Wake Baits

[WRB]

Don’t get to hung up on “wake” baits.

You can wake any floating shallow diving bass lure.

The Wooden Heldon Pikie was a good wake bait, joints model a “swimbait”.

The Rapala Shallow Fat Rap with the L shape Bill was and is a excellent wake bait.

Tom

 

[Scott804]

I should add for technique, just use your normal crankbait rod. Line is your preference, just make sure you keep your rod tip up in the air if you want the wakebait to truly wake. You can put the tip downward to make some wakebaits dive, some 6 inches, some 2 feet, just depends on the bait. You can do some nifty stuff around cover if you use the ability to wake and dive to your advantage, especially around stumps. 

[wdp]

I’m an admitted wakebait fanboy. I love em & regularly fishing 4-5 different brands during Spring - Fall. While I agree with what WRB and Scott804 are saying above, to a certain extent, I have to disagree a little.

 

There are a couple advantages to fishing true wakebait type lures. Yeah, you can hold your rod up at different angles and fish any shallow, floating diver as a wakebait, but the major disadvantage for me is I tend to miss more fish. If a fish hits pretty good, it feels tension immediately & sometimes will let go before you even know what happened. Not to mention it’s harder to set the hook with your rod tip high. 
 

Another advantage with wakebaits is that they’re designed to only go around 2”-6” deep, no matter how fast you fish em. Some shallow divers are gonna go at least a ft deep on a fast retrieve, no matter how high you hold the rod tip. And sometimes, the only way I can get em to bite is with a very rapid stop & go retrieve.

 

 So, yeah wakebaits might be a niche lure, but they have their place, at least in my arsenal. I love burning em over shallow grass in the spring & summer. Just my 2 cents worth. ?

[Functional]

Yea like I said I've fished a lot of my floating like a wake bait and been very successful. Just wanting to try something purpose made for that and see if there is any difference for me. It's a technique I use enough I'm fine investing in a few lures to give it a try. 

[Woody B]

I hate wake boats.......OH,  this is a wake "bait" thread.   

 

I may be missing out.  I've never used or had any wake baits.  For a situation I "think" a wake bait might work I'll use something top water.   Am I missing out?   My daughter got me some lures for Christmas and there were a few wake baits.  I'll be trying them sometime this year.  

[Functional]

1 hour ago, Woody B said:

I hate wake boats.......OH,  this is a wake "bait" thread.   

 

  For a situation I "think" a wake bait might work I'll use something top water.   Am I missing out?   

I could go on about wake boats.  While I hate restrictions for anything I struggle with wake boats lol. 

 

I tend to break out my "fake" wake when it's an extreamly tough day and I can't get bit on bottom, top or my beloved spinners. Something about the wake and barely before surface brings out just about every type of fish. Bluegill, perch, snakehead/dogfish, pickerel, bass, cats. I've caught almost every species the lakes I've fished had in them. 

 

If you already have a few I really recommend trying them. 

[Primus]

On 1/27/2023 at 12:28 PM, wdp said:

I’m an admitted wakebait fanboy. I love em & regularly fishing 4-5 different brands during Spring - Fall. While I agree with what WRB and Scott804 are saying above, to a certain extent, I have to disagree a little.

 

There are a couple advantages to fishing true wakebait type lures. Yeah, you can hold your rod up at different angles and fish any shallow, floating diver as a wakebait, but the major disadvantage for me is I tend to miss more fish. If a fish hits pretty good, it feels tension immediately & sometimes will let go before you even know what happened. Not to mention it’s harder to set the hook with your rod tip high. 
 

Another advantage with wakebaits is that they’re designed to only go around 2”-6” deep, no matter how fast you fish em. Some shallow divers are gonna go at least a ft deep on a fast retrieve, no matter how high you hold the rod tip. And sometimes, the only way I can get em to bite is with a very rapid stop & go retrieve.

 

 So, yeah wakebaits might be a niche lure, but they have their place, at least in my arsenal. I love burning em over shallow grass in the spring & summer. Just my 2 cents worth. ?

 

Same as you , I tend to prefer the swimbait style but have had great success with the cranking types as well so it's a good idea to have both. If guys are looking for a budget friendly wake bait I would like to suggest the Fish Lab Bio Shad . It comes in a 4 inch 3/4 oz version which should be good with conventional tackle , that said I have not used the smaller size . My experience is based on the larger 6 inch 2-3/4 oz version which turned out be a real winner for me last summer . 

 

https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Fishlab_Bio_Shad_Wakebait/descpage-FLBW.html

[wdp]

On 1/28/2023 at 5:13 AM, Woody B said:

I may be missing out.  I've never used or had any wake baits.  For a situation I "think" a wake bait might work I'll use something top water.   Am I missing out?   My daughter got me some lures for Christmas and there were a few wake baits.  I'll be trying them sometime this year.  

Yeah, you’re prob missing out, at least a little. There are occasions when I can’t seem to buy a bite fishing my normal topwater baits in the high percentage areas, ie submerged wood, vegetation. But for some reason, they’ll absolutely clobber a wakebait burned just beneath the surface. 

[Functional]

still eyeing this stuff and will likely do some order this weekend (Jesus help me), not planning to go nuts but at least one 6th sense and 1 Manns to see which I like better first.

