Fishing with Glidebaits Pt. 1
Baits that slide, skate, and stride are often irresistible to bass. Tie one on and get a bite.
An unweighted Lunker City Sluggo fooled this shallow largemouth bass.
Sunrise. A calm lake. A jerk shad splashes down on the surface. It slides to the side, turns, and glides the opposite way. The baitfish lookalike continues its subsurface side-to-side skating a few feet, then loses momentum, noses down, and slowly begins sinking at a gentle angle.
It does not get far. A pack of smallmouth bass rocket up from the depths. The fastest one wins, overtaking the falling fluke. Hookset. Game on! For years, a jerk shad has been one of my top baits for smallmouth and largemouth bass, in part, I believe, because it has a natural, gliding action. It, along with other baits that skate and slide, has an uncanny ability to trigger bites, even in tough conditions.