I have been a devoted bass angler for as long as I can remember. Rarely targeting other species, I made it a point to learn as much about bass as possible. While I’m far from an expert, I’ve learned a lot about how to position, move and feed bass over the past few years. One of my favorite ways to learn about these creatures is by trying different baits.
Recently I spent a lot of time casting glide baits with front facing sonar. I have been a glide bait fisherman for many years, however I did not use this bait in conjunction with forward facing sonar until recently. Over the past few months, I’ve learned a lot about bass behavior and how they respond to these giant baits. Forward sonar has allowed me to study how fish respond to different lure presentations and sizes, and I want to share my findings with all of you.
DRAWING POWER
One of the first things I noticed throwing a glide bait with a forward facing sonar was the strength of its draw. The strength of the draw refers to how far the fish is willing to swim to look at your bait. This usually depends on the size of the bait and water clarity. The bigger the bait, the more power you are likely to have on the draw. The same is true when fishing clear water. Clear water means increased visibility, often causing fish to swim a greater distance to check out your bait.
I’ve been throwing glide baits in the shallows for the last few years. Casting this lure over shallow cover is a very fun way to fish this bait, and I still do it often. Using forward sonar in conjunction with this lure however, gives you a better understanding of how the fish are reacting to your bait. One of the biggest surprises I’ve had since throwing a glide bait on forward sonar is how far these fish will travel to eat this bait. I’ve seen fish swim upwards of 20 feet to chase a glide, which is farther than any other bait I’ve tried. One of the biggest reasons bass are fascinated by this lure is its overall size and profile.
SIZE DOES MATTER
The size and profile of your glide bait is directly related to how the fish react. While there is no magic size, you can adjust your presentation based on their reaction to your bait. Another factor I consider is the caliber of fish in your fishery. If your fishing somewhere like Texas or Florida, an 8-inch glide bait is perfectly acceptable. However if I’m fishing areas with less giant bass populations, I usually go for something in the 6 to 7 inch range.
I have noticed that fish react differently based on the length and width of your glide. Usually a thinner 6- to 7-inch glide generates plenty of 2- to 3-pound bites. However, it can be more difficult to trick a trophy sized bass into biting. Anything in the 8-inch or higher range will almost certainly cater to big bass. I have cast this caliber glide on several occasions, in many different fisheries. The smallest fish I’ve ever caught on this size bait was a 4-pound caliber bass. I usually stick with a smaller glide when fishing tournaments, and go for the larger size when trophy fishing or looking for a solid kicker.
RATE sink
Sink rate is another important factor when choosing a glide bait. This is an important part for casting a glide bait offshore, and it can often be the difference in having a successful day on the water. Before forward facing sonar it wasn’t something I really paid attention too. However, I quickly learned that it is a real difference maker when targeting deep offshore bass.
When fishing shallow, I prefer a glide that is suspended just below the surface. This allows your bait to pass through the cover without getting caught in the debris. It is also great for fishing around submerged plants. A fast sliding sinker will often sink into the grass hindering the action of the baits, so a suspending glide bait is preferred in this situation. One of my go-to shallow glide baits is the MM26 Herring Glide. This bait has a slow sink and thin profile, perfect for making accurate casts around shallow cover.
However, when fishing locations such as offshore brush, I choose a faster sink rate. This allows your bait to reach the fish at a faster rate, making you a better angler. The down side to this faster sinking is that it forces you to work your bait faster. This is great for aggressive fish, however it is less than ideal when trying to coax pressured bass into biting. The slow suspension action is more realistic, while the fast sink is better, so it’s a real trade off. One of my favorite glide baits for fishing in the 8 to 15-foot range is the Spro KGB Chad Shad. This bait has a fast fall rate and an aggressive action, perfect for targeting offshore brush and other types of deep cover.
IT’S GOOD SEARCH WISDOM
Glide baits not only catch giant bass, but they make for a great search bait. This can be a very useful tool when training for a tournament or just looking for a large congregation of bass. The fish are not always willing to work on this lure, however, they will almost always show some interest. Casting a glide bait around cover is a great way to draw fish out of their hiding spots and get a good look at how many fish are in one area.
This can be especially useful when brush pile fishing. Oftentimes, bass hold too tightly to the brush making them difficult to spot on live sonar. Casting a glide bait over this cover is a great way to quickly see how many fish are living in that particular pile. This method is also effective in shallow water. Casting a glide bait around the edges of docks and other shallow cover is a great way to see and see what lives in that area. This technique has helped me find fish in many tournaments, and is a great pre-fishing strategy.
PERSONAL GLIDE BAIT DINNER EXPERIENCE
One of my most memorable days throwing a glide bait took place on one of my local lakes here in Auburn, Alabama. It was mid-February last year and the fish were begging to go into their pre-spawn tendencies. I fished with my good friend Carty Shoen, an Arizona native and glide bait fanatic. I was more skeptical of these baits at the time, and it was his mission to show me otherwise. We targeted various pre-spawn locations with both jerkbait and glide bait. I caught a large number of fish that day, however the larger caliber fish eluded me.
There was one particular shoal where I caught over 20 fish that day, however, they were all in the 2-pound range. We then returned to this spot, and Carty lobbed a Deps Slide Swimmer 250 glide bait into the shoal. Without hesitation I watched a 6-pound bass rocket to the bottom and break his glide. This fish taught me an important lesson about showing attraction. I’ve been targeting the same school of fish all day, yet I’ve never tricked a big fish into biting. It showed me that only a giant bait could get that fish to react. Since then I have implemented glide baits into my arsenal and know without a doubt that I have caught bigger bass because of it.
Casting a glide bait is a very fun way to catch giant bass across the country. Not only does it catch big bass but it teaches you a lot about fish behavior, especially when used with a front facing sonar. While you may not get many bites, this style of fishing is still action packed. If you’re looking for a fun new way to catch giant bass, casting a glide bait is the perfect way to do it.