 

With that, you horrible (lovely) people got me looking at swimbaits.

 

Thoughts on the SPRO Shad 4" swimbait? Thinking their sexy lavender in slow sink would be nice to dip a toe in the water with.

[Dogface]

2 hours ago, Functional said:

still eyeing this stuff and will likely do some order this weekend (Jesus help me), not planning to go nuts but at least one 6th sense and 1 Manns to see which I like better first.

 

 

If you don't want to "buy" you ask Jesus for help. If you do want to buy then you go over to the dark side and get in bed with the evil "Bait Monkey". 

 

Hope this helps! ?

[Functional]

8 hours ago, Dogface said:

 

If you don't want to "buy" you ask Jesus for help. If you do want to buy then you go over to the dark side and get in bed with the evil "Bait Monkey". 

 

Hope this helps! ?

I've been torn between the two for years...the fact that I'm going shopping for bins to organize my tackle better tells you who wins more ?

[Fat Ika]

On 1/24/2023 at 2:30 PM, Functional said:

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. 

The 6 sense speed wake is a nice profile on the lower size end of the big bait class. It's light for it's size. Called speed wake for a reason. It doesn't blow out when burning, and it was designed to wake at different speeds. If there's a wake bite going on wear a noisy/slower retrieve is not required, this thing get smashed. Not really a 6 sense person, but the price/value/effectiveness is there. Rapala's DT Fat Crank 1 is a sleeper in the traditional wake crankbait category. 

[Dogface]

52 minutes ago, Functional said:

I've been torn between the two for years...the fact that I'm going shopping for bins to organize my tackle better tells you who wins more ?

 

Where are you getting bins? I need a few. ☺️

[PhishLI]

On 2/2/2023 at 10:01 PM, Functional said:

Thoughts on the SPRO Shad 4" swimbait?

On 2/2/2023 at 10:01 PM, Functional said:

Thinking their sexy lavender in slow sink would be nice to dip a toe in the water with.

I like and use them. They have their time and place.

 

For what's been discussed in this thread, I'd stick with the floater. Depending on water temp and cover situation, I like to control the sink rate and running depth with lead tape. That's tough to do with the slow sink version, but the floater is very tweakable by adding weight. The tape is inexpensive and can be found on amazon. Clean the bait with alcohol first where you intend to apply it, rub it on with good pressure, and it will remain in place very nicely.

 

Dirty Shad and Wicked Perch.

[waymont]

Just picked up a 6th Sense Speed Wake. Ready for spring

[Dogface]

I'm surprised no one mentioned the Rapala BX Waking Minnow. I have one and caught a few fish on it but I do not fish it often.

 

I fish it making a slow wake. I speed it up if I see a disturbance in the area of the bait because I noticed that the hits come after I start to crank it faster and the lure dives under the water a few inches. 

 

 

 

[Deleted account]

On 2/3/2023 at 12:11 AM, Dogface said:

If you don't want to "buy" you ask Jesus for help.

He's just going to tell you to cast your nets where you've been fishing all night without a single fish, can't argue with results though...

[PhishLI]

1 hour ago, Dogface said:

I'm surprised no one mentioned the Rapala BX Waking Minnow. 

Missed that one somehow. Looks good. I'm diggin' it. Thanks!

[Derek1]

On 2/2/2023 at 10:01 PM, Functional said:

still eyeing this stuff and will likely do some order this weekend (Jesus help me), not planning to go nuts but at least one 6th sense and 1 Manns to see which I like better first.

 

With that, you horrible (lovely) people got me looking at swimbaits.

 

Thoughts on the SPRO Shad 4" swimbait? Thinking their sexy lavender in slow sink would be nice to dip a toe in the water with.

Try the spro rat. They come in three sizes. Get the biggest one you can throw on your gear. Lots of fun. 

[rangerjockey]

14 hours ago, Derek1 said:

Try the spro rat. They come in three sizes. Get the biggest one you can throw on your gear. Lots of fun. 

Is Spro selling them again ? 

[Derek1]

34 minutes ago, rangerjockey said:

Is Spro selling them again ? 

I didn’t realize they stopped. I bought a whole family of them a few years ago. 

[PhishLI]

3 hours ago, rangerjockey said:

Is Spro selling them again ? 

TW shows new stock arriving late Feb thru late Apr., but they didn't show up on Spro's homepage.

[Functional]

Welp. Picked up 3 things to try

 

Kvd wake

Manns baby-1

6th sense trace slow sink swimbait

 

Local tackle shop is incredible and awful all at the same time. 

[RHuff]

Berkley Wake Bull size 60 in White Shad or Ghost Bluegill 

[wdp]

53 minutes ago, Functional said:

Welp. Picked up 3 things to try

 

Kvd wake

Manns baby-1

6th sense trace slow sink swimbait

 

Local tackle shop is incredible and awful all at the same time. 

And so it begins. ? That’s how it started for me about 10 yrs ago. If you get on a good bite with it, it’s a lotta fun. 
 

The Mann’s Baby 1- was prob the first bait that I used a lot and then it grew from there. I’ve had pretty good success with the KVD wake the last 2 seasons, and also the Berkley Wake Bull. I’ve got a couple new baits/brands from Profound Outdoors and 6th Sense (the speed wake) that are still in package waiting to get used. 
 

Good luck with them this season.