Blaukat Blog | Secrets of Fall Glidebait Fishing

As many anglers know, Fall can be one of the most challenging times of the year to fish, but also one with the most options available to anglers.

Advancements in lure technology have not only came up with modifications of existing categories but created new ones through innovation.

One of those innovations over the past 10 years is the emergence of Glide baits.

These oversized, hard-bodied fish imitators originally were created to mimic trout in California lakes, but have transformed into replicating large bass prey across the country.

Glide baits can resemble trout/ gizzard shad/ perch and other types of fish that bass feed on.

Fall is a prime time to fish Glide baits. For the most part, anglers have learned that these lures produce best in the late pre-spawn, and mid to late fall.

Fishing Glide baits requires a shift in perspective and expectations. The most important thing to remember is that the number of strikes you can expect go WAY down, especially as the size of the bait increases.

For the most part, the most productive and popular sizes are 6-9 inches. Most of them will weigh between 2 and 6 ounces.

Given then, the first element of Glide bait fishing revolves around the tackle setup. The weight of these baits requires a minimum of a flipping stick for the smaller baits, and a Glide bait specific heavier rod for the 4+ ounce models.

A large capacity baitcasting reel with 20-25-pound test fluorocarbon is also recommended.

Casting distance is critical. It is especially important to cast Glide baits as far as you can, as most of the time they are fished in cleaner water scenarios. As well, this give the bass more time to find and tract the bait.

Once the bait hits the water, the retrieve is key. Most Glide baits have a built-in, wide side to side action when reeled straight in.

Most experts with this technique prefer to work the bait almost like a jerkbait…twitching the bait to make it dart harder side to side.

Like with jerkbaits, the cadence/ rhythm and speed of retrieve varies with water temperatures, clarity, wind, and time of day. Experimentation is the only way to determine this.

Glidebait areas are dependent of the type of cover and clarity available on the lake you are fishing. Since you are targeting big bass, you must fish big bass areas.

Some of the better Glide bait locations are bluff banks, steep channel banks, points, and over deeper grass beds.

When approaching these areas, wind is your friend. Getting a Glide bait bite under calm conditions in the fall is exceedingly difficult.

As well, time of day is a big consideration. Glide baits run against the normal approach of fishing shade or capitalizing on the early and late bite.

Most Glide bait experts will tell you the best bite window is the middle of the day, as this gives the bass the best visibility to see the bait from a distance.

Once you have the proper tackle, bait and are in a good area, the next step is to adjust your mentality.

Realize you are after very few strikes and be ready for one when it comes. Big bass will track and follow a Glide bait many more times than they will bite it.

This can be a frustrating thing for any angler. One of the tips we can give you, is if you see a bass following your bait, speed it up fast and hard. This will give the bass only two options…attack it or leave it alone. Given the size of the bait, you never want to give a bass too much time to study it close.

And finally, if you really want to learn this technique, leave all your other tackle at home. Grab a couple Glide bait rods, a few Glide baits, and hit the lake. This will force you to throw it all day long, which is the only way you can learn and gain confidence in this lure category.

Best of luck out there!