I overheard a couple of guys talking at the ramp last year and one said he was having luck with a glide bait. I’m ashamed to say I’ve never heard of this bait type before in 40 years of bass fishing. What is a glide bait, what conditions are they useful in, and who makes the most common examples? If they are good producers then I probably need to have at least one...unless I already have one and just don’t know what it’s called.

Google defined it quite good: A glide bait is nothing more than a single jointed hard swimbait that swims with a wider S-motion in the water. What gives the bait category its name however is the ability to pop or pull the rod and cause the bait to careen and glide off to one side, often triggering a following bass to strike.

A gliding swimbait, usually a slow sinking bait. The River2Sea Swaver 168 and Savage Gear Shine Glide 185 are both popular versions. 

Striper like them, too.

 

Glide baits are a lot like jerkbaits in the sense they represent a dying or struggling bait fish. You can fish them with rod tip movements as well as a choppy reeling motion or stop & go cranking with pauses. Just practice with one boatside where you can watch & learn how to make it glide most effectively. Most bites will come when it glides or stops moving. 

I'm curious, would a Sebile Magic Swimmer be considered a glide bait?

Thanks for all the replies. I was sent a link to glide baits on Tackle Warehouse and some of them are crazy expensive. I may try making one of my own.

3 hours ago, Fishes in trees said:

I'm curious, would a Sebile Magic Swimmer be considered a glide bait?

They're more of a straight retrieve swimbait but can be really effective.