As summer fades and water temperatures begin to cool, bass start changing their habits. Baitfish become a major focus, feeding activity can increase, and bigger bass are looking to take advantage of an easy meal before winter.
That makes fall one of the best times of year to throw a glide bait.
For anglers looking to target bigger bass, the FishLab Pro Hydra Glide is built to take advantage of this seasonal feeding opportunity. With an upgraded design, realistic baitfish profile, and a wide side-to-side swimming action, the Pro Hydra Glide gives anglers a presentation that can get the attention of quality fish.
Why Throw a Glide Bait in the Fall?
Fall is all about the bait.
As water temperatures cool, bass often follow schools of baitfish into shallower areas and feeding zones. Larger bass know that these concentrations of forage provide an opportunity to get a lot of calories with relatively little effort.
That's where a glide bait can shine.
Instead of presenting a small meal, a glide bait gives bass a larger, high-profile target. It can imitate a substantial baitfish moving through the water and give bigger bass a reason to commit.
The key is finding where the bass and baitfish are coming together.
Look for areas such as:
- Points and secondary points
- Flats adjacent to deeper water
- Weed lines and submerged vegetation
- Creek channels and creek mouths
- Docks and other structure
- Areas where baitfish are visibly schooling
Once you find the forage, it's time to put the Pro Hydra Glide to work.
Meet the FishLab Pro Hydra Glide
The FishLab Pro Hydra Glide is an upgraded take on a proven glide-bait concept, designed to give anglers a realistic presentation and plenty of versatility.
One of its standout characteristics is its wide side-to-side swimming action. With the right retrieve, the bait can glide naturally from side to side, creating a profile and movement that can be difficult for a bass to ignore.
That action also gives anglers the ability to control the presentation.
Slow it down. Speed it up. Pause it. Change direction.
The goal is to make the bait look like a real baitfish trying to get away.
Match the Hatch With the Right Color
One of the biggest advantages of the Pro Hydra Glide lineup is the variety of available colors.
Fall bass can become highly focused on specific forage, and matching the color and overall appearance of the baitfish they're feeding on can help make your presentation more convincing.
If the bass are keyed in on shad, choose a shad-inspired pattern.
If they're feeding on darker forage or bluegill, choose a color that more closely resembles what you're seeing in the water.
The important thing is to pay attention to the forage.
Don't simply choose a color because it's your favorite. Look at the baitfish, water clarity, light conditions, and depth you're fishing.
In clear water, more natural and subtle patterns can provide a realistic appearance. In stained water or lower-light conditions, a more contrasting pattern may help the bait stand out.
Having multiple colors available allows you to adjust your presentation instead of trying to force one pattern to work in every situation.
How to Fish the Pro Hydra Glide
One of the best things about a glide bait is that you can experiment with the retrieve and let the conditions tell you what works.
Start With a Slow Retrieve
When water temperatures begin to fall, don't assume you need to burn the bait.
Start with a slow, steady retrieve and watch how the Pro Hydra Glide moves through the water. The wide side-to-side action can be especially effective when the bait is moving at a controlled pace.
A slow retrieve also gives following bass more time to track the bait.
Add Pauses
Don't be afraid to stop the bait.
A pause can be one of the most important parts of your glide-bait retrieve. After swimming the Pro Hydra Glide past a piece of cover or through a likely feeding area, pause it and allow the bait to sit.
That change in movement can trigger a following bass to commit.
Change Direction
Glide baits are particularly effective when you can make them change direction.
Use subtle rod movements to create turns and changes in direction. A baitfish that suddenly turns away from a predator can look like an easy meal—or an opportunity that's about to disappear.
That's often when a bass decides it's time to eat.
Don't Be Afraid to Fish It Around Cover
Big glide baits aren't limited to open water.
Fall bass often position around structure and areas where baitfish congregate. Work the Pro Hydra Glide along weed edges, around docks, beside submerged cover, and near other ambush points.
Just remember that your retrieve doesn't have to be aggressive.
Sometimes the most effective presentation is simply swimming the bait past the right piece of cover and letting the bass do the rest.
The 8-Inch Pro Hydra Glide Is Coming
For anglers who like to go big, there's even more to look forward to.
The FishLab Pro Hydra Glide 8" is coming soon.
The larger profile gives anglers another option when targeting bigger bass that are feeding on substantial forage.
An 8-inch glide bait can create a significant presence in the water and give anglers the opportunity to present a truly substantial meal.
When fall bass are focused on larger baitfish, don't be afraid to match that forage with a bigger presentation.
Sometimes bigger really is better.
Fall Is Prime Time to Glide
Fall gives bass anglers an opportunity to take advantage of some of the best feeding activity of the year. As water temperatures drop and baitfish become increasingly important to the bass's diet, it's a great time to put a glide bait in your hands.
The FishLab Pro Hydra Glide gives you the profile, action, and color selection to build a presentation around what the bass are feeding on.
Match the hatch. Slow down when you need to. Add pauses and direction changes. Pay attention to where the baitfish are, and don't be afraid to throw a bigger presentation when the conditions call for it.
And with the 8-inch Pro Hydra Glide coming soon, you'll have another option for targeting the biggest bass in the system.
This fall, follow the bait. Tie on a Pro Hydra Glide. And go looking for a big one.