Glide baits, turning followers into bites?

[Bassbme]

I just started throwing glide baits, and I love them. Last week was my first time out. Water temp 63, with 6' of visibilty, heavy clouds occasional misty rain and a slight chop on the water. I didn't whack them, but I did really good. Nothing big, but some nice ones. Maybe because of the weather that first time out with them, but I didn't see a lot of following fish. 2 or 3. Went out yesterday, same lake, entirely different weather conditions. Pretty much the same water temp, with the same 6' of visibility, but partly cloudy skies, and a little more chop on the water.

I had at least a dozen fish that I saw following the bait. One real good one, and a couple of nice ones. I couldn't turn one of those fish into hits. Most of the follows came on a slow steady retrieve with the bait making a nice wider S swimming motion. A couple came when I was chopping the reel handle so the bait would walk under water. Clear water and brights skies, and the fish aren't committing, I always speed the retrieve before I try a change of color. The only fish I got on a glide bait actually came with me reeling the bait quickly about 1' under the surface right along the weed edge. I never saw a fish following when I was reeling the bait fairly quickly.

I tried sweeping the rod and then throwing line back at the bait so it would do close to a 180, and the following fish would rush it when it stopped, but wouldn't commit. I'd let it sink and most would turn away. I ripped the bait up one time and the fish turned and charged the bait. I'm thinking it's going to blast it. I swear it stopped with its' nose within 1/8" of the bait. I gave the bait a little twitch, and the fish turned off.

Now I realize water visibility and sky conditions probably had a lot to do with it. The fish were getting too good of a look at the bait. But I also know that those factors probably had a lot to do with how many fish I was drawing out of the weeds, or up out of deeper water.

So what do you guys do to get following fish to bite. I wasn't using large baits. The two primary baits I've thrown thus far are a 6th Sense Flow Glider 130, it's a tad over 5", and a Rago Thunderhawk Cha Cha, it's a 6" bait. Shad Scales and 4K Bluegill for the Flow Glider, and Bone, and Roach, for the Cha Cha. Majority of the follows came on the Roach Cha Cha. It's a black bait with gold metallic in it.

I love fishing these things, but it's frustrating when you have fish just follow the bait pretty much right to the boat. Especially when one of them was probably a 5 lb fish, and two of them were over 3. You put those three fish in the boat in a tournament here in northeast Ohio, and you're on your way to cashing a check. Any ideas you guys can provide will be greatly appreciated.

[wmitch2]

The clearer the water, the faster the retrieve !! They're getting to good a look at it. Rapid and erratic should do better. Try to somewhat match what the bait color is also. I know, sometimes they just won't commit no matter what you do !!!!

[Wackyjig]

Welcome to glide baits! The thing about glide baits is they have amazing drawing power. Fish will follow it for a mile just because with no intention to ever bite it.
Sometimes you can trigger them with irratic movement or a 180 like you tried but it's definitely not a given. The best way to convert a follower to a bite is to toss a wacky rig, fluke small keitech, strolling rig etc at them as a follow up.

[TE 863]

Spend a little money and get a good quality glide bait. Resin baits perform way better than plastic.cliutch eco or a Biggs Denali.

[Bassbme]

Thanks for the replies guys, much appreciated. It's definitely frustrating. I did all the clear water bright skies things. Natural, less flashy colors, faster more erratic retrieves. I'm going to chock it up to the some days they just won't commit thing.

I thought about giving the wacky rig / fluke thing a try just to see if I could get some of those fish to commit, and if it were a tournament, I definitely would have, but I was more interested in trying to find a way to get the fish to commit. I did have a 5" hollow bodied swimbait tied on to another rod, I should have gave that a try. And I'll definitely give the smaller Keitech as a follow up a try.

Curious about when to throw the follow up if you see one following? Are you going to try a change of pace or a 180 with the glide bait to see if you can get the fish to commit? And if it doesn't, immediately put the glide bait rod down and throw the follow up bait at it while you can still see the fish? I'm thinking the further the fish is from the boat when you throw the follow up, the better.

As far as spending a little more money, while I understand it and appreciate the recommendation, I don't see me doing that. We have toothy critters (muskie) in the lakes that I fish tournaments on up here. One of them being West Branch, where throwing a glide bait, or any bait for that matter, is pretty much a guarantee to have a muskie hit it. I would hate to lose a $100 plus bait to one of those things.

Again, thanks for the replies guys. I appreciate them.

[Wackyjig]

When the fish turns off the glide, I'm reaching for the follow up. If I'm out fun fishing alot of times I'll leave the glide in the water and grab the backup so I don't make a racket getting it back in the boat. Just be careful when you get the bite or you'll have a heck of a mess with wrapped up line.

As far as higher priced baits, they're not really necessary. Spend some time on YouTube learning how to modify and tune glides yourself and you can honestly get the cheaper baits to get real dang close to the action of a $150 custom glide. From what I've seen if they won't bite a well tuned $50 bait, the $150 glide won't get bit either.
I do have a few higher dollar glides in the boat but honestly I throw the G Ratt Papa and Pistol Pete the most. They're the ugliest and probably cheapest I've got yet they flat put fish in the boat. The spro Chad shad is another really good one that won't make you cry too bad if you lose it.

[DaveBrabec]

Just give the bait a quick short rip Enough to turn the bait towards the fish and kill it.

[Bassbme]

Wackyjig, thanks for the additional reply. I totally spaced out with not thinking about two lines in the water during a tournament, so that leaves out what I was thinking about immediately putting down the glide bait rod with the bait still in the water.

Most of the lakes I fish tournaments on up here aren't as clear as the lake I've been fishing them on. 3' visibility or even a little less, is more the norm, which I'm sure is going to seriously affect the drawing power of the baits. But I'm also thinking it will help with fish not committing because they're getting a real good look at it.

I've looked at the three baits you mentioned. The Chad Shad looks really good, and now that I know that I like fishing glide baits, it will be the next bait I pick up. The Arashi glide I have it the priciest bait I have, but I only fished it the first time I went out, and not a whole lot. I was getting bit on the Flow Glider so I stuck with it. I did have two follows on the Arashi while throwing it though.

I'll take another look at the G Ratts. I didn't really like the colors TW had available. I'll look at other vendors to see if they have any better colors. Or I could just paint one up myself. I'll definitely give them another look though.

I gotta say I'm pretty psyched after seeing how much more versatile these baits are, than I thought they would be. They aren't just the reel them in slow, kind of bait I thought they'd be. They're a lot of fun to fish. And while I started fishing them with the idea of getting a kicker fish, or a better than average size fish, I can see them being a limit getting bait as well. At least in the sizes I'm throwing. Two of my fish my first time out with the Flow Glider, were 12 - 13" keepers. I know it's only a 5" bait, but I had even smaller fish that I saw trying to hit it. A couple of those little buggers, just as I was pulling it out of the water.

They're a fun bait to fish, that's for sure.

Thanks again for the additional reply. Much appreciated.

[TE 863]

Baitsanity chimera glide at TW. If you stick with it long enough you will go down the rabbit hole and spend money on them it’s addicting. The drawing power these baits have is incredible I usually speed up the reel handle turns and twitches.

[Bassbme]

Dave, thanks for the response. I appreciate it. Doing that, making the bait turn towards the following fish, is the only time I got a fish to react to it. Although I'm thinking I might try just snapping the rod tip like a jerkbait so it turns instantly, versus doing the long rod sweep I did to make it look like the bait was fleeing, before I threw it line to let it turn. When I did the long sweep, the following fish just stopped, at the end of the sweep when the bait turned back, is when the fish came to it, And fast!

I can't believe it didn't blast it. I've had fish do that with other baits, and when they come the second time, they've almost always ate the bait. This fish came back hard and stopped about 6 inches from the bait and watched it as I let it slowly sink. When the fish started to turn off, I ripped the bait up hard, and it turned and came flying, but as I said earlier, it stopped with its' nose within an 1/8" of the bait. I don't know, by that time the bait was only 10 - 15' from the boat. Maybe the boat was too close or something.

TE ..... I'm already addicted to these things!!! lol They are a blast to fish. In the future I can see myself going down the rabbit hole for a bait a tad over $100. But not much over that. Like I said, there are big toothy critters in some of the lakes I fish.

[webertime]

Might I suggest the Raid Osakana Slide? 7" ~2oz. It's a line through soft glide. 22 bux... it's been fire on Champlain this Spring. Had some big toothy guys eat it and it kept catching. Another thing. YouTube tactical bassin and Matt's glide bait retrieve video. Highlights 4 methods of retrieve.

[SPOONMINNOW]

Raid Osakana Slide - only $47.

[webertime]

https://thehookuptackle.com/products/osakana-slide-170

Never seen them for more that 21...

[Phrog Phil]

Got one from The Hook up for $21

[86 inches]

These guys live and breathe swimbaits...

[Bassbme]

Wow ...... thanks for the additional bait suggestions and the videos guys. VERY much appreciated. I'll definitely be picking up one of those Raid Osakana Slides. They look pretty darned sweet. And the video was very cool and had one tip that I found especially interesting. I'll definitely be giving it a try tomorrow, as I plan to get out and spend another day probably solely fishing glide baits.

Thanks again guys. I appreciate the help very much!!

[Bassbme]

Well ..... I went out glide bait fishing today, and while I didn't land a single fish, I was able to turn two of the following fish I saw, into bites. The majority of bass on the lake I fish have just come off the beds, and the blue gill are on the beds, so I really expected to do really well with the Flow Glider 130 I have in the 4K Bluegill color. The dang thing looks very realistic. I got more than a few bumps on the bait today. Not from fish I saw following, but during the retrieve. It was like they were swatting it. The two followers that I got to actually hit the bait, one came when I changed the cadence to a more choppy retrieve. The other than I chopped it hard and let the bait turn almost 180. I committed the cardinal sin of setting the hook by sight. Which means I set it too fast. I was just so darn excited that I got two of the fish to commit lol

It was an odd day today. They were even just slapping chatterbaits and spinnerbaits. I also picked up one of those Savage Gear 4" Pluse Tail Bluegill in the Bluegill color. I fished it for a bit today and had one absolutely load up on it, but I didn't land the fish. Had it on for maybe 10 seconds. It felt like a good one though

[SPOONMINNOW]

Never used glide baits. Too expensive for my taste especially in the lake that have pike and pickerel.