Fishing mostly shallow natural lakes, squarebills and shallow running crankbaits are a mainstay for my bass fishing arsenal. This year I’ve added wake baits to my game plan. Looking down the aisles of crankbaits at my local tackle stores, I started with a brand I already use and trust, the Arashi. The Arashi Wake Bait comes in a variety of fish catching colors. Based on my previous experience with other Arashi products, the quality of the bait will exceed expectations.
Knowing bass follow the shad spawn, I wanted to try wake baits to entice the bass chasing these oblivious meals. There are many effective lures during this phenomenon; anything mimicking a shad will draw strikes from bass lined up at the buffet line. However, because the speed and wobble can be controlled, the Arashi Wake Crank is the perfect lure choice for this time of year.
The shad spawn is a short lived period. During this time shad split up into groups of a dozen or two and lay eggs and milt on objects. They will circle dock pilings, patches of grass, or timber during this process. Typically this circling happens at or very near the surface, creating a surface disturbances or wakes. When shad depart the circle, they leave on or near the surface, and again there is surface commotion or small wakes. Wake baits perfectly mimic these spawning shad.
Selecting the Arashi Wake Crank turned out to be my most productive pattern of the shad spawning season. Casting the Arashi Wake Crank beyond targets and slowly retrieving past them produced violent strikes, no matter the weather or water conditions. Where spinnerbaits have to be retrieved quickly to maintain surface commotion, and regular crankbaits dive below the strike zone, the Arashi Wake Crank was able to stay in the surface strike zone at any speed. Depending on bass’s activity level, drawing strikes was simply a matter of determining the retrieve speed of the day.
The Arashi has an incredible rolling action to it. As it’s pulled through the water, the hook hanger on the bottom of the bait can be seen during the retrieve. I’m already a fan of the action the Arashi squarebill crankbait provides, and Storm has incorporated this same tail wobbling action in the Arashi Wake Crank. The tail wobble and rolling action together create an oscillation that proved to be extremely effective.
The Arashi Wake Crank takes its enticing action one step further by adding a single ball rattle system that creates a knocking cadence. According to Storm, this low-frequency knocking is heard at greater distances. I can attest to the rattle enlarging the strike zone. An errant cast isn’t necessarily an unproductive cast with the knocking and action of the Arashi Wake Crank.
All Arashi baits have rotated hook hangers. What this means is the treble hook will lay flat against the side of the bait during a retrieve creating protection from hang-ups. Rotated hook hangers also allow for larger hooks without damping the baits action; this means increased catches for the angler.
For me, the most impressive feature of the Arashi Wake Crank is the self-tuning line tie. The convenience of not having to tune a bait out of the box is nice, but it also means the retrieve speed can be increased and not worry about the bait rolling out of the water. For a wake bait, this can be extremely important. When bass are very active, the Arashi Wake Crank can be burned just under the surface and still track true. I tested the speed capabilities with a variety of line sizes up to a 17-pound test. True to advertising, the Arashi Wake Crank generated massive amounts of surface commotion, vibration and noise but never rolled onto the surface.
Storm uses a circuit board material for the bills on their Arashi series. The thin circuit board lip starts the baits oscillating and vibrating action instantly. An added benefit of the circuit board lip is the durability. I’ve been known to lose my casting ability a time or two; this usually means a bait is going to take a full-on smack into a tree or dock. The bill on this bait, as with all Arashi’s I’ve used, has held up very well.
Overall the Arashi Wake Crank gets an A+ and my future bait business. There are many manufacturers producing wake crankbaits, and an angler’s options are wide open. Save some time and money, give the Arashi line of baits first shot. I’m certain the Arashi will produce for the beginning angler and professional alike.
Get the Net it’s a Hawg
Mike Cork
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