For a lure type that’s been around for more than 100 years, glide baits don’t get the attention—or the fishing time—they deserve.
What is a glide bait? For starters, it’s a hard baitfish imitation made of wood, plastic or resin, with a single joint that’s usually located just aft of the midpoint. The sides of the lure are flat, or relatively so, to create a planing surface, and the line tie is typically positioned directly on the nose of the bait.
Glide baits generally sink slowly, though some float and a few are weighted to sink quickly for deep-water applications. They come in all sizes and colors, but most anglers opt for glide baits that are at least 6 inches long. Of course, they get much bigger, including some Japanese models that measure nearly 20 inches.
And they’ve been around much longer than many anglers realize. The first
