Once a niche lure category, glide baits have become productive mainstream swimbaits for bass anglers looking for bites and those chasing giants alike. Wired2fish contributor, Nick Smith of the Informative Fisherman, dives deep into the topic of why, how, and when to use glide baits. Through the process, he instills the confidence to use glide baits to catch numbers of bass, big bass, and perhaps most importantly, learn where the big ones live.
GEAR LISTING
- GLIDE BAIT – Savage Gear Magnum Shine Glide
- GLIDE BAIT – Savage Gear Shine Glide
- HOOK UPGRADE – Savage Gear Savage Grip Trebles
- ROD – Savage Gear Squad Casting Rod 8′ Xtra Hvy Swimbait
- REEL – KastKing Speed Demon Elite Casting Reel
- LINE – Seaguar InvizX Fluorocarbon
While effective at catching fish, glide baits also excel at revealing where big fish live; they exhibit a wide side-to-side “S” motion on the retrieve that bass can’t resist inspecting. Like musky fishing, following bass reveal where they live and allow you to build high-percentage milk runs. You can then try coaxing bites through retrieve changes and bait experimentation, or try catching them using different tactics altogether.
Smith shares some important boat positioning and casting angle principles. Long, parallel casts are ideal for keeping the bait in the strike zone, which then affords you to experiment with different retrieves ranging from slow and steady, steady with kick-outs to the side, or full-on freestyle. Smith explains how to do each to appeal to the broadest mood range of fish possible.
Lastly, Smith shares a wealth of information related to gear selection ranging from the right bait, rod setup, the benefit of upgrading to braided treble hooks, and his favorite glide bait for both performance and affordability.
Check out our Wired2fish Swimbait Tips Channel for more swimbait content!
