TAKEOFF
TECHNIQUES
THE RIGHT WAY TO WAKE
in the riGht situations, a sticK Bait-style WaKe Bait is capaBle of WinninG tournaMents
S
By Curtis Niedermier
tick bait or jerkbait-style wake baits such as the Bomber
long a are specialty topwater lures that, while slower to
fish and less obnoxious than their walking stick bait
counterparts, are capable of producing big weights and big
money when fished in the proper situation. Generally, they’re
clear-water killers in the prespawn season on mountain
reservoirs, but they have other applications, too. the keys,
according to flW tour pros Koby Kreiger and anthony
Gagliardi, are to identify the best conditions and learn to
make the bait wake properly.
PH Custom Lures
Wake Up
Rapala BX
Waking
Minnow
More Modern options
The Bait
though it’s actually a jerkbait, the Bomber long a
(shown above) will swagger across the surface in a tight
wobbling pattern when fished properly. it’s probably the
most popular stick bait-style wake bait of all time.
- The 15A model of the Long A is most popular. It’s a 4 1/2-
inch stick bait with a short diving lip and three treble hooks.
- Most pros prefer early vintage models, which are identifi-
able by a screw-in rear hook hanger, though more recently
manufactured Long As will also work.
- Natural baitfish color patterns work well, as do bone, white
or similar finishes. Usually, your favorite walking topwater
pattern also applies to a wake bait.
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- Kreiger says you should remove the split ring from the
nose and connect with a loop knot for the best action.
because the long A wasn’t designed to be a
wake bait, it requires careful technique to get it to
perform properly. Companies such as buckeye
lures and Rapala created modern wake baits with
a similar profile that are a little more forgiving.
buckeye’s version, called the wake Up, is now
made by ph Custom lures. It’s a balsa bait with a
circuit board lip and three treble hooks. the
Rapala bX waking Minnow has a balsa core
wrapped in a copolymer shell.
koby kreiger, one of the Flw tour pros who’s
had the most success with wake baits, says the
tight-rolling action of the long A makes it the
supreme lure choice, but fellow tour pro Anthony
Gagliardi is more open-minded. he sees opportu-
nities to use both the long A and modern spin-
offs – mostly the original buckeye wake Up.
“I don’t know that those are absolutely the two
best, but I don’t think it much matters, to be hon-
est,” Gagliardi says. “but there is a difference in
the buckeye and the long A. the biggest differ-
ence is the ‘cadence.’
“In this instance, the buckeye has a faster
cadence. It has the appearance of moving faster
even though it’s moving the same speed,”
Gagliardi says.
he capitalizes on the difference by using the
long A in colder conditions and the buckeye
when fish are more aggressive, such as in a
schooling scenario or during a warming trend in
spring, when its wider wobble better suits the
conditions.
FLWFISHING.COM I APRIL 2018