Wakey-Wakey

I was lucky to be able to get my hands on the new 2015 Rapala BX Balsa Waking Minnow this summer. I'm a big fan of wake baits. They catch some serious largemouth and smallmouth under the right conditions! When I opened up the BX, the first thing that struck me was that it had a slender minnow shape, rather than the chubby and more bulbous shaped cranks I was used to. I immediately tied it on with some 14lb Sufix Elite monofilament and made my first cast. Once the ripples faded I started to wind it back slowly on a low gear ratio bait caster. After a 7-8 turns of the reel I killed it and let it sit. BOOM! A nice largemouth on the very first cast out of the box?! That is a rarity! The BX produces an amazing "V" shaped wake behind it. I like to keep my rod tip up and it gives the minnow a nice sided to side action. If you lower the rod tip the wiggle becomes a little tighter and gives the fish a different look. It is also silent compared to many other wake baits, which on pressured bodies of water can make the difference. For a balsa bait, the BX is easy to cast on a bait casting outfit. At 3/4oz it sails through the air with ease. The copolymer exterior makes it extremely durable and allows for some very realistic paint schemes. Personally I love those big eyes on them! If you like top water action and want a different look to give to pressured fish, perhaps the waking minnow is just the ticket.