6th Sense crank you referenced is not what I would consider a wake bait. It’s more of a shallow runner. You’ll have to alter your retrieve and hold your rod tip very high to “wake” it.
 

6th sense does make something called a speed wake that is very easy to create a wake on the surface.

[wdp]

On 1/25/2023 at 6:32 AM, PotatoLake said:

That 6th Sense crank you referenced is not what I would consider a wake bait. It’s more of a shallow runner. You’ll have to alter your retrieve and hold your rod tip very high to “wake” it.

Actually, 6th Sense makes a waking version of the Movement 80x. Whereas, the normal 80x goes 1-3 ft deep, the wakebait version bulges just beneath the surface. 
 

https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/6th_Sense_Movement_80_WK_Wakebait/descpage-6SM80WK.html

[Bluebasser86]

Berkley Surge Shad and Jointed Surge Shad have been winners for me. 

[PotatoLake]

23 hours ago, wdp said:

Actually, 6th Sense makes a waking version of the Movement 80x. Whereas, the normal 80x goes 1-3 ft deep, the wakebait version bulges just beneath the surface. 
 

https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/6th_Sense_Movement_80_WK_Wakebait/descpage-6SM80WK.html

Crazy, I did not know they made those. Thanks for the heads up. If it has the same action as the original but just runs on top, could be a good one.

[Bankbeater]

Wakebaits are a standard for me.  When the vegetation starts growing in the spring and summer it is about the only treble hook bait I can fish with.  Mann's Baby One Minus, and The Egg are my two main baits.

[Functional]

Appreciate all the input. I think I'm going to snag some of the 6th sense movements and the Mann's baby 1-. Likely 2 of each.

 

Trying to just settle on colors. I've typically not had luck with chartreuse colors but I've never truely gave them a fair enough try and they seem to be pretty popular.

 

Thinkin...

6th: Sexified chartreuse shad (maybe 4k shad) and Blugilla

Manns: Chartreuse shad and Fire Shad

 

Forage on my lakes are majority threadfin shad and on some bluegill are also on the menu. Sexy Shad typically does well so hopefully these work but I'm open to color selection for those 2 baits. 

[wdp]

20 hours ago, PotatoLake said:

Crazy, I did not know they made those. Thanks for the heads up. If it has the same action as the original but just runs on top, could be a good one.

Yeah, I have a couple but haven’t used them in a couple of fishing seasons. I prob should break them back out for this spring. They def have the same super exaggerated, wide wobble that the normal Movement 80x has. But the wake version might go only 2” deep max. It makes a very distinct “V” wake on the surface. If I remember correctly, my only complaint is that at really high cranking speeds it tended to get too crazy & almost blow outta the water. But at slower & medium retrieves it was pretty good. Or, it coulda been the way I was fishing it, maybe rod tip too high. I dunno, like I said, been a while since I fished it. ?

[Functional]

3 minutes ago, wdp said:

But the wake version might go only 2” deep max. It makes a very distinct “V” wake on the surface. If I remember correctly, my only complaint is that at really high cranking speeds it tended to get too crazy & almost blow outta the water. But at slower & medium retrieves it was pretty good. 

 

THIS is information I really wanted to hear. I slow roll the rapala to make the V just under the surface, just fast enough to get that action. Was hoping to get that in a proper wake bait. 

[Deleted account]

26 minutes ago, Functional said:

 

THIS is information I really wanted to hear. I slow roll the rapala to make the V just under the surface, just fast enough to get that action. Was hoping to get that in a proper wake bait. 

If you want that lazy zig zag with the v wake, a minnow or longish one will usually be better, the stocky, pudgy super shallow crank types work at a faster rate and make more of a ruckus, though in the hands of someone who knows how to work them , you can get either action from most of them. I like the former in calmer water, and the latter with a bit of chop, but you never know what they are going to prefer.

[Standard]

I picked up a Berkley Wake Bull a couple years ago, not really knowing what a wake bait was at the time.  Worked great that season, managed to pick up another after finding out Berkley discontinued them.  Pretty disappointed in that.

 

I picked up a few Strike King Hybrid Hunter Shallows and they've also worked really well.  Can fish them slower near the surface or get them to dive 3-4 foot pretty easily.  Most of my fishing is in the 1-8 foot depth range so that works for me.

[rangerjockey]

On 1/25/2023 at 12:12 AM, GreenPig said:

I know what you said. But if it's worth doing ..............?. A Cotton Cordell 7" Redfin in white produces nicely after upgrading the hooks.

I have to chuckle because here in the Ozarks there's always been a big secret about the recipe to make a Red fin run right. 

Guys bend the bills with a lighter but that method has put more than a few in the trash can .

My personal favorite is a feathered treble on the back and 2 or 3 suspend dots right in front of the joint and hope for the best. Some are magic and some never will run. Braid helps a bunch.

 These days I'd just buy a Surge Shad .