Break down of how to use glide baits like the Jigging Rap, Pitching Puppet Minnow, Shiver Minnow and other baits that fall in this lure category. Glide baits generally are heavy with a lead body and plastic tail fin. These lures are typically casted out and snapped through fish with an exaggerated jig stroke that causes the bait to snap up off the bottom and glide back down.
The Pitching Puppet Minnow in particular has an exaggerated tail fin that causes the bait to glide further with a softer snap or hop that reduces fishing fatigue through the day.
Walleyes often pin these baits into the bottom. This is why many fish are hooked on the upward snap. A lesson we have learned from forward facing sonar is that these fish are often positioned higher off the bottom than we once realized and the lure simply passes in front of the fish that are higher off the bottom. We are also starting to realize that fish are triggered to chase prey down into the bottom.
We typically recommend a spinning rod that is between six to six and a half feet with a medium extra fast to medium heavy extra fast action for snapping the lure off the bottom. We often use a high strand braid like Suffix 832 or Fireline in 8 lb. test. We recommend using a 10 lb. fluorocarbon leader that is about three feet long but a longer leader might be necessary in extremely clear water. We prefer to connect the leader to the braid with a tiny barrel swivel as these lures work up twist in the line and these lure seem to work best falling on slack line. We usually tied direct to the lure with a palomer knot.
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