Omnia Staff Picks: Best Setups for Wake Bait Fishing
Wake bait fishing can be one of the most fun ways to catch bass throughout the year. That being said, we asked some members of the Omnia team to give their preferred setups for throwing a wake bait:
Joe's Picks
Setup: Shimano SLX DC Casting Reel 6.3:1 / Shimano Curado Casting Rod 7'2" MH Moderate
When throwing a wake bait, Joe likes the Shimano SLX DC casting reels, especially for the DC (Digital Control) Braking System, which allows him to really dial in his casting distance while minimizing backlash. He pairs that reel with the Shimano Curado casting rods, particularly the 7'2" Medium Heavy Moderate for to ensure he has enough backbone to fight the fish while having enough bend in the rod to not pull the treble hooks out of the fish's mouth.
When it comes to his line of choice, he uses a braided main line to a monofilament leader. His braid of choice is Sufix 832 in 30-pound test and his preferred monofilament line is 12-pound Sufix Advance Hyper CoPolymer Advanced Monofilament. His favorite wake bait to tie on is the Jenko Wake n' Bait as it has many color options to match forage in any situation he finds himself in.
Trevor's Picks
Setup: Daiwa Tatula SV TW103 6.3:1 / Daiwa Tatula Elite 2023 Casting Rod 7'4" MH Regular Glass
Trevor's approach to throwing a wake bait is very similar to his approach to throwing a hard body topwater bait which the main difference being the gear ratio of his reel. He opts for a Daiwa Tatula SV TW103 in the 6.3:1 gear ratio since he retrieves his wait bait at a slow and steady pace. He doesn't need a high gear ratio reel to pick up line quickly since he's moving his bait by reeling the line in, rather than pulling the bait with his rod and then picking up the slack. For his rod selection, he chose the 7'4" Medium Heavy Regular Daiwa Tatula Elite casting rod. He likes the regular action rod for the way it loads up on a cast and launches the bait great distances, allowing him to cover a lot of water quickly.
As for his line selection, it is very similar to Joe's - a braid main line (Daiwa J-Braid) to a monofilament leader. You may begin to wonder why they chose a monofilament leader rather than just using straight braid. The reason is because monofilament floats which does not cause the wake bait to dive deeper than intended AND the monofilament is a little stiffer than braid which helps prevent you from fouling your hooks with line during your cast. As for his lure of choice, Trevor's favorite is the 6th Sense Speed Wake. The Speed Wake has an incredible S-motion swimming action imparted by the lip of the bait and the jointed segments. Coming in many of 6th Sense's fish-catching colors, you'll be sure to find one that fits the bill.
Hayden's Picks
Setup: Lew's Speed Spool LFS Casting Reel 7.5:1 / St. Croix Victory Casting Rod 7'6" Heavy Moderate Fast
Lastly, we checked in with Hayden, who likes a somewhat different approach to throwing wake baits. Being a big bait aficionado, Hayden opts for a larger profile bait, which requires a longer, heavy action rod to go with it. His rod of choice is the 7'6" Heavy Moderate St. Croix Victory for handling those bigger baits. He pairs a Lew's Speed Spool LFS casting reel with a faster 7.5:1 gear ratio to help him impart sharp "darting" movements by turning his handle quickly.
Rather than a braided main line, he uses straight 17-pound Stren monofilament for its strength and stretch. His bait of choice when going after giant bass is the Bull Shad Bull Rat, but if he's just out trying to put fish in the boat, he reaches for the 6th Sense Hybrid SwimCrank D3 which is specifically designed to burned quickly below the surface.
