Help with glide bait options

[TetraFish'n]

I've never used a glide bait, but would like to try them. I have a spinal cord injury that limits my function/strength, so I can't effectively throw anything much heavier than an ounce. I know this severely limits my options when it comes to selecting a glide. The heaviest duty rod that I am comfortable casting is a 7'1" medium heavy fast action. 

 

So for the glide bait aficionados out there, are there any baits you recommend I try out?

[AlabamaSpothunter]

They make little trout glide baits, but something that you might want to try that is affordable and fits the bill is the S Waver 120.

 

River2Sea S-Waver Glide Bait - Tackle Warehouse

[Hammer 4]

I agree with the above, the S Waver is a good place to start. A bait that's a bit heavier and has good action, is the Storm Arashi, cost is under 40 bucks.

[GreenPig]

The Gan Craft Jointed Claw 70 is 5/32 oz and 2.75"

[VolFan]

CL8 Baits actually makes some great small glides in addition to his Possums that he’s known for. If find them to glide better and more consistently than the R2S small size. 

[Pat Brown]

The S Waiver gets bit by big fish.  Had a giant, easily 8 lbs eat mine right by the bank but I'm really bad at setting the hook with glides and she got off.  I then lost my glide a few casts later letting it sink too long away from the bank.

 

I have more S Waivers coming.  It's probably the best big fish search bait I've ever thrown.  I saw 4 giants slowly follow it in that afternoon and any bait that forces them to give away their position is a win.

 

Tackle warehouse has a sale on the Savage Gear Shine Glide in a shad pattern in 5.25" and it looks positively scrumptious ?

[JediAmoeba]

Personally I hate the S Waver. On a MH rod I would choose a pistol pete but that's more of what I would call a twitch bait. 

 

There aren't many glides that throw well on a mh rod. And the ones that do lack the drawing power that makes a glider work well IMO.

[ghost]

Check out BPS XPS Swerve glide bait. 3.1 oz, a few different colors. And it's $17.99. I bought one to try out, seems interesting and not too expensive. I got the bone color, if I like it; I want to get either the foil'd shad or clearwater shad color. 

[gulfcaptain]

The savage gear 5.25 is your best option. It gets bit, you can throw it on that rod. Work it with quick turns and pause or jerks. If you want to try something a little more then go with the Swaver 168.think it comes in at just over an ounce and a half but isn't overly heavy and is a slower sinking bait you can work slower. Both will catch big fish as well as 12'ers. The 168 would probably need a 7'1 to 7'3h, throw mine on a 7'7mh.  The 120 are too small, have them and have to work too fast. The savage gear are on sale right now and can pick up for under $10 on tackle warehouse.  

[TetraFish'n]

Thank you for all the suggestions. Bait monkey is gonna get me today. ?

[Darth-Baiter]

i like a bluegill pattern.

 

the DEPS bulldoze 100 swims awesome.  i had a really good bass attack it but i was so shocked it worked that i stared like a big dummy for way to long and i lost it at the hookset.  my rod was too light as well, and it didnt buy me any force at the hook penetration.  i literally tossed it out there to only see how it looked in the water.  i wasnt ready at any level.  

[gulfcaptain]

On 4/24/2023 at 9:25 AM, Darth-Baiter said:

i like a bluegill pattern.

 

the DEPS bulldoze 100 swims awesome.  i had a really good bass attack it but i was so shocked it worked that i stared like a big dummy for way to long and i lost it at the hookset.  my rod was too light as well, and it didnt buy me any force at the hook penetration.  i literally tossed it out there to only see how it looked in the water.  i wasnt ready at any level.  

Bluegill body style baits can be great fish catchers,  but due to their shape tend to have a higher loss rate. Had a buddy hook a nice one on a bluegill glide, came unpinned and found its way right in the back of both my legs. Points of the hook on one leg and buried in the other. Hard to run a trolling motor when you can't move and decoy quad hooks though the back. Glide baits in general have a 60/40 hook up to catch ratio overall. Sometimes the stiffer rod isn't the answer,  you still are fishing a treble hook bait and one that weighs sometimes over 2 to 6oz. Lots of weight to use to throw it.

[Hammer 4]

My reading comprehinsion sometimes fails me. I didn't notice you wanted to throw glides on mh rod, so the 168 would be a no go.

What I would do is get a rod that suits the168 and a tad heavier. The Diawa XT serries runs about $ 100.00usd, I have 2 of them and am pretty happy with them. Plus the H/F wll give you more options to throw other baits. 

[Darth-Baiter]

13 hours ago, gulfcaptain said:

Bluegill body style baits can be great fish catchers,  but due to their shape tend to have a higher loss rate. Had a buddy hook a nice one on a bluegill glide, came unpinned and found its way right in the back of both my legs. Points of the hook on one leg and buried in the other. Hard to run a trolling motor when you can't move and decoy quad hooks though the back. Glide baits in general have a 60/40 hook up to catch ratio overall. Sometimes the stiffer rod isn't the answer,  you still are fishing a treble hook bait and one that weighs sometimes over 2 to 6oz. Lots of weight to use to throw it.

True. The head shakes get that mass swinging and offer big bass the leverage needed to get free.   Seen it with my own eyes. 

[JediAmoeba]

On 4/23/2023 at 4:42 AM, GreenPig said:

The Gan Craft Jointed Claw 70 is 5/32 oz and 2.75"

They make great Keychains - that's about it

2 hours ago, Darth-Baiter said:

Glide baits in general have a 60/40 hook up to catch ratio overall.

What? That's awfully low - mine is somewhere around 90/10.  Most of the fish I see lost on glides are due to inexperience and not using a net...

[Fat Ika]

On 4/22/2023 at 9:02 PM, TetraFish'n said:

I've never used a glide bait, but would like to try them. I have a spinal cord injury that limits my function/strength, so I can't effectively throw anything much heavier than an ounce. I know this severely limits my options when it comes to selecting a glide. The heaviest duty rod that I am comfortable casting is a 7'1" medium heavy fast action. 

 

So for the glide bait aficionados out there, are there any baits you recommend I try out?

I have spinal injuries that limit big bait fishing. Best glides I've found for each weight

 

3/4 oz Deps Slides Swimmer 115 - Prefer the reeling action and manual action vs similar sized jointed claws. 

 

1.2 Oz Pistol Pete - Great bait. Tons of confidence when throwing this. 

 

1.5 Oz Jerry Rago Cha Cha Glide - The most balanced/easiest glide bait to use around $20. Better than most mass produced glides. Actually, could be my favorite non-custom glide. 

[gulfcaptain]

On 4/29/2023 at 11:56 AM, JediAmoeba said:

They make great Keychains - that's about it

What? That's awfully low - mine is somewhere around 90/10.  Most of the fish I see lost on glides are due to inexperience and not using a net...

So depending on the bait you throw and where you're fishing, species,  and of course bait. Let's say spots, bigger spots gator role. Had a great bite on a lake with a 168, over 3 days, had one come off each day, several fish missed the hooks as they swatted at the bait.  Most found their way into the boat but not all. It was a probably higher then 60/40, call it 75%. Have had days where you have more come off and days you have less. Gone 1 for 10, then gone 7 for 8 the next weekend. Bigger fish normally don't come unpinned or if they are killing the bait, but if they swat at it you're success rate is lower. Some places they eat it better then others, but as an overall avg I'd still stick with a 60/40. Most think throwing these baits will result in rod jarring strikes, which aren't the case.  A lot of baits are subtle and go undetected.  I can't tell you any techniques I fish with a 90/10 success rate.