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With the recent release of the Freestyle Gills and the Hudd Gills, I thought it might be helpful to share some of my thoughts on fishing small gill baits. This is based on my personal experience with the 3:16 Freestyle Gill, which has been an extremely productive bait for me over the past year or so, and a small glide gill I got from Japan. I believe this information applies to any small gill, so if you just got a Hudd Gill, the same principals should apply. Because of itʼs size, fish commit to these baits easily and usually only hesitate to ʻstalkʼ the bait or wait for an opportunity to pounce. Smaller fish may nip at it but any large fish will usually inhale it. To trigger a bite, pause the bait or swim it by something that letʼs the fish feel they can trap it. Assume itʼs being hunted on every cast; fish will often stalk it from several feet away and may not be visible. These baits will produce all year but are most effective from very early Spring (pre spawn) through the Summer. The two most important keys are: 1) Fish slow For me, this has been the single most important part of being successful with these baits. It needs to stay in the strike zone long enough for the fish to get into position and decide to attack it. 2) Put it where the fish can pin it This is second most important thing. Try to let the bait ʻhangʼ near ledges, weed lines, bluff walls, boulders or even the shore. If the fish thinks it can pin or trap the gill, it is much more likely to strike. If fishing from the bank, slow or stop the bait when it gets close to shore. One of my favorite ways to fish this bait is uphill; sitting on a sand bar or point, casting to deeper water. The fish almost always follow it in from deeper water, then pounce when it gets shallow enough that they feel like they can pin/trap it. I usually get no indiction there is a follower until I see a big white flash as they suction it in. Because the bait is often swallowed from behind, with the fish moving towards you, there may not be a hard thump. If the bait suddenly feels heavy, like you’re snagged on a plastic bag, set the hook. Tight lines.
