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Waking Up Big Bass
It’s not like bass wake up on the wrong side of the bed every morning after the spawn, but they do. For bass postspawn is a time for some R&R after the ritual of reproduction has completed. The last thing they want is a lure waking across the surface above them.
Traditionally, the postspawn period is the peak time for fishing wake baits. Bass are migrating back to summertime habitat following the same pathways they did as moving up shallow to spawn. The only difference is they are looking for bream and other sources of forage to feed on to renew lost body weight due to reproduction.
There are several styles and models of wake baits available. Each one seems to be built a little different. One thing they do have in common is the signature V-wake made on the surface when retrieved.
A V-Wake on the surface during postspawn is a dinner bell for bass because it imitates a fleeing shad or bluegill. Of course a bass has to be able to see the V-wake that shad or bluegill make so water clarity is vital. Too much wind also has negative results since it’s impossible for a wake bait to make a V-wake.
Some of the best locations are obvious. Secondary points and main lake points will always be productive. These locations offer open and deep water access with a constant supply of roaming schools of forage to feed on. Big underwater boulders and rocky areas will also hold large school of suspending bass.
Less obvious locations are the next best place to fish a wake bait. Lay downs are often overlooked, but bass will suspend next to the trunk or tip of the branches depending on water clarity and time of day. The best way to fish a lay down is to cast up near shore by the tree root and reel back parallel to truck.
The shady side of boat docks on shallow lakes are another great spot to catch postspawn bass. Again it’s a great ambush point while offering a hiding place. Also stumps in 8- to 12-feet of water will have suspending postspawn bass around them.
If you want to know when to start fishing a wake bait just look at the beds. When the bass start spawning or you see a lot of empty beds, you should be casting a wake bait.
Picking the right wake bait depends on the conditions you are fishing. Overall, one of the best wake bait for all species of fish is the Cotton Cordell RedFin. It renowned for being able to make a wake without requiring any modification to the bill or hooks.
RedFins come in several sizes and in a jointed model. The jointed model makes more noise and has more action than the one piece model. Recently it was exposed as a secret lure for tournament anglers fishing on Table Rock where the largemouth, smallmouth and spotted bass were being caught on it during a postspawn tournament.
Bomber 15A is renowned for catching largemouth, smallmouth and spotted bass during the postspawn. The original Bomber 15A maybe the worst kept secret when it comes to wake bait lures and lure modifications. It’s well-known by flattening the lip, the action of this lure becomes more erratic and irresistible to bass.
Other productive wake baits include the Jackall Mikey Jr., Ima Roumba or Deps Buzzjet. Handcrafted balsa wood wake baits is another option if you can find them to purchase.
No matter which wake bait you fish with it should be tied on with a loop knot. A loop knot will keep the front end of the wake bait from digging in and diving deeper; in addition to letting the lure have more freedom to swim back and forth.
Having the right tackle is crucial when fishing a wake bait. Spinning tackle is perfect because lightweight lures can be casted long distances, the angle of the fishing rod is upright and plenty of monofilament fishing line that slowly sinks can be put on.
A great combination for lightweight or handmade balsa wood wake bait is a WaveSpin Legend 250 (www.wavespinreel.com) on a 7 foot medium action spinning rod. It’s smaller size makes it easy to hold all day and moderate 5.2:1 gear ration keep the retrieve slow enough to keep the wake bait just under the surface. A wake bait will not get a strike if it’s being reeled below the surface.
When you are fishing a RedFin or larger wake bait the WaveSpin DH 3000z is better because the larger spool allows more line to be stored on the reel. Both of these reels have the guaranteed no tangle technology built into the spool that will eliminate tangles, loops or bird nests, in addition to a superior drag system that can land a bass or game fish that bites your wake bait.
Postspawn isn’t the only time fish will bite a wake bait. During the fall, once the water temperature drops below 65 degrees the wake bait bite will be on. Smallmouth, largemouth and spotted bass aren’t the only fish willing to bite a wake bait as stripers, hybrids, white bass and other game fish will also strike a wake bait being reeled slowly across the surface making it one of the most exciting ways to catch fish.
Get all your wake baits here.
Crews Control: Trip 13
Elite Series pro John Crews talks about the new Shockwave from Missile Baits. Find out how Crews rigs it and fishes it in this edition of Crews Control.
RTO 2.0 / Takahiro Omori: Part 2
Lucky Craft pro Takahiro Omori demonstrates how to fish with the bait at Toledo Bend. The LC RTO Series is the first high quality plastic square bill crank bait ever made. Over the last several years, the LC Series crankbait has replaced balsa wood crankbaits in tackle boxes for cover fisherman everywhere. The LC RTO Series is a high floating plastic crankbait that is much more durable than its predecessor wooden crankbaits. The LC RTO Series reigns supreme in heavy cover and hard rocky bottom areas where large bass lurk.
Get all your Lucky Craft here.
Walker Ready to Compete Against the Weather in Russellville
RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. (May 12) — Weather conditions this weekend are really going to make it hard on the Bassmaster Elite Series anglers, but Cabela’s/GEICO For Your Boat pro David Walker thinks he will be one of the few who will be able to overcome and bring home a good finish May 15-18 at Lake Dardanelle.
Walker is already practicing in Russellville, enduring the elements and preparing for what will be a massive change in fishing conditions.
“The determining factor this week for sure will be the weather that is coming in,” Walker said. “We’re currently in a flash flood watch on Lake Dardanelle for practice. We’ve only had a couple of little showers, so evidently it’s moving slower than they originally thought and it could bring us more water.
“Unfortunately, because we are fishing a river system, the water levels here are affected dramatically. If we get two or three inches of rain, you’re going to know it right away, where on a regular lake it takes a while to notice the runoff change.
“Even on Monday, you can tell they are preparing for a lot of rain to come through because the water level has dropped significantly within a few hours. They’re really pulling the water down more to catch the potential runoff headed this way.”
Walker and the rest of the Elite Series anglers will brave the conditions this weekend when they launch at 6:15 a.m. CT from Lake Dardanelle State Park and weigh in at 3:15 p.m.
“The good news is that the Arkansas River fishery is very fertile and there are a lot of fish here,” Walker said. “I haven’t been here in a half-dozen years and it still looks exactly the same. A lot of the same little places I use to fish, I was able to fish again in practice. The problem is even over all those years, the fish seem to be consistently on the small side.
“It is fun because you do get bites and it’s not a struggle to catch fish; it’s just a matter of who can catch a bigger fish than everyone else.”
McClelland Feeling Confident About His Chances on Lake Dardanelle
RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. (May 12) — After having a remarkable string of tournaments over the past month, pro angler Mike McClelland is ready to continue his string of good luck when he heads to the Bassmaster Elite event, May 15-18, at Lake Dardanelle in Russellville.
The Cabela’s/GEICO For Your Boat Elite angler has had some experience on Lake Dardanelle from previous trips over the years, but even experience may not be enough for any of the Elite Series anglers with the conditions that are being forecast for the weekend.
“The biggest thing we’re up against this weekend is the fronts that they are talking about coming through here,” McClelland said. “The Arkansas River is most notorious for having a lot of water flow and this weekend, with the big rains that they say are potentially possible, that can really send a lot of guys scrambling. As long as we don’t get the big rain, I think fishing should be pretty good.
“The fish in Arkansas, based on the water temperature and conditions I’m seeing this week, are pretty much done spawning. That means the fish should be getting ready to put their weight back on after a successful spawning season. Hopefully, that means I will be bringing in some larger weights.”
McClelland will be hoping the weather holds off and allows him to bring in those big catches when he launches at 6:15 a.m. CT from Lake Dardanelle State Park and weighs in at 3:15 p.m.
“Last weekend I competed in the Toyota Texas Bass Classic and had a pretty stellar event,” McClelland said. “Even though I didn’t make the final cut, I ended the weekend 13th overall with nearly 56 pounds in only two days of fishing.
“I feel like I’m really rolling with the momentum right now, especially after last weekend. I’ve had three really good tournaments over the past month overall. I definitely think I’m moving in the right direction and I like where the momentum is taking me.”