History & Timeline of Glide Baits

[Cranky]

Looking for some historical education on glide baits for bass...

 

Anyone have any history of their introduction and timeline of how they spread? Was there an obvious first Glide (single joint)? Seems like Roman Made and Deps were early on and certainly led to their widespread popularity as they caught giants between Japan and California. Just looking for some context and education of how they fit into the bigger Swimbait history picture as a whole.

[waynem]

Here's a K & K Minnow from 1907.  Is it a glide bait?

 

As far as modern glides go I believe Gancraft was very early and Japanese anglers found that they could remove the lip and change the weighting on the Deps SK to convert it to a glide.  There are other guys on SU that I'm sure have much more information.

[Top Ramen]

The idea may have been around for a while but they took off when Japanese guys started pulling the bills out of two-piece baits and weighting them to glide. Within a few years, Japanese companies were selling glide baits directly.

 

The anglers around Biwa are very willing to heavily modify baits and tinker with them to get what they want. Spy baits seem to have developed the same way. Guys were modifying baits with props and, when the technique got more popular, companies started building them to meet the demand.

[Cranky]

That’s an awesome old bait there. Funny how what’s old is new again.

 

From the info I’ve seen Roman Made started in 2006 and Kurita caught his 18# Mother fish in early 2008. The prototype Deps slide swimmer wasn’t until 2009 and partnered with B.B. in 2013.

 

I’m sure after Kurita caught the then-Biwa-record Mother fish the glide concept exploded immediately. I’d be willing to bet there’s a lot more to the story before that record catch in 2008?

[waynem]

I found a reference that Mr. Okumura designed the lipped  Deps Silent Killer in 2002.  

[Amistoad]

Cool seeing this old bait. Reminds me of the infamous Creek Chub Wigglefish minus the lip. Just goes to show as others have said, what’s old is new.

Of course, musky anglers have been using single piece glide baits for decades. I believe that’s where the term originated too. Of course, I could be wrong.

[JR Basser]

I bought a Fish Arrow in 03', 2pc glide bait. Still have it, fishes ok, been repainted several times over the years. Maybe that'll help in your history research

[bigpoppabass]

Read steve heitings guide to musky hunting. I still read the edition I bought 15 years ago. He does an excellent job talking about the different triggers baits have. He talks about gliders often. It used to be you bought a dozen wooden Eddie baits to get that one that would glide right etc.

[Cranky]

Glide baits have been around forever for many species but on the bass Swimbait side...? I always found the history of Swimbaits in general to be very interesting thru the years. Doesn’t seem like glides have much background other than popping up in Japan in the 2000-2006 timeframe.

[Nolan Aker]

I find it super annoying that musky glider and bass glidebaits have such similar, or the same name. Especially since on tackle underground, if you want info on glides, then youre getting single peice musky baits while if you say swimbait, as you know there's an infinite amount of different types of swimbaits.

[BigSlant]

https://www.flwfishing.com/tips/2006-03-30-the-evolution-of-the-swimbait

 

https://sdfish.com/forums/t/awesome-article-to-look-back-on-about-high-dollar-swimbaits.152270/

 

https://www.huddbaits.com/news/museum

 

Fun reads

[Jig-N-Spoon]

If you really want to see the history of all bait designs in general and you are ever in Branson MO you owe it to yourself to go the the History of Fishing Museum. They have tackle dating back to prehistoric stone ages and after taking the tour I can honestly say there isn't much new out there. Improvements/refinements and new materials, yes but most of todays designs have something very similar from long ago in that museum. Not to mentin all the other tackle in rods, reels etc. even the first skeeter boat ever made. It's a cool place.

[Cranky]

Good reads for sure. I’m assuming in 2004 there weren’t any 2 piece glides, at least that were known in the USA. I’m still thinking Roman Made was the big dog to lead that revolution even ahead of the Deps timeline (their own has them a few years after the Mother). I don’t think it’s a coincidence that Deps started working on a “giant bait†in 2008 right after Kurita caught his 18# record Japan fish on the Mother.

[BigSlant]

https://swimbaitsforbass.wordpress.com/page/2/

[philip garcia]

I know that I purchased an swaver 168 in 2006 didn't throw it until spring of 2007 at clearlake caught so many fish on it. Went back to the tackle shop's and they were all on discount sale for 7.99 I asked them why and they said that they weren't selling. It took about 2 years after that for that lure to catch on.