Fishing a big wakebait: when and where?
A wakebait is quite an intuitive lure to use, just throw it out, and slow roll it on the surface while leaving an arrow-shaped wake on the surface. I firmly believe this trail helps bass and other game fish locate the source of the disturbance. The strike zone is therefore clearly marked, and quite wide.
When to fish a wake bait?
Like most topwater, it is a warm water lure, even though they are known to catch fish earlier in the season than other surface presentations. It’s hard to tell why, but maybe because a wakebait is actually underwater yet leaves a surface ripple. I would not hesitate to throw one early in pre-spawn as soon as a few sunny days start warming up the shallows.
For the remainder of the warm season, I select a wake bait in the late afternoon and for night fishing. It imitates a small rodent or other land creature swimming across the water. Again, the arrow points to the bait location. The Tyran 100 is a great night fishing bait, it moves a lot of water, creates a big wake and the rattle is loud to help trigger bites. The heavy weight allows for super long casts and covers a lot of water effectively. Most fishermen don’t even try a topwater on sunny days, which to me is a myth. Under the right condition, such as around heavy vegetation, a big wake bait will draw the fish out.
Where to fish a wakebait?
The best place to fish a big wakebait is obviously around shallow water. It’s especially true if the water is muddy or stained, but in clear water you can fish it over deeper water. However, a wake bait, as it shines in slick calm water, is better in ponds or back of creeks than for schooling open water bass. A stickbait is preferable in such conditions.
Another great setting for wakebait fishing is around an urban area, seawalls and docks. Again this environment has a lot of rats, ducklings and other land animals finding their way to the water. Game fish, bass, musky, pike or brackish water species are used to feed off these opportunities. Plus water is often protected and slick calm.
The fishing technique is very easy, just cast and retrieve. Running depth can be adjusted with retrieve speed and rod positioning. In most cases, I try to keep the bait as deep as I can while maintaining the distinctive surface ripple. Some situations call for stop-and-go retrieve, but I rarely do that preferring a slow and predictable retrieve.
Lastly, some might find the Tyran 100 to be too big. And indeed it’s a big bite, but if you think of it, it’s only 4 inches long and that’s how it shows itself from beneath. The weight allows for an extra long cast which is critical for covering water effectively. It’s also a big plus for bank fishing. Do you have only an hour or two of fishing at sunset? Just take a rod and a Tyran 100 and head to your local pond and you’re bound to have fun with a couple of big blow ups!