Ima Glide Fluke Glide Bait Product Review

Lure Review

New Bait From ima Is No Fluke But It Sure Glides!

Date:	3/31/19
Tackle Type:	Lure
Manufacturer:	Ima
Reviewer:	Cal

Total Score: 8.17 - BEST VALUE AWARD

Introduction: If there's a hot, hard bodied lure type out there today, it's the glide bait. For the longest time, two sectioned baits were an under the radar bait - especially the big ones. Now, every lure manufacturer out there is either scrambling to bring one to market, or they have several from which to choose. At ICAST 2017, ima introduced us to their competitor to the market, and today, we take a closer look at their Glide Fluke.

ima Glide Fluke Specifications
Type	Hard Plastic Glide Bait
Length	4.9" & 7"
Weight	0.81 oz - 2.8 oz
Depth	Floating and Sinking
Material	Plastic
Colors	8
Hooks	2
MSRP	$14.99 - $18.99

Introducing ima's Glide Fluke

Impressions: The ima Glide Fluke is available in two different sizes, a 125millimeter (measuring just shy of five inches) and a 178 millimeter (right around seven inches). It comes in both floating and sinking variants in both sizes, but the great thing about this bait is, the biggest size, 178 in sinking configuration only weighs 2.8 ounces. If you only throw standard sized plugs, this might sound like a lot, but to those of us used to throwing big, heavy baits, something shy of three ounces is a welcome reprieve!

Available in 2 sizes, I only fished the 178

Real World Tests: Of course, the real question is, how well does this svelte little glide bait work? To find out, I broke out my tried, true and beloved, discontinued Megabass of America Orochi X4 Destruction and paired it with a Shimano Chronarch MGL spooled with Sunline's FX2 braid in blue/green. I only really fished the Glide Fluke 178.

Color patterns are simple but effective

Castability: The Glide Fluke was right in the wheelhouse of my chosen combo and because it's relatively light, I didn't have to resort to a heavier duty reel than the Chronarch MGL.

The Ima Glide Fluke has a fixed weight system so there's no internal, moving balancer to aid with casting but it doesn't need it. It's heavy enough to launch with ease.

This Gill pattern is probably the most intricate

Dive Time: Dropping the sinking version next to the boat, the Glide Fluke descends at a rate of roughly one foot per second. The impressive thing about this bait on the descent is that it does so in a perfectly neutral position with a very subtle shimmy.

The weights for this bait are secured at the bottom, so there are no moving baits to aid in casting or to rattle during retrieve

Ease of Actuation: Take up your slack line, give the tip of your rod a twitch or rip, and the Glide Fluke really does its thing darting off to one side. Get your cadence down just right and the bait will slide from side to side very easily. Pause it and it stops, perfectly horizontal, with that enticing shimmy as it continues to sink.

Hooks are not name brand, but sharp

Admittedly, I did not fish the floating version much because I was having too much fun with this sinking version. On about the second cast with the sinker, an angry bass hammered the bait and it was game on.

It's rare I have instant success with a bait, and maybe it was luck of timing (probably, not might), but the sinking Glide Fluke really got them riled up, so it was difficult for me to switch to the floater.

The bait does not come with a clip, but its line tie is positioned horizontal so if you do use a cilp, the side to side motion is enhanced just a bit

Design/Ergonomics: As mentioned earlier, ima's Glide Fluke is a two-piece bait. The head section feels like it carries the majority of the weight (it is the larger of the two sections too), and there are hook attachments at the very tail end as well as on the belly. The bait's line tie is horizontal, not vertical and the bait is available in 8 different colors for now.

Conveniently labeled F or S on the bottom for floating or sinking

Price & Application: I was surprised to find out even the larger version of his bait is under twenty dollars. It's quite the bargain for a bait of this quality, size, and effectiveness and is an effective in any number of situations. It's supposed to mimic blueback herring, gizzard and threadfin shad, but really, these glide baits just seem to be deadly especially around post spawn regardless of the baitfish they're supposed to represent.

Ratings:

ima Glide Fluke Ratings (?/10)
Construction/Quality	Solidly constructed with sharp hooks	9
Performance	Easy to cast and very easy to work	9
Price	Far less expensive than I expected	8
Features	That horizontal body fall and shimmy is spot on	8
Design (Ergonomics)	Available in up to 8 colors, but the patterns are very simple and plain	7
Application	Big or small, floating or sinking, there's a Glide Fluke that fits your style of fishing	8
Total Score		8.17
Ratings Key: 1 = terrible : 2 = poor : 3 = lacking : 4 = sub par : 5 = mediocre : 6 = fair : 7 = good : 8 = great : 9 = excellent : 10 = unbelievable! For More Details of the updated rating system visit our explanation here

Pluses and Minuses:

Plus	Minus
+ 178 is the perfect size between big and small	- Colors/Patterns could be more intricate
+ Really easy to cast
+ Easier to work
+ Horizontal body fall
+ Enticing shimmy

From my second cast with this bait, it was game on!

Conclusion: Big baits are fun to throw because it's a thrill whenever you get a strike. Seven and eight inch baits strike that perfect balance between too big and too small and ones that are that size and between two to three ounces are really easy to use all day long. The ima Glide Fluke checks off all those boxes with the added factor of being super easy to work and maybe even deadlier on the pause/fall. My only gripe is I wish they had more intricate colors, but considering the price of this bait, it's not a huge gripe. Sometimes, simple is better and one thing is for sure, ima's Glide Fluke simply works.

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