Choosing a Rod for Striper Glidebaits

Glidebaits have taken over the Northeast striper scene in 2026. Here’s the rods top anglers rely on to fish them effectively.

By Jimmy FeeMay 6, 2026

(Above: Kevin Blinkoff launches a Big Ray glidebait on a Shimano Outlier)

Glidebaits Are the Breakout Striper Lure of 2026

We’re barely two months into the striper season in the Northeast and it’s already clear: the hot lure of 2026 is the glidebait. These large two-piece swimbaits have a fish-attracting power that has to be experienced to be believed, but fishing one well requires more specialized tackle than your typical striper lure.

Glidebaits are large, 3 to 7 ounces swimbaits that sink slowly and have a fluid action that can look like a dying, an oblivious, or a panicked baitfish depending on the retrieve speed and cadence.

Why Baitcasting Tackle Has the Edge

What’s truly unique about glidebaits is how the action is achieved. There’s no lifting or dropping of the rod, no sweeping or snapping; at most, maybe there’s some twitching. Overall, the best action is imparted by the reel alone, either with a straight and steady retrieve, burning (reeling fast) and pausing, or “chopping” (giving half turns of the reel handle to make the bait slide erratically from side to side. This makes conventional or baitcasting tackle the best option for fishing glidebaits. These offer better line control, and a more direct connection to the bait, and are often better at casting heavier loads. (Spinning tackle does work, especially in the surf, but on boats, baitcasters are preferred.)

The primary functions of a glidebait rod is to cast these 3- to 7-ounce baits well and to keep the stripers – which seem especially angry when they get fooled by a glidebait – hooked. To find out which rods fit the bill, I asked for recommendations from the fishermen who were ahead of the curve on the striped bass glidebait trend.

Glidebait Rod Picks from the Pros

Captain Gene Quigley – Custom BIG Wood Rod

Captain Gene Quigley of Shore Catch Charters casts his Stride glidebaits on the BIG Wood, a collaboration between Tak Waterman and Zak’s Custom Rods. The BIG Wood is 7’7″ and rated for 2- to 6-ounce lures, and according to the description is perfectly suited for big metal lips and glide baits.

Gene Quigley uses a custom rod built as a collaboration with TAK Waterman and Zack’s Custom Rods.

Captain Rob Taylor – Jigging World Retro

Last fall, Captain Rob Taylor of Newport Sportfishing Charters threw big glidebaits on his favorite tog rod, the Jigging World Retro, and discovered it could serve double-duty as his favorite glidebait rod. Rob favors the 761BRC-MH model (7’6″, medium-heavy, 4 to 12 ounces) for casting the South Cape Swimbaits Big Ray. Rob pairs it with a Shimano Calcutta Conquest and says the combo launches the big glides and has the perfect retrieve ratio to get them moving. The reel is spool with 65-pound test and he uses 100-pound-test fluorocarbon leader.

Captain Rob Taylor found the length, backbone, and forgiving action of the Jigging World Retro to be perfect for slinging glides and keeping stripers hooked on the big baits.

Joe Cermele – St. Croix Premier Musky

Host of the Cut and Retie Podcast and big glide bait guy Joe Cermele uses an 8′, moderate-action St. Croix rod rated for 1 to 8 ounces. Like Rob Taylor, Joe had initially gotten the rod for blackfish and cod, but repurposed it into his favorite glidebait rod. He says the rod has enough umph to toss 10-inch Stride Baits and put the brakes on big stripers. The closest current model from St. Croix appears to be the Premier Musky SCPC80HM.

Joe Cermele uses a repurposed bottom-fishing rod to cast glidebaits for stripers from the rivers to the Raritan Bay to the ocean.

Jesse Stanislaw – North Fork Composites BB 809

Jesse Stanislaw, maker of Stride Baits and the man largely responsible for this glidebait madness we’ve found ourselves in, uses a custom-built North Fork Composites BB 809 that he extended to 8’4″. The BB 809 is a moderate-fast action blank that casts up to 8 ounces and is soft enough to limit hook pulls. Jesse likes a longer rod that makes casting and fishing the big rods easier, which is why he added 4 inches to the butt end of his BB 809. Jesse also mentioned that the Shimano Outlier 80XXH (8′, rated 6 to 14 ounces) casts big glides well and is one of the better production rods.

Jesse Stanislaw, creator of Stride Baits, uses a custom BB09 blank from North Fork Composites for casting big glides for stripers.

Based on these recommendations, the ideal glidebait rod measures at least 7’6″, has a lure rating up to 10 or 12 ounces, and a moderate to moderate-fast action. Using these guidelines, fishermen can find suitable rods from a wide range of fishing rod manufacturers or you may already own a good glidebait rod. Captain Rob Radlof loves the 7’9″ St. Croix Inshore Mojo, a once-popular, but now discontinued model that he used to throw large metal lip trollers to stripers. The same qualities that made the Inshore Mojo ideal for big trollers makes it great for glidebaits as well.

Jimmy Fee

Jimmy Fee is the Editor of On The Water and a lifelong surfcaster. He grew up fishing the bridges and beaches of Southern New Jersey before moving to Cape Cod in his early 20s. He's pursued striped bass from North Carolina to Massachusetts. He began with On The Water in 2008, and since then has covered a variety of Northeast fisheries from small pond panfish to bluewater billfish in the through writing, video, and podcasting.