Ep. 85: Alex Manibusan on Glide Baits, One-Rod Philosophy & SoCal Salt and Fresh

Guest: Alex Manibusan | Hosts: Daniel Dahlin ([FISH]rx), El Charly, Luke Dean (Bait Slingers / Artemis Charters)

Alex Manibusan fishes mostly saltwater but crosses into freshwater regularly, runs Kicker Fishing and War Baits setups, and uses Nishi Rods. Episode 85, recorded live on May 13, 2025 covers the glide bait as an unconventional but legitimate spotted bay bass presentation, his one-rod-one-reel on-foot philosophy, and what it means to fish differently from the crowd in a fishery everyone knows.

In This Episode

• Glide bait for spotted bay bass — Alex considers the glide bait a “fun bait” for spotties — not a regular-arsenal presentation, but one he knows people in the community are using effectively. The glide as a big bait with drawing power that surprises fish accustomed to swimbait profiles
• One rod, one reel on foot — Alex’s philosophy for fishing from shore or on foot: one setup, choose your baits around it. No second rod means you’re committed to making one presentation work. The constraint sharpens the fishing
• Don’t fish the most popular bait — Alex’s approach matches Oliver Ngy’s: come at the fish from a different angle. If everyone is throwing the same color swimbait, he’s on something different. Less educated fish on a less-pressured presentation
• Kicker Fishing and War Baits setup — Alex runs Kicker Fishing products and War Baits alongside Nishi Rods. The combination of boutique rod building with community bait brands that have proven track records in SoCal inshore
• Spotty Bowl and Salty Bastards event — Alex planned to fish Spotty Bowl and then go hit a park the same day. The double-header approach: tournament in the salt, freshwater session after. The commitment to maximizing a single fishing day
• Freshwater-to-saltwater crossover mindset — Alex fishes mostly saltwater but has hits across both. His observation that freshwater and saltwater bass are more similar than most anglers assume — the structure logic, the feeding windows, the reaction strike triggers all carry over

Beyond the Rod & Reel on Glide Bait

The one-rod philosophy is worth expanding on. Alex showed up to fish with one rod and one reel and a tray of baits. The constraint is intentional — if you have eight rods rigged up, you spend time switching instead of fishing. If you have one rod, you learn to make that presentation work. Most experienced anglers end up back at one or two rods after years of carrying six. Alex got there faster.

The glide bait-for-spotties angle is something the show has circled around across multiple episodes without ever making it the main topic. Kyle Lysdale in Ep. 122, Oliver Ngy in Ep. 69, and now Alex in Ep. 85 have all mentioned it as a presentation that draws fish that won’t eat a conventional swimbait. The consistent thread across guests suggests it’s worth experimenting with more seriously.

Watch the full episode on the Time On The Water YouTube channel. New episodes every Tuesday at 6 PM.