Mastering Musky Glide Bait Fishing with Phantom and Hellhound Glide Baits

Tennessee Musky Fishing Guides Steven Paul

Musky fishing is an art, and glide baits like the Phantom and Hellhound are the brushes that paint success on the water. These two baits, renowned for their versatility and effectiveness, are staples in the tackle boxes of anglers worldwide, from seasoned musky hunters to beginners chasing their first trophy fish.

In this guide, we’ll dive into the essentials of fishing with Phantom and Hellhound glide baits, covering setup, tuning, techniques, and advanced strategies to boost your bite rate. Whether you’re targeting muskies or pike, these tips will help you maximize your time on the water.

Why Phantom and Hellhound Glide Baits?

The Phantom and Hellhound are the gold standard in musky glide baits. Available in sizes like the 6-inch Phantom and the Hellhound (sometimes called the Hell Puppy), these lures are designed to deliver a seductive left-to-right gliding action that mimics a wounded baitfish. Their popularity stems from their ability to trigger strikes in a variety of conditions, making them ideal for both aggressive and finicky fish. Whether you’re fishing in spring, summer, fall, or winter, these baits shine in scenarios ranging from post-frontal slumps to high-pressure bluebird days.

Setting Up Your Glide Bait Rig

Before casting, ensure your setup is dialed in for optimal performance. Here’s what you need:

Rod: A heavy-action rod, ideally 8 to 9.6 feet, provides the power to snap these baits effectively. For jerk bait-style fishing, a slightly shorter rod (8 to 8.6 feet) can offer better control.
Reel: A high-speed reel like a 7.1:1 or 6.3:1 (e.g., Daiwa Lexa 400) allows quick line pickup and smooth action.
Leader: A fluorocarbon leader is versatile, but a straight wire leader can add extra snap to the bait’s movement. A 12-inch leader is ideal for boatside maneuvers.
Line: Braided line ensures strength and sensitivity.

For example, pairing a 9.6-foot Musky Shop Shield Rod with a Daiwa Lexa 400 and Next Level Braid creates a balanced setup for working these baits.

Tuning Your Glide Bait

Mass-produced glide baits may need minor adjustments to perform at their best. Here’s how to tune your Phantom or Hellhound:

Check Eye Ties: Ensure the line ties are perfectly aligned. Use pliers to gently bend them if needed.
Inspect the Nose: The bait’s nose line tie should be horizontal and centered. If it’s crooked, carefully bend it back to center using pliers.
Phantom-Specific: Ensure the screw-in eye Line tie on a Phantom sits flat side-to-side.
Hellhound-Specific: Align the Hellhound’s line tie vertically.

A properly tuned bait glides smoothly left to right, maximizing its appeal to muskies. If the bait isn’t running correctly, make slight tweaks to the eye ties and hook hangers until it tracks perfectly.

Basic Glide Bait Techniques

The hallmark of glide baits is their side-to-side “walk the dog” action. Here are two ways to achieve it:

Reel Method: Cast the lure out and use quarter or half turns of the reel handle to create a serviceable left-to-right glide. This method is smooth and beginner-friendly, producing a steady rhythm that can entice follows.
Rod Method: For a more erratic, aggressive action, snap the rod tip to the side while keeping the rod angled off your body. This produces wider, more pronounced glides, mimicking an injured fish. Hold a longer rod (9+ feet) to the side for better leverage, or choke up on a shorter rod for precision.

The rod method delivers more “punch,” making the bait surge side-to-side, which can trigger strikes from neutral or negative fish. Practice both techniques to find what works best in different conditions.

When to Use Glide Baits

Glide baits are condition-driven rather than seasonal. They excel in tough scenarios, such as:

Post-Frontal Conditions: After storms or during cold fronts, when muskies are lethargic, glide baits’ slow, finesse presentation keeps them in the strike zone longer.
Bluebird Days: High-pressure days with clear skies often call for a subtle approach, and glide baits deliver.
Weed Flats: Over deep weeds, glide baits cover wide areas, creating a large vibrational profile at a slower speed.
Neutral Fish: When muskies won’t chase fast-moving baits like bucktails or topwaters, glide baits’ slow advance can coax strikes.

From spring to fall, glide baits are a go-to for targeting open water, weed edges, rock piles, or timber, making them a must-have for any musky angler.

Advanced Techniques: Strategic Pauses

The key to unlocking glide baits’ full potential lies in strategic pauses. Constant left-to-right motion can hypnotize muskies, reducing strike chances. Instead, incorporate pauses to mimic a vulnerable, floundering fish. Here’s how:

Weed Pockets: Work the bait over weeds with a few glides, then pause to let it hang in a pocket. This draws attention from nearby fish.
Weed Edges: At the outside weed edge, let the bait sink for an extended pause (up to 5-10 seconds). This forces muskies to confront the bait.
Structure: Pause near timber, rocks, or laydowns to target fish holding in ambush points.
Boatside: As you near the boat, add a big pause giving muskies ample opportunity to strike before figure eights.

Avoid arbitrary pauses. Instead, time them for high-probability areas like edges and key structure breaks. For example, in a shallow bay with a weed flat, pause briefly over weeds, extend the pause at the weed edge, and add a final long pause boatside to tempt followers.

Slackline Popping for Negative Fish

For cold water or negative fish, try slackline popping to keep the bait in a small area with minimal forward motion:

Work the bait with normal glides toward a weed pocket or structure.
Stop and let the bait sink with a slack line.
Pop the rod tip lightly to make the bait twitch in place, mimicking a wounded fish.

This technique is deadly in summer weed pockets or winter scenarios where muskies are reluctant to chase. By reducing forward momentum, you keep the bait in the strike zone longer, increasing the odds of a strike.

Converting Boatside Follows

Boatside follows are common with glide baits, but converting them into strikes is challenging. Here are strategies to improve your hookup rate:

Continue the Action: Keep the walk-the-dog motion going by popping the rod tip or pushing it back and forth. A 12-inch fluorocarbon leader helps maintain action without excessive rigidity.
Pause and Hang: Jam the rod tip down to keep the bait submerged and pause to hold it in the fish’s face. This can trigger a reaction strike.
Dead Sticking: For sluggish fish, let the bait sink with a slack line, feeding line to prolong the fall. Then, pop it lightly in place to mimic a dying fish. This works best for deep or slow-moving followers.
Read the Fish: Hot fish with active body language (e.g., flared gills) may strike on motion. Neutral fish (e.g., stiff, slow-moving) respond better to pauses or dead sticking.

Experiment with these techniques, as no single method works every time. A structured mental plan for boatside scenarios will boost your success.

Lure Direction for Better Hookups

A subtle but game-changing tip is to consider the bait’s orientation during pauses. The direction the bait faces when paused affects hookup rates due to hook placement:

Left-Handed Anglers: Pause when the bait’s head points left. When you set the hook, the force pulls the hooks toward the fish’s mouth, increasing penetration.
Right-Handed Anglers: Pause when the bait’s head points right for the same effect.

To achieve this, track the bait’s glide pattern (e.g., left-right-left-right). Pause on the desired side (left for lefties, right for righties) by counting glides or watching the bait’s motion. This ensures the hooks slide into the fish’s mouth rather than rolling over, boosting your hookup ratio significantly.

For example, if the bait hits the water and glides right, count “left-right-left-right-left” and pause on the left glide for a left-handed angler. This small adjustment can make a big difference over time.

Why Phantom and Hellhound Stand Out

The Phantom and Hellhound have earned their reputation as the easiest and most effective glide baits for musky fishing. Their forgiving design allows beginners to achieve great action, while their versatility lets experts push the limits with advanced techniques. Available in stunning colors at retailers like the Musky Shop, these baits have caught more muskies than nearly any other glide bait on the planet.

Elevate Your Musky Game

Glide baits like the Phantom and Hellhound are indispensable tools for musky anglers. By mastering setup, tuning, basic retrieves, and advanced techniques like strategic pauses, slackline popping, and boatside maneuvers, you’ll put more fish in the net. Pay attention to hook placement and adapt to conditions, and these baits will become your go-to for tough days and aggressive bites alike. Start your musky journey with Phantom and Hellhound glide baits, and watch your catch rates soar.

Steven Paul

Musky and Pike Expert

Tennessee Musky Guide