Glide
Time Muskies
Gliders
aren’t only stereotypical late season
cold water lures, they consistently
catch muskies year-round.
By:
Andrew Ragas
Date Posted: December 1, 2011
It was a
cold and snowy February, 2011 morning.
Not thrilled about going outside to
shovel the snow, I woke up with the
intentions of turning on the television.
It seems that whenever I get the chance
to watch any Saturday morning
television, I turn on Comcast Sports or
the Outdoor Channel. On this particular
Saturday morning, I was excited to watch
Jim Saric catch muskies on his
television program, “The Musky Hunter.”
The
subject of this particular show was
fishing with gliders for early summer
muskies. This was an interesting topic
to say the least, and one that was such
a coincidence and could not have come at
a better time for me.
This
episode captivated me because in the
last few years, an increasing number of
friends have been telling me that
gliders aren’t just a late season lure
for muskies. Rather, they catch fish
during all times of the year. Unable to
experience or witness this phenomenon
for myself, at least I was going to see
one of the most renowned musky anglers
in the world put on a show on the
television in front of me.
Mr.
Saric indeed put on a show. I recall him
and his partner boating a dozen muskies
with Softail Phantoms on the Indiana
lake they were fishing in early June.
For the
longest time, I was skeptical about
fishing with gliders. My perception of
them was once old-school traditional,
thinking that they only catch muskies
during the cold water period when fish
are actively feeding, but require slower
presentations in order to catch.
After
watching that one episode of “The Musky
Hunter,” my perception of gliders
immediately changed.
Introduction to Gliders
Gliders
are characterized as “pull baits”. Their
weight-forward design enables
rocket-like casting, and while retrieved
they feature a submerging side-to-side,
walk-the-dog motion. They are lipless
internally-weighted baits, made from
either wood or hard plastic, that
require slow to medium retrieve speeds
accompanied by several jerks and pauses
in between.
There is
no wrong way to fish gliders as the
action produced by the bait is generated
entirely by the angler himself. This can
be said for all baits and lures, but
with gliders, the angler is in full
control of the lure’s action and
presentation. The action of the bait,
matched accordingly to the moods and
response of fish, will ultimately
determine whether fish will be caught.
Lures for All Seasons
Gliders
are weapons of choice for catching fish
on a year-round basis. For instance,
they perform as excellent search lures
when fish are roaming the shallow flats
and weedbeds. In these warmer water
situations of late spring through
mid-summer, and sometimes deep into
summer, gliders can be fished fairly
quickly for the purposes of covering
water and searching for active fish.
Besides being superb in shallower water,
gliders are also effective with slower
retrieval speeds and longer pause while
fishing deeper water. Throughout the
cold water period, gliders extract
feeding fish along deep breaklines and
open water.
For the
first time in my brief musky angling
career, gliders were a mainstay in my
boat from late spring through middle of
fall. I was so committed to the glider
in 2011 that I had one rod rigged at all
times with one. Not only were gliders
diligently used on a daily basis, but
during my lessons of self-educating, it
was doing its fair share of catching as
well.
My musky
season typically begins during the
Wisconsin opener in late May and runs
until mid to late October. I wish it
could go for longer until first ice but
such is life. These five months of
fishing encompass a plethora of seasonal
changes and conditions. If I continue
this discussion about what muskies are
doing during each seasonal period in
response to gliders, then I may as well
write a book on it. However, to make a
long story short, what’s needed to be
known about gliders is they can be
fished in all scenarios, and they catch
fish year-round.
Gliders: How and When
The most
important thing I want to generate from
a glider is that when I retrieve it with
pulls, jerks and pauses, I want it to
glide from side-to-side with wild
action. If I cannot generate the desired
action or necessary response from fish
when needed, then it is put away in
favor of a different one. There is no
sense in using something that doesn’t
trigger a response from fish.
All
gliders are not created equally as they
are available in different shapes,
sizes, designs, and weights. The density
of the glider and its relationship to
how it is crafted usually determines its
overall performance, sinking ratio, and
action in the water. However, anglers
often have to make difficult choices on
which styles or brands to use and in
which situations to use them. In my
opinion, experimentation with different
baits until a level of comfort is
formed, and the retrieve is mastered, is
the best way to determine whether or not
a particular lure should be fished.
There
are several different glider styles in
production, and each has its time and
place. Some of my favorites and
most-used gliders are produced by
Phantom Lures, Slammer Tackle, Drifter
Tackle, Smity, and Rapala.
Below is
a quick summary of each glider I use,
and the situations I find them to be the
most effective:
Softail Phantom: Of all gliders
I use, softails are my absolute
favorites. They can be fished fast or
slow in all conditions and any
situations. They feature an enticing
plastic tail whose action is
irresistible to fish. The Phantom is
considered to be one of the easiest
gliders to use for both experienced and
beginner anglers alike. Its easy and
wide side to side action accompanied by
its roll at the end of each glide
produces an incredible action and belly
flash. According to experts, the belly
flash is a proven triggering mechanism
on getting muskies to strike. This is an
excellent crossover lure between hard
baits and soft baits and I would be lost
on the water without one. I exclusively
use the 6” 2 ¾ oz. model and have one
rigged on a rod at least 75% of the
time. In 2011, the “Canadian Crush”
pattern quickly became a confidence
lure. In my opinion, softails simply
raise fish and catch them when nothing
else can!
Slammer Drop Belly: This shad
style bait is one of my all time
favorites, and it is used on a year
round basis in almost all situations.
The only thing missing from it is a soft
plastic tail, but due to its wicked
action it can get away without one. This
is quite possibly one of the easiest
gliders to use as minimal involvement is
required in order to make it work
properly. This is one of the best
options for anyone who is new to fishing
with gliders. In fact, this was the
first glider I ever purchased and used.
The drop belly is weighted for neutral
buoyancy and hangs longer in the strike
zone than any glider I have ever used.
This bait is masterfully created from a
solid plastic body and features
beautiful paint patterns with a super
tough clear coat protection.
Drifter Hellhound: The
Hellhound is one of the best constructed
and durable plastic baits I have ever
fished with. At 8” and 3.8 oz., it is
easy to use and versatile as it can be
fished slow or erratic. I prefer using
the Hellhound during the fall months
when fish are likely to be caught in
deeper water situations, and when fast
erratic action is not required.
Smity Power Glide: Smity’s
Powerglide is a relic of a lure, and a
pioneer in musky fishing. At 7” and 3.1
oz., it features a great sweeping
side-to-side action in a countdown
glider. The bait sinks at a rate of
about a half a foot per second. A short
downward tap with the rod will usually
get this hardwood lure dancing in front
of fish. I prefer using the Powerglide
again in the fall when fish are feeding
along deeper breaklines.
Rapala Glidin’ Rap: The Glidin’
Rap is a wide profiled wooden bait that
glides side to side just below the
surface and stays within the strike
zone. This bait features an
indestructible finish with lazer sharp
hooks, and is best fished with rod tip
faced down and twitching it in a
walk-the-dog method. I exclusively fish
with its 1.8 oz. 5 ½” model during
post-frontal conditions, high skies, and
when downsizing is needed. Worked with a
heavy flipping stick that is better
equipped for big bass or pike fishing, I
can really make this lure dance a lot in
the water with lighter tackle. It seems
to wake fish up when nothing else can.
Getting Equipped
Gliders
are a large part of today’s musky world
and it is important to be equipped with
the proper rods and reels. Nowadays,
rods and reels have turned into
technique-specific tools that enhance
the musky fishing experience.
Several
modern-day rod manufacturers have
delivered on the demand of
technique-specific rods. Rods are now
available in longer and more durable
blanks that are comfortable to use and
more efficient at properly presenting
baits and catching fish.
For all
purpose jerkbait and glider fishing, it
is recommended to use rod lengths of 6 ½
feet to 7 ½ feet long. Since I am a
bigger and stronger guy with all the
stamina in the world to fish, I prefer
fishing with longer rods. I use a 7 ½
footer medium extra heavy fast action
rod for all of my glider fishing. It
possesses minimal bend with a lot of
power. The rod in particular is an
extremely affordable and durable Shimano
Compre equipped with a Shimano Curado
300DSV low profile reel that allows me
to fish comfortably without any fatigue.
This
set-up has a number of additional
benefits besides its comfort and
profile. First and foremost, the rod
enables accurate casting which is
important to fishing with gliders.
Secondly, the rod’s length gives me a
greater reach with figure-8’s. Lastly,
its heavier fast action allows me to
fish with whatever glider sizes and
styles I desire, and no matter what
design I am using, it seems to aid in
making all baits be presented properly.
Coupled with my retrieve techniques, a
comfortable rod that imparts action on
the bait is critical to success.
Besides
choosing the proper rod, getting
equipped with the right reel and line is
also important. Due to the erratic
pulling and jerking retrieves needed for
glider fishing, using a reel with a
faster gear ratio is the best. I am not
partial to any reel manufacturers, so
the best advice I can offer is that
anything that falls into your budget, is
comfortable, and enables you to keep up
with the slack line is the best option.
As for line selection, at least 65lb.
braided superline is recommended and I
strictly use 80lb. Cortland Masterbraid
as it is the most durable and
smoothest-casting line I have ever used.
Leaders
are another important component to also
consider. For glider fishing, should I
use single strand wire? How about
invisible fluorocarbon, or what about
action-packed, flexible and memory-free
titanium leaders?
In my
opinion, leaders don’t make much of a
difference, but what you elect to use
greatly dictates the type of lure action
that will be generated. For
general-purpose glider fishing, a single
strand wire leader is recommended as it
is the strongest and most durable.
However, if erratic action is desired, I
have been able to get away by using
fluorocarbon and titaniums. The latter
seems to bring out the best in each bait
for me.
Conclusion
It was a
mere five years ago when I turned
serious and committed myself to catching
muskies. Amongst every lesson I’ve
learned through trial and error, and the
information and knowledge that I’ve
gained from educators and experts, I’ve
found that having a willingness to try
new techniques and to be persistent with
them is one of the biggest successes in
putting fish in the net.
Moral of
the story is that unconventional thought
and a willingness to try new techniques
and applying them during all seasons
will ultimately catch more fish.
In the
case of using glide baits for year-round
purposes, I finally understood what my
friends were telling me, and what Mr.
Saric was trying to prove on television.
Gliders really do work during all
seasons!
