Here is a very underutilized genre that can be deadly on big bass all over the country. Let’s discuss a few wake baits and the where and when to use them.

Wake baits have been around for over 25 years but have not gotten the recognition they deserve until lately. Bill Norman introduced the first wake bait that stayed a well keep secret of bass anglers for years until that bait got reintroduced as ” The Wake ” in 1990.  Now it seems everybody in the bait industry is trying to custom-tailor their own waking models.

What’s the appeal you ask? When you see a shad get separated from a school it makes a small wake on the surface which makes for an easy meal for bass. Wake baits come in all different sizes, shapes and colors from 1.5″ to over 6″ in length. One of the best wake baits ever produced is the Baby 1 Minus. It’s size is compact and it gives a great profile and awesome action when waked. The new Phenomenon is using big swimmbaits as wake baits. This has won alot of people money as of late and is getting attention all over the country not just out west. I am using it here in Florida to cash in on big bass and I know others that are to.

When to use wake baits? This is the most common asked question to me. Here is how I determine when it’s prime time to throw a waker. First, If you have overcast conditions you want the water to be flat, if it’s sunny you need a light ripple to have better success. To much wake negates the purpose a small subtle wake is what entices the strikes. Remember to keep it natural as possible. I also try and match the baitfish to the size and color the bass are feeding on. If the water is very clear do not use ultra flashy finishes on your baits such as chrome and blue. Try and stay with non-reflective patterns.

Here are some key locations for using wake baits. In clear lakes try points and high-bank creek channels bass will often suspend in these areas making a wake bait a great weapon. When the water is clear bass will come from deep water to attack a waker so do not be intimidated by deeper water. I also like fishing wake baits in or around standing timber. Bass will suspend here and ambush passing baitfish. My personal favorite is waking for schooling bass. This bait can trigger a feeding frenzy and quickly load your boat full od bass. When schoolers see an injured baitfish it is out of reaction that they will compete for the baitfish and become very aggressive.

Here is a very good method for you Florida anglers it’s called grass skimming. Run these wake baits over hydrilla and eel grass to get reaction strikes from bass. This is also a very popular technique on Lake Guntersville. Shallow wood cover is another great place to fish a wake bait. Spring bass can be caught using this method with a good shad colored waker. These bass can often times be very spooky so downsize your offering to get more bites. Riprap can also produce very well when throwing a wake bait. Often times bass will hug tight to rocks and a slow moving wake bait can get them to strike.

My favorite wake baits include the XCalibur Xw6 Wake Bait, Mann’s 1 Minus, Strike King King Shad and the Strike King King Kong. When throwing the smaller wakers I like a light tip 7 ft. rod and a Pinnacle Pro 10 reel spooled with 14lb. test line. This reel makes it easy to cast small lighter baits. When I bump it up and fish the big dogs such as the King Kong I use a 7′6″ rod and a Pinnacle Pro Select reel spooled with 20lb. test line. Remember to stay patient and fish these baits at a slow pace. I have had the most success just crawling it right under the surface. If you keep the baits natural action in motion you will have a high success rate!

Keywords:  Wake Baits  |  Pinnacle Pro 10 Reel 

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This entry was posted on Wednesday, October 24th, 2007 at 2:16 pm and is filed under Fishing Techniques. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.