kevinmyfsu

True, I do fish places like that. In fact most of the places I fish have vegetation just a foot or less below the surface, so there's actually not a whole lot of room for presentation. You have to have your retrieve dialed in right to not get caught on the muck of the bottom or vegetation. I mean I now have a floating glide bait, so I'm definitely going to use it. In terms of the Draw, I've managed to get that one weighted just right so that it sinks evenly. I don't like the hooks, however - they're enormous and I think I'd be better off with a lighter wire.

I've had COVID for the past week, so I only managed to get out for about an hour on Sunday, but I managed to catch a handful on a dropshot and a little 3/16 oz swimbait head. Works just as well as a keitech on a ballhead, but using 6th Sense Divine Swimmers with their swimbait head, with the screwlock, means *WAY* more fish per bait.

Could any more experienced folks help me out on the wisdom of floating glide baits vs slow sinking glide baits? I've used a fair number of both, but I always feel like the floaters are more difficult to keep at my target depth. They normally end up with their backs out of the water - is this a good thing? Or rather, is it something that would spook fish? I've fished the Gantarel in the full size and Junior versions, and it's the closest thing to a floating glide bait that I enjoy throwing and can keep at the appropriate depth. For most of my floating glide baits, like the 6th Sense Draw, I just use suspending strips to make them slow sink, and that works pretty well. I have some glides made by smaller manufacturers, however, and one in particular that floats no matter how many strips I put on it, so I'm going to have to learn to use it the way it was intended, I suppose. Any opinions or info is greatly appreciated!

Absolutely. Luckily, I enjoy some of both and live in a place where I have the entire year to experiment. Apologies to our Northern friends!

I live in North FL in the Big Bend area, and conditions here are really nice - 79 and sunny with about 10-12mph wind. We've had a few cold snaps, but it's already quite warm. Fish are on and off beds and all over the place. My most consistent producer are 3.3 keitechs on ball heads, but I'm seeing success with drop shots around structure and glide baits on beds and off. I get a lot of followers on the bigger glides, but the one that gets bit the most is the little 5 inch CL8 glider. I also throw Texas rigs and swim jigs and chatterbaits, but they aren't really doing much for me right now. I'm really curious what people in different parts of the country (and the Southeast!) are getting bit on.

Thanks bud!! Gonna have to check these out. You ain't wrong.

I have a lot of success with a drop shot, to the point that it's become a confidence technique. If I can't get results with anything else, I'm going to pickup the drop shot with either a 3" Hazedong shad or a MaxScent flatworm. That being said, I desperately need to find cheaper baits because $7 a pack is absurd. Anyone know any good, budget alternatives to these baits?

Great buy. I use 15# on most of my leaders. I usually use 20# Red Label on jigs and heavier applications.

The Hazedong is probably the best live minnow imitator that I've used, it can be deadly on a DS. So, I do believe that realism CAN matter. It's just a question of when and where.... Who knows.

I actually think the Cha Cha glides better than an SWaver. I'm considering buying a few more and getting some custom paint jobs.

Just gonna reiterate what I said above. Took the 7" bluegill out Saturday, pulled out a 4.2. Check out dude's stuff here https://www.facebook.com/MattGyver77

Honestly, the best glide bait I ever bought was from Wise Guy on eBay. It can do chopping and open water glides and they're very well balanced. I think mine was in the neighborhood of $35. It's by far my favorite and I own a Draw, FWIW. My suggestion would be to get some smaller glides to start out, 8 inches is really big imo. I started with the Thunderhawk Cha Cha glide. Like $15 and it'll give you an idea of whether or not you want to invest more money in glides. The SWaver168 is always a good option, about the same price and roughly same dimensions. The Draw isn't bad by any means, especially with the color schemes they have (that live shiner color is awesome). However, it's big, bulky and will get less bites than something like a 6". Just my 2 cents!

Update: after oiling bearings and brakes and letting it sit over night, it's remarkable how quiet it is now. All I hear is the line moving through the guides. Thanks everybody!!

Pretty much any. I throw hard swim baits every time I go out. As long as there is a slight bit of wind or a little chop, they seem interested.

Ok, managed to make a few test casts at lunch, and things are way better. It still makes noise when casting, but it sounds like a reel now, and it's down to where I don't think another fisherman would raise an eyebrow if they were casting beside me.. I'm gonna put a bit of oil in the tension spool bearing as well, as I think that may be part of what is causing the sound. I noticed that the sound decreases even I loosen it. Hopefully after work I'll have enough time to check if that helped.

I also noticed this, and it appears they're offering more multi jointed hard baits than before, but maybe I just missed them. To the OP, I had the old multi jointed sunfish that looks very similar, and it absolutely still catches me fish. Try burning that new one down banks with weed lines, I assure you a fish will eventually eat it.

I must say, it does appear that this reel sat around for a few years before it got to me, so anything is possible. I cleaned the inside of the brake wheel with rubbing alcohol and then put some oil on a q tip and ran it around the inside lip. Even put a drop in the bearings I could see. I'm really hoping this clears it up. This is my first big swimbait setup and I'm keen to get out there and start chucking. Waiting on a replacement would kinda suck, but that's life.

Yea, I actually really really like it despite this issue. If the oil doesn't do it, it's going back.

Ngl, that sounds exactly like what I'm experiencing. I did notice a little bit of a dark color on the brake wheel. Guess I'll take it back out of the box and give it a shot.

Good point and preferable.

Thanks for this, exactly what I needed to know. I'm going to try and reach out to some reel repair places in the area and have them take a look just to be safe.

Absolutely agree. If I catch fish, that's a nice bonus. These days, I just try to enjoy myself and try out shiny new baits and try to learn the best ways to work them. Sometimes I catch fish in the process. At least, that's how I try to think of it.

As a dedicated bank angler, I will say that some of my best fish came before sunrise and after sunset. I also think it's way more fun and exciting because you really aren't going to know what you've caught until you pull it out of the water. Makes everything more interesting imo.

I'll have to take it somewhere and have it looked at. It's brand new out of the box, I wouldn't think it would need service, but I definitely don't want to screw up the reel either. I put a drop of oil in the bearings, we'll see if that helps. I'm gonna go out after work and make a few test casts. Thanks for the info!!

I'm in North FL and it's been pretty cold here the past few days. However, I've done some of the best fishing of my life in the past few days on smaller-sized swimbaits. They're definitely still biting. I caught a bunch of really nice 2s and 3s, two 5s and a 4 on Christmas Eve and another 4 on Christmas Day. That day it was so cold that the water coming off my line kept freezing and jamming up the reel. If you can stand to be out in the cold, there are quality fish to be caught. The Sleeper Gill is always tied on right now.