Inshore Fishing Strike King KVD Wake Bait Setup [Rod, Reel, & More]
- By: Matthew Lanier
- on
Here’s the ULTIMATE inshore fishing wake bait setup!
All summer long I have been crushing redfish on the Wake Bait and in turn, lots of questions have come in asking about the setup I use to fish this lure.
Find out more in the video here!!
Inshore Fishing Wake Bait Setup [VIDEO]
Featured Equipment:
- Strike King KVD Wake Bait
- Daiwa BG MQ
- TFO Professional Series 7’6 Medium
- 15lb PowerPro
- 30lb Ande Monofilament Leader
Strike King KVD Wake Bait
If you’ve seen some of my previous videos, then you know I love to fish with the Wake Bait A LOT.
Redfish, speckled trout, and more can’t help but strike the Wake Bait when they see it.
However, a lot of that success will depend on the rod & reel pairing you’re using with this lure.
The Reel
The Daiwa BG MQ 3000 is incredibly durable and one of the best inshore saltwater fishing reels on the market.
This reel is a tank and on top of that, it can handle plenty of splashes if it’s rinsed down with some freshwater later on.
The major impact of this reel is felt in the line pick-up speed.
You do not have to overwork your gear to retrieve the Wake Bait as necessary.
More often than not, redfish take a run right at my vessel once its hooked and being able to pick up that slack in the line quickly ins crucial.
The Daiwa BG MQ is designed to eliminate headaches and worry about gear response and flex in the reel as a result of its rigidity and clever assembly.
The weight of this reel is slightly heavier than that of a Fuego but that is solved when its paired with the right rod.
Learn more about the Daiwa BG MQ
The Rod
The TFO Professional Rod Series tend to run a bit more rigid and stiff.
However, that same rigidness is what helps you keep the Wake Bait right below the surface of the water.
That way the lip on the Wake Bait can’t dig deeper which would bring your lure down lower and in the way of potential snags.
Furthermore, the bend in this rod is much closer to the rod tip than in others.
As a result, the lure has more time to load to increase casting distance and gives you quick response time when a fish strikes your lure.
Fish have a much harder time shaking hooks with rigidity than those rods that bend further down the blank.
Moreover, the Wake Bait is one of the best lures for covering lots of ground in search of redfish.
The TFO Professional Rod allows you to really get the Wake Bait out far and fast so you can cover lots of water in a short time.
I use the TFO Professional 7’6 Medium Action.
I do feel that the TFO rods run a bit heavy which is why I prefer the Medium to the Medium-Heavy.
The weedless hook keeper down near the reel seat also lets you easily secure the lure and use it as needed.
Line & Leader
I prefer to have 15lb braid spooled up on my Daiwa BG MQ for this setup.
Oftentimes, the bigger redfish will eat the Wake Bait, and that 15lb braid gives me more comfort.
As far as leader line, 30lb monofilament leader is what I recommend.
30lb leader gives you the strength needed to reel in this big redfish.
Conclusion
The Strike King KVD Wake Bait is my current confidence lure when it comes to catching giant bull redfish.
When rigged up with the setup and gear explained above, this is an elite outfit for big redfish.
This setup will perform in just about every inshore saltwater fishing situation!!
Do you have more questions or comments about the inshore fishing wake bait setup?
Have you found any success lately with the Wake Bait?
Let me know down in the comments section!!
If you know someone who wants to learn more about the inshore fishing wake bait setup, please TAG or SHARE this with them!
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Great info. Was going to buy that rod for $134 including shipping from SS but then saw it for $120 with shipping on internet?
I would be careful ordering from places that aren’t reputable. I’m not saying where you saw it isn’t, I just know I’ve had some let downs when trying to buy fishing products at a discounted rate.
I was sent the wrong rod, not at all what I ordered, and another it was a look alike, not the real brand.
Just be mindful!
Also if you buy from Salt Strong, you’ll get the free shipping on anything else you buy as well! Big plus!
What knot do you use to tie wake bait on the leader
I use a cinch knot.
Yo Matt, Do you remove split ring on lures when using speed clips? The split ring and speed clip make a metal on metal noise when they hit together. Not sure if running both help with lure action or hookups. Thanks
I’ve done both! I would say if you’re gonna use a clip remove the ring.
Hey Matt. Another awesome video. I have 2 questions for you. What brand is that blue braid on all your reels ? Are you using the Norman speed clips on your wake baits? Thanks Matt.
That is The Daiwa J-Braid 8 Grand in 10# just like we have in the shop, just a different color.
And those are Norman Speed clips! Good eye! Thanks for watching, Garrett!
Matt Lanier you should do a video on how to get good photos and videos from your GoPro that’s public
HaHa.. It’s just point and shoot! Lol
Thanks for watching, Rob!
I’d like to know more about the speed clips also. I usually don’t use any type of swivel, unless on a spoon, because they tend to pick up floating grass. The speed clips you showed on the video look rounded enough that they might not pick up grass. How do they do in water with floating grass?
They have been holding up well and I will see what I can do about getting a video done on it sometime in the near future. Thanks for watching Glen!
Thanks Matt. A video about the Norman speed clips and/or similar type connectors would be helpful. I have used the clips on bottom rigs where I may want to change out sinkers quickly, but have been hesitant to use them with hardballs or jigs, instead opting mostly for using loop knots. With your time on the water, getting your perspective would be helpful for those of us whose time on the water is more restricted. Don Horton
You ever throw a regular crank bait? One of my favorite bass lures is a KVD 1.5 square bill crank bait in sexy shad.
You definitely can in some of those deeper pockets! They are productive for sure! Send it!
Matt,
Great video, question on the hook changeout. Is this a personal preference to go with single line vs. treble ? Do you think this makes a difference in landing the fish ?
Thanks Matt,
Good question Kevin! Yes, I think it makes a difference with the bigger fish that are smarter and better at shaking the hooks.
The treble hooks give points at which they can leverage the hooks out of their mouth. The inlines tend to hold up better in that situation.
Good question!
I would have liked it if you had described the retrieve you found worked for you.
That video is already in the works and will be coming soon!
Matt
I see your preference is to use the wakebait with the TFO pro. How would it work with the TFO tac. I guess my real question is other than popping corks what lures would you recommend for the TFO tac,
The TAC is great for soft plastics! I know Pat Ogletree uses his for that application! I’ll see if he would like to do a video on that subject!
Thanks for watching Daniel!