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

Guest: Alex Manibusan (Kicker Fishing / War Baits)

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

Episode 85, recorded live on May 13, 2025, is about fishing differently on purpose. Alex Manibusan breaks down glide baits for spotted bay bass, fishing with a single setup on foot, and why approaching pressured fish with something they don’t see often can completely change results. His cousin is Matt from Nishi Fishing, which explains how he got into the artificial bait scene, and his content has been growing fast ever since.

In This Episode

• Glide bait for spotted bay bass: a non-traditional presentation that draws reaction bites from fish used to smaller swimbaits, plus why Alex fished 75-80% of a stretch before finally getting bit on a 6.5 lb largemouth
• Anti-pressure bait philosophy: “If everybody is throwing the same color, I’m on something different.” Less educated fish on a less-pressured presentation
• One rod, one reel on the paddle board: fishing with a single setup on foot and building the whole session around it
• How to fish the neck breaker: slow roll on the bottom, pitch it vertically into kelp columns, or fish it like a swim jig bouncing off the rocks. Alex’s 4.5 lb calico came on a PK5 and neck breaker at the wall
• Kicker Fishing, War Baits, and Nishi Fishing: Alex’s current partners and his cousin Matt at Nishi who got him into the artificial bait scene
• Content growth philosophy: “Make the right kind of noise, get the right kind of attention.” Alex never reached out asking for partnerships — brands came to him
• Paddle board vs. float tube: paddle board for covering water with a group across channels, float tube for targeting a specific back-harbor zone. Both get tough in wind
• Community events coming up: Salty Bastards Kayak Meetup May 17th at MDR, Glizzies May 24th at Cabrillo Beach, SoCal Grouper Society float tube event May 31st at Alamitos

Why Fishing Different Works in Pressured Water

The biggest idea in this episode is simple: fish see the same baits over and over. Showing them something different — whether it’s a glide bait or a different profile entirely — can trigger bites from fish that ignore standard presentations.

Alex’s glide bait 6.5 lb largemouth is the clearest illustration. He fished that stretch for most of the session before the bite came. That’s the commitment the glide requires. It’s not a search bait. It’s a presentation you throw when you want a specific kind of fish to react, and then you wait. “Be surprised at how much drawing power they have,” he said. The same principle shows up in the spotted bay bass guide and SoCal structure fishing guide: fish position predictably in pressured water, but how they respond changes based on what they’ve already seen.

The One-Rod Constraint and Why It Sharpens Your Fishing

Alex fishes one rod on the paddle board out of necessity, but the constraint turns out to be useful. Instead of constantly switching setups when a bite doesn’t come, he commits to a presentation and learns how to make it work. That kind of focus leads to better decisions. You figure out the water faster when you can’t just reach for another rod.

Multiple guests on the show have landed on a similar conclusion. Experienced anglers tend to simplify over time, not add complexity. Fewer rods, more confidence in what you’re throwing, and more attention paid to what the fish are actually doing. The one-rod approach just makes that constraint explicit from the start.

Why This Episode Matters

This episode matters because it challenges the idea that more gear or more options lead to better fishing. In reality, the opposite is often true. Fishing something different and committing to it can produce better results than constantly switching between the same familiar setups.

The glide bait conