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  1. #1
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    Why Should I buy a $100+ Glide Bait?

    So I've decided to give glide baits a try. What a shock it was to see that entry level glide baits cost anywhere from $15-$30. But the real shock was that many glide baits cost north of $100! You got to be kidding, I've been fishing for 50 years and never came close to buying a lure that costs that much.

    So my question to anyone with an opinion is - just what does a $120 glide bait do that a $20 one can't? Why on earth should I bye a lure that costs as much as my monthly utility bill?
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  2. Member
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    #2
    I have a $75 glide bait I won but I wouldn’t buy one that expensive. It looks really cool coming through the water.
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  3. Member
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    #3
    WOW! I bought several years ago a 5 pack for $15.95 + shipping of what I just googled and they say is a "glide bait." They looked different when I bought them for some reason than they did when hey arrived. I chalked it up to me being a dumbass and order anything to fish with but after reading this thread I might have to put them on the market for $49.95 each

    Oh, and never caught anything but weeds on any of them.

  4. Member
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    #4
    Here's a short excerpt from a PM response to a fellow board member who is a beginner glide bait angler on this exact topic. I hope it addresses your question and provides a better answer than simply "Yes" or "No".

    The true question I suspect you are asking is will I catch more fish with the Deps 145 because it's similar enough in size to my current confidence bait the: S-Waver 168, and further, will it have the sophisticated gliding motion found in the bigger Deps 175? The short answer is yes. So, what is the long answer?

    That's actually a great question, as anglers when we try new techniques, we gain confidence through positive reinforcement e.g., when a fish bites our new lure, we gain confidence in that lure and the overall technique. It then makes sense when we go try a different lure to try and match the new lure to the one, we have confidence in, that too reflects on our basic human nature and it's a natural progression from there.

    As someone who has over 300 glide baits, I can tell you that if I wanted to try a new glide bait that was a similar size to the S-Waver 168, the Deps 145 would not be my first or even my second choice primarily due to the overall cost of the lure (~$75) and the necessary skill and knowledge to use the lure to ensure it glides "properly", typically these skills and experiences take a fair amount of time and exposure on the water that beginners lack right off the bat.

    So, is a beginner glide bait angler better off using a smaller lure to gain confidence in glide bait fishing before trying larger lures that are really meant for trophy fishing? Yes, of course! My detailed fishing logs go back 31 years and on average it takes me catching 117 smallmouth bass of less than 22" in length to catch one trophy smallmouth bass of 22" or greater length! But as they say the devil is in the details, what type of lure has caught the most trophy bass over the last 31 years for me, you guessed it, a large glide bait. That's why if someone asks me what glide baits, they should throw for either species of bass, I always start with the larger 3-4oz lures, those lures catch trophy bass better than smaller lures, and those fish are what I am most interested in catching.

    A beginner glide bait angler isn't, usually, seeking a trophy bass from the initial cast with a glide bait, they are really seeking lots of bites to gain confidence and experience in the overall technique of glide bait fishing. Trophy bass tend to come after a glide bait angler gains enough confidence in the technique to devote the time and resources needed to acquire and use larger glide baits in an efficient and successful manner.

    To reiterate, the beginner glide bait angler does not need expensive glide baits to be successful, nor do they need all the fancy bells and whistles commonly found in high-end JDM glide baits, they simply need the time and desire to fish glide baits and gain confidence in the overall technique by catching fish and learning the physical and mental intricacies of glide bait fishing.

    Please feel free to PM me if you have any questions or concerns regarding this topic and I will be glad to assist further.

    Please have a great day!
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  5. Scraps
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    #5
    Biggs had some discounted yesterday, like 20-25% off. Could buy a discounted $100 if that makes you feel etter.
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  6. Member DrewFlu33's Avatar
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    #6
    I'd never have the cajones to pony up like some of those swimbait diehards do, though I do have a Legrady Shortcake I paid $100 for. It's truly hand built, right down to being hand carved, and it is an amazing bait in every regard built by one hell of a talented, all around good dude. What boggles my mind even more are the resin baits...literally poured into a mold, not hand carved or anything like that...that are being sold at retail for well north of $200. Yes, the paint jobs can be out of this world, they work really well, and there is a ton of time and effort that goes into designing them, but $200-$1000+ for a bait that Mr. Toothy would steal from me in an instant makes me sick at my stomach. They're selling though! Guys snap up website "drops" of hundreds of baits in seconds, then there are hoards of guys willing to pay significantly more than retail price when they miss out.

    What I think is every bit as crazy is people spending $20, $30, $40, or even more for a soft swimbait! The Bacca Burritos are one thing at $40, but they come rigged and ready to go and are made of silicone so they're really durable. But then you've got stuff like Working Class Zero Citizens--made of standard old soft plastic--that retail upwards of $45 for a pack of two being bought up on "drops" then resold for double or even more.

    The great news is you have a lot of options that cost significantly less than that. There are dozens of really good glides out there less than $30, and tons more options just over that price point that perform insanely well. Just as one example: You'd be really hard pressed to find a bait that performs as well as a Jackall Gantarel at any price point, and they're $40 for the regular size and like $30 for the Jr.
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  7. Member JohnD.'s Avatar
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    #7
    13 Fishing Glidesdale , has been catching me some nice ones. I caught two 5 pounders back to back last night on it.

  8. Member
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    #8
    There are plenty of glides now for under $40. S Wavers and Shine Glides get bit. The Rago Cha Cha is good starter bait for under $20. I had a musky take a Deps 175 right at the boat and I about puked. They're fun to fish...easier to fish if you've ever musky fished because you're used to not getting bit as much. You have to be able to mentally stick with them. There's a few clear lakes I fish where I throw a Gan Craft 178 when I'm practicing just because you can get quality fish to show themselves.

    With a lot of the really expensive baits you're paying for the finish, hardware and consistency. I've built a couple rods for a guy who I won't name but he builds a really nice bait with insane paint jobs (that take many hours, that's where a lot of the price comes from) that are really pricey...he told me most of the time when he fishes his own baits most of the time they're just resin right out of the mold...told me if I can't ever decide on a bait color just go with bone, gets bit everywhere.

  9. Member Jesse-C's Avatar
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    #9
    Dont start with a 100$+ glide. Start with an swaver or a shine glide. See if you even enjoy it first!

  10. Member Ranger519VS's Avatar
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    #10
    I tried my first glide bait in 1991 and I think they were about $1 apiece. It was called a "Sluggo".
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  11. Member
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    #11
    Dang, I haven't thought of a Sluggo in years, think I'm going to order some. Just got an Swaver and 13Fishing glide bait to try.
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  12. Member
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    #12
    Save yourself some money and go with the S-Waver 168.. Upgrade hooks and rings and they catch as many as the higher priced glides on the market