There is no doubt that glide baits and swimbaits draw big bites from giant bass. There are two primary types of swimbaits: paddle tail and multi-jointed. However, there is a difference between a glide bait and a multi-jointed swimbait, and the main difference is the number of segments. A glide bait has two segments and only two segments. This allows the bait to swim in a sweeping motion, making it look like a big baitfish trying to escape.

Glide Bait and Swimbait Overview

While glide baits involve many rod or reel twitches with pauses in between, keeping it in the water longer, they can still draw fish in from 30-40 feet away. Because glide baits have so much drawing power, an angler can still cover lots of water, even with very few casts. No other bait can do this quite like a glide bait can, which is why many anglers love throwing it. Some glide bait examples are the SPRO KGB Chad Shad or the River2Sea S-Waver.

A bait with three or more segments is considered a swimbait as it creates more of a streamlined swimming action. Swimbaits are usually used with a constant reel retrieve, often burned quickly. Multi-jointed swimbaits are a great way to make repeated casts and cover lots of water. Some examples of a big swimbait would be the Bull Shad or the 6th Sense Trace.

While there are glide baits and swimbaits on the market that are small enough to throw on a lighter rod and reel with a lighter line, for the sake of this blog, we are going to address the bigger glide baits and multi-jointed swimbaits that are 6 inches or longer.

Required Equipment

When it comes to throwing these big baits, heavy-duty equipment is required. Typically, anglers use a minimum of a 7-foot 4-inch heavy power rod paired with a minimum of a 200-size bait caster reel spooled with a minimum of the 20-pound test for throwing these big baits. Bassmaster Elite Series and Sunline pro Matty Wong uses a 7-foot 6-inch heavy power rod paired with a 7.2:1 gear ratio reel when throwing 6–8-inch glide baits.

However, there are rods on the market explicitly designed for oversized baits that are offered up to 9 feet in length, and some anglers pair these rods with a 300-400 size bait caster reel spooled with 25-30-pound test fluorocarbon. While 20-30-pound test fluorocarbon might seem simple enough when it comes to throwing big baits, we know that there is so much more to it than that, as we offer so many different fluorocarbon lines. Plus, there are several other options that anglers can choose from outside of just fluorocarbon. So, let’s talk about it!

Matty Wong Line Choice

Our two most popular fluorocarbon lines are Sniper and Shooter. Matty Wong typically spools his reels with 20-25-pound test FC Sniper when throwing 6–8-inch glide baits because of its excellent knot strength and castability. Our FC Sniper has great castability and abrasion resistance, but the Shooter is stronger and more abrasion-resistant. Abrasion resistance is extremely important, especially when fishing around heavy cover and casting these heavy baits.

When pitching his glide baits around cover, Wong will use a 22-pound test Shooter fluorocarbon. However, no matter what line he uses, Wong will always retie his knot after every fish catch to decrease the chance of losing an essential or expensive bait.

A third choice for these types of baits is Structure FC. It offers high abrasion resistance and strength but has better handling for casting than Shooter. Ultimately, all three fluorocarbon lines are good for different reasons, but it depends on your preference to decide which is best for you! Some other options for more budget-friendly fluorocarbon lines are our Assassin and Super.

Benefits of Using Other Line Types

Outside straight fluorocarbon, there are other great options for big swimbaits and glide baits, such as straight braid, braid-to-leader, or nylon monofilament. There are some benefits to using straight braid, besides the obvious fact that breakoff issues are less common, which is good if you don’t want to lose those expensive baits!

Some of the other benefits of braid are abrasion resistance, low stretch for better hooksets, and better bite detection. A few disadvantages of using straight braid are that the low stretch could pull the hooks out of the fish’s mouth when fighting the fish, and the fish might see the braid easier than other lines. If anglers don’t like these disadvantages but still want better bite detection, they should consider using braid-to-leader.

Some great braid options for the braid-to-leader technique are 40-60-pound test Siglon PEx8, SX1, Xplasma Asegai, or Siglon PE AMZ, depending on how much you’re willing to spend. Sniper and Shooter are also great lines for a leader, just as they are great for straight fluorocarbon. However, a leader-specific material can be beneficial due to its perfect balance of tensile strength, knot strength, stretch, and abrasion resistance, all valuable qualities for fluorocarbon leaders.

Leader Material

The 20-pound test FC Leader is an excellent fluorocarbon leader option for most swimbaits/glide baits. However, if the lure is larger than average, you might want to go with 25- or 30-pound test Sniper or Shooter fluorocarbon.

Another excellent option for a leader material is a Nylon leader. This is a monofilament line, but it can be very effective when tied to braid as it provides the extra stretch that the braided line doesn’t have. This can sometimes be beneficial because it acts as a shock absorber for those aggressive strikes from trophy bass!

As a side note, always have the same or similar diameters when tying braid to fluorocarbon or nylon. Click here to read all the benefits of using braid-to-leader. It is also important to tie a good connector knot when using braid-to-leader. Check out all these different knots here.

When it comes to the least expensive option for swimbait and glide bait line, Super Natural nylon is an excellent option in 25-30-pound test. While nylon monofilament is not very sensitive or abrasion resistant, it is very supple, has low memory, and has some extra stretch that acts as a shock absorber when setting the hook on the fish!

So, if you’re looking for something that has some extra stretch, go with nylon monofilament. If you’re looking for something that is very sensitive and won’t break, go with a braided line. If you’re looking for the happy medium, go with either straight fluorocarbon or braid-to-leader! It might be helpful to try several different options and see which works best with your setup!