Posts: 994
Location: Minnesota: where it's tough to be a sportsfan! | I've read through this whole thing. There are different opinions sure, but hey isn't that what this place is all about. I'd rather read about techniques though, than religious beliefs about this bait or that one. When it comes to forums there are bound to be lines crossing, part of the pattern. So if you don't agree with someone, cool, just don't expect them to cut their bait off while you troll on. ( And that my friends is 5 cents worth! ) ha ha
I admit I'm a glide bait junkie. There is something about the subtle triggers and the ease of flow the baits have. One of my FLAVORITE FALL tricks is to do the pull and just when I think the bait is on the outside of the swing path and begins to sink, is to give it a good twitch & pause. I believe the bait rolls and shows belly, rights and the pause allows it to sink just a bit then the next pull comes. It is a slow manuvere but is deadly.
A summer retrieve: rip, twitch is I have some of my confidence baits front weighted. I will let them swim, hit weed tops, rip, rip, rip and swim hit the weeds and repeat. I don't fish as much at night anymore as I used to, but this was pretty good in the dark too. I normally had the other guy on a blade and tried to cross water cast. It was a deadly combo. I still use it and catch fish in daylight with this trigger. |
Posts: 580
| As has been said, gliders like all baits are tools which are best with certain applications and under certain conditions. Like Brad said, sometimes in early season it seems like a fast/erratic small glider can be the only thing going. Problem is, overall, gliders are probably amongst the poorest hooking baits around. If fish are active or semi-active, I'll reach for a better hooking bait like a bucktail, crank, twitch, or even a dive/rise jerkbait. But when fish are not active and chasing, an erratic glider can trigger fish.
Often times when I fish with my brother, starting off the day I'll be in the front of the boat throwing a bucktail and he'll be the second bait through working an erratic glider (he really likes a particular undertaker). It's a nice one-two punch, and I can't tell you how many times he's caught or moved fish on his glider that aren't reacting to my blade. My dad also loves gliders, especially Doug Kloet's slip sliders and slidin' shads. Over the years, fishing 3 in the boat with my dad and brother, there have been many, many slow days that dad's slip slider (as the last bait through, worked painfully slow) has been the only producer.
Reef Hawgs used to be my favorite gliders, and I've got a few that are pretty amazing in that I can work them fast, slow, up/down, back/forth, and everywhere in between with ease. Erractic movements, varying speeds and extended pauses all within the same retrieve are key. I use Hellhounds a lot more now, and love how erratic they can be ripped--a lot like Brian and Cory are describing.
Still, there is a give/take. Being erratic might produce more strikes, but it will also result in plenty of missed hooks and lost fish. It's kind of a love/hate relationship for me. |
