(Editor's note: The following is the latest installment in a series of fishing tips presented by The Bass University. Check back each Friday for a new tip.)
Pennsylvania pro Grae Buck may not live in the traditional heart of big-bait country, but over years of touring the country he’s developed an addiction to single-jointed gliders. Whether he’s fishing for fun or looking for a tournament kicker, he knows that it can be a quick path to success.
“It’s super-realistic and that’s why those big fish are eating it,” he said. Some of his favorites are the Black Talon Custom Lures Dink and Donk, along with the Gan-Craft Jointed Claw 178. He often changes out stock trebles on the lures he buys with Hayabusa TBL 932 hooks, which have a sticky-sharp point and slick coating for penetration.
He starts off throwing these big lures in the pre-spawn, when the fish are moving up and they’re hungry for big meals. That could often be around grass, laydowns or channel swings.
“I’m going to throw it a lot like I throw a spinnerbait or that sort of deal,” he explained. He’ll typically keep it in the top foot of the water column, making partial turns of the reel handle to create a wide glide.
“This is a very visual bite,” he said. “It’s almost like hunting. You’ve got to have a different mindset.” Because it’s so visual, clear water is the key to draw fish in, although he also utilizes these lures in water with just 2 to 3 feet of visibility. The key can be to watch for followers. “Look almost not at your lure. Look under it.”
He usually throws it on a flipping rod that Mark Daniels Jr. designed for Favorite Fishing. It’s a 7’8” heavy-action mode that he said works best with lures in the 1- to 3-ounce range. “You need to have a lot of backbone,” he said. That’s because you’re not playing the fish out, but rather hustling them to the boat. If they start to dive, the big and heavy lures provide a lot of leverage to work free. If he gets the fish to the boat and his partner is not ready with the net, he’ll walk the bass around the boat. It’s critical to keep moving so you’re in control and they are not.
“I like to use a really fast reel,” he added. His preferred model is an 8.1:1 Favorite Soleus XCS, which allows him to catch up with bass charging at the boat. His hookset is a simple “reel down and pull,” followed by a swipe to the side. He likes 17- to 20-pound est Seaguar InvizX or Tatsu fluorocarbon.
Ultimately, this technique may produce the biggest fish of your life, but it also produces some disappointment in the form of noncommittal followers. Buck will often use it to locate fish and then comes back on tournament day and catches them with something else. When he wants them to bite the glider, though, he’ll constantly make adjustments.
“They’ll tell you pretty quick if they’re around because even if they don’t bite it they’re going to check it out, they’re going to come look at it. They’re super curious creatures.” When that happens, he’ll alter his bait, his bait color and his retrieve until he figures out what changes chasers into biters.
If you want to learn some of the other aspects of Buck's glide-bait addiction, including some of his key follow-up baits, as well as his thoughts on when to put it down, check out his full on-the-water video, available only by subscribing to The Bass University TV.
