Hard baits: Wake baits

A floating body with a short lip or a flat face angled so it wobbles on the surface and leaves a V-wake without diving. Reeled dead slow, it imitates a baitfish or a swimming rodent on top; crawlers (Jitterbug-style cupped wings) belong here too. A big-fish bait for flat water and low light.

ItemDetail
BuildWake crankbait (short lip, e.g. Buckeye Wake-Up), jointed wake swimbait (Deps Buzzjet, Jackall Pompadour), crawler (Arbogast Jitterbug, Crazy Crawler)
Body7–15 cm (2.75–6"); jointed versions to 20 cm (8")
RetrieveAs slow as it will still wake; a pause lets a follower catch up
WhereFlat calm water, dawn and dusk, over grass and shallow cover, spawning flats
SeasonSpring big-fish window, summer nights, fall
Rod / line7'–7'6" (2.13–2.29 m) MH moderate; 20–25 lb mono or 50 lb braid
ModelsDeps Buzzjet, Jackall Pompadour, Buckeye Wake-Up, SPRO E-Pop 50, Arbogast Jitterbug, Megabass i-Wing 135

If it dives, slow down or lift the rod tip: a wake bait that goes under is a crankbait with the wrong hooks.

Top 10 in four markets

United States

  1. Z-Man Hellraizer — $5.00 - $17.99. Tackle Warehouse 'Wakebaits' (44 items) sorted by Popularity: #1; topwater, 4 / 5 in (102 / 127 mm), 3/8 / 5/8 oz (10.6 / 17.7 g); TW's #1 wakebait: belly line tie and tail blade, wakes and spits on a slow retrieve; 3.8/5 avg (4 reviews)
  2. Strike King Evader — $5.00 - $15.99. Tackle Warehouse 'Wakebaits' (44 items) sorted by Popularity: #2; topwater, 3-3.5 in (76-89 mm), 1/4-1/2 oz (7-14 g); shallow wake/glide minnow in three sizes; 4.0/5 avg (1 reviews)
  3. Jackall Riser Bait 007 — $10.00 - $20.00. Tackle Warehouse 'Wakebaits' (44 items) sorted by Popularity: #3; 0-1 ft (surface), 2.75 in (70 mm), 5/16 oz (9 g); lipless riser that climbs to the surface and wakes; 3.4/5 avg (5 reviews)
  4. Megabass Grand Siglett Walking Bait — $17.99. Tackle Warehouse 'Topwater Crawlers' (26 items) sorted by Popularity: #1; topwater, 1-2/3 in (42 mm), 1/4 oz (7 g); cicada crawler with a rattling exoskeleton (TW crawler #1); 4.2/5 avg (5 reviews)
  5. Jackall Pompadour Walking Bait — $30.99. Tackle Warehouse 'Topwater Crawlers' (26 items) sorted by Popularity: #2; topwater, 3 in (76 mm), 3/4 oz (21 g); wide-wing crawler with a rear prop blade; 4.3/5 avg (3 reviews)
  6. Daiwa Mr. Fortune Wakebait — $15.99. Tackle Warehouse 'Wakebaits' (44 items) sorted by Popularity: #6; 0-1 ft (subsurface), 2 in (51 mm), 3/8 oz (10.6 g); fat wakebait with a belly blade
  7. Strike King Wake Shad 2.0 Wakebait — $10.00 - $14.99. Tackle Warehouse 'Wakebaits' (44 items) sorted by Popularity: #7; topwater, 4 in (102 mm), 3/4 oz (21 g); single-jointed flat-sided shad with a vertical wake bill; 4.5/5 avg (2 reviews)
  8. Strike King HC KVD Wakebait — $9.99. Tackle Warehouse 'Wakebaits' (44 items) sorted by Popularity: #8; surface, 2.5 in (64 mm), 1/2 oz (14 g); KVD 2.5 squarebill body re-lipped to wake; 5.0/5 avg (3 reviews)
  9. Arbogast Jitterbug Wakebaits — $7.99. Tackle Warehouse 'Topwater Crawlers' (26 items) sorted by Popularity: #5; topwater, 2-1/2 / 3 in (64 / 76 mm), 3/8 / 5/8 oz (10.6 / 17.7 g); the Jitterbug: double-cupped lip crawler; 5.0/5 avg (3 reviews)
  10. SPRO Creeper Topwater — $15.99. Tackle Warehouse 'Topwater Crawlers' (26 items) sorted by Popularity: #6; topwater, 3.14 in (80 mm), 1/2 oz (14 g); wing-style crawler; 4.4/5 avg (8 reviews)

Canada

  1. Arbogast Jitterbug — C$11.99. anglingsports.ca 'Top Water' collection, best-selling sort #26 of 136; runs topwater crawler; 2-1/2" / 3/8 oz; the classic crawler
  2. Savage Gear 3D Rad Rat — C$24.99–C$34.99. anglingsports.ca 'Top Water' collection, best-selling sort #50 of 136; runs topwater wake; 6-1/2"; jointed wake rat
  3. Strike King Wake Shad — C$16.99. anglingsports.ca 'Hard Jerkbaits' collection, best-selling sort #24 of 54; runs wakes surface; 3-1/2"; jointed wake bait (store lists it under jerkbaits)
  4. 6th Sense Speed Wake 100 — C$20.99. anglingsports.ca 'Top Water' collection, best-selling sort #71 of 136; single store, position 71 — weak evidence; runs wakes surface; 100 mm; wake bait
  5. SPRO Creeper 80 — C$18.99. anglingsports.ca 'Top Water' collection, best-selling sort #80 of 136; single store, position 80 — weak evidence; runs topwater crawler; 80 mm / 5/8 oz; winged crawler
  6. Arbogast Jointed Jitterbug — C$11.99. anglingsports.ca 'Top Water' collection, best-selling sort #82 of 136; single store, position 82 — weak evidence; runs topwater crawler; 3-1/2"; jointed crawler
  7. Megabass Grand Siglett — C$25.49. anglingsports.ca 'Top Water' collection, best-selling sort #87 of 136; single store, position 87 — weak evidence; runs topwater crawler; 44 mm; cicada crawler with folding wings
  8. Savage Gear 3D Wake Snake 8" — C$29.99. anglingsports.ca 'Top Water' collection, best-selling sort #88 of 136; single store, position 88 — weak evidence; runs wakes surface; 8"; multi-jointed wake snake
  9. Strike King KVD 2.5 Wake Bait — C$11.99. fishingworld.ca 'CRANKBAIT' collection, best-selling sort #42 of 50; runs wakes surface; 2.5"; wake version of the KVD 2.5
  10. Lunkerhunt Yappa Rat — C$11.99. anglingsports.ca 'Top Water' collection, best-selling sort #121 of 136; single store, position 121 — weak evidence; runs topwater wake; 3-1/2"; jointed wake rat

Japan

  1. Evergreen Otter Crawler — ¥5,500 (naturum list price). naturum 'ノイジー' (Noisy / wake) category, best-selling sort #1 (also keyword 'ジョイント' #1, 'クローラー' #1); 115 mm / 2 oz; winged crawler
  2. Deps Evoke Zero — ¥3,366 (naturum list price). naturum 'ノイジー' (Noisy / wake) category, best-selling sort #3; 150 mm (body 105) / 53.5 g; wake crank with single prop
  3. Deps NZ Crawler Jr. — ¥4,962 (naturum list price). naturum 'ノイジー' (Noisy / wake) category, best-selling sort #4 (also keyword 'クローラー' #3); 96 mm / 1 oz; crawler
  4. Tiemco Soft Shell Tonbo — ¥2,574 (naturum list price). naturum 'ノイジー' (Noisy / wake) category, best-selling sort #5; 89 mm / 10.5 g; soft-foam crawler
  5. tailwalk Draft Waker — ¥3,850 (naturum list price). naturum 'ノイジー' (Noisy / wake) category, best-selling sort #7; 70 mm / 21 g; Big Bud style wake
  6. Megabass i-Wing Triple Fry — ¥2,070 (naturum list price). naturum 'ノイジー' (Noisy / wake) category, best-selling sort #9 (also keyword 'ジョイント' #21); 80 mm / 1/2 oz; winged crawler
  7. Deps MT Wake — ¥2,338 (naturum list price). naturum 'ノイジー' (Noisy / wake) category, best-selling sort #10 (also keyword 'ウェイクベイト' #2, 'ジョイント' #22); 95 mm / 1.7 oz; jointed wake bait
  8. Imakatsu Waddle Buggy — ¥2,090 (naturum list price). naturum 'ノイジー' (Noisy / wake) category, best-selling sort #12; 70 mm / 18 g; Big Bud style wake
  9. Megabass i-Wing Fry — ¥1,900 (naturum list price). naturum 'ノイジー' (Noisy / wake) category, best-selling sort #13; 66 mm / 3/8 oz; winged crawler
  10. Tiemco Cicada Jumbo Dead Slow — ¥1,430 (naturum list price). naturum 'ノイジー' (Noisy / wake) category, best-selling sort #14; 60 mm / 13 g; winged cicada crawler

China

  1. Megabass I WING FRY 水面爬行 带翅膀 — ¥155 / item. Taobao list page 'winged crawler' sorted by sales (fetched 2026-09-28): position 1 of 20; shop 西子进出口有限公司. Megabass i-Wing Fry winged crawler; cropped, logo removed.
  2. Jackall MICRO TAPPY 迷你浮水摇滚小胖子 4.8 g — ¥126.66 / item. Taobao list page 'wakebait' sorted by sales (fetched 2026-09-28): position 17 of 20; shop 白沙洲路亚基地. Jackall Micro Tappy, labelled "surface wake bait" with a prop tail; cropped, header removed.

← Walking baits (walk-the-dog) · Jerkbaits →

Hard baits

Sub-surface hard baits by what makes them move: crankbaits with a lip (squarebill, medium, deep, flat-sided), lipless crankbaits, jerkbaits (suspending, floating, deep), hard swimbaits (glide baits with one joint, multi-jointed swimbaits), spybaits, and the topwater hard baits: poppers, walking baits, prop baits, wake baits.

  1. Crankbaits
  2. Deep-diving crankbaits
  3. Medium-diving crankbaits
  4. Squarebill crankbaits
  5. Flat-sided crankbaits
  6. Topwater hard baits
  7. Poppers
  8. Prop baits
  9. Walking baits (walk-the-dog)
  10. Wake baits
  11. Jerkbaits
  12. Suspending jerkbaits
  13. Water temperature and buoyancy tuning
  14. Nose split ring and loop knot
  15. Jump the slack and rod work
  16. Jerkbait colour and rattle selection
  17. Jerkbait rod, reel and line formula
  18. Jerkbait treble hook sizes and feathered tails
  19. Floating jerkbaits
  20. Slow-sinking jerkbaits
  21. Sinking jerkbaits
  22. Deep-diving jerkbaits
  23. Hard swimbaits
  24. Glide baits (single joint)
  25. Multi-jointed swimbaits
  26. Lipless crankbaits (VIB)
  27. Spybaits
  28. Choosing a hard bait: mechanism, depth, season

Hard baits