Part crankbait and topwater lure, wake baits are fairly weedless when fished correctly. As a result, they’re one of John Cox’s favorite baits for combing expansive grass flats for active bass. Cox explains the basics of fishing wake baits over mixed-grass flats, areas typically targeted with prop baits or flipping and pitching tactics.
TACKLE USED
- BAIT – Berkley Wakebull 70mm, MF Bluegill
- ROD – Abu Garcia Veritas PLX Casting Rod, 7’6″ MH
- REEL – Abu Garcia REVO SX Gen 4 Casting Reel (Replaces REVO Premier)
- LINE – Berkley X9 Braided Line Lo-Vis Green, 40-pound
Designed to be fished with a straight retrieve, Cox uses a faster retrieve in open water and slows down when working wake baits around prime targets like isolated grass clumps and wood. The combination of speed, surface disturbance, and sound in rattling versions imitate fleeing food that, taken together, calls bass from a distance and triggers vicious strikes.
Cox recommends using a rod 7-foot 6-inches or longer for steering the bait through pockets and down lanes in the grass. At the same time, braid delivers much-needed strength and abrasion resistance for controlling fish around heavy cover.
BOAT SETUP
- BASS BOAT – Crestliner MX 21
- MOTOR – Mercury 250hp Pro XS FourStroke
- TROLLING MOTOR – Minn Kota Fortrex
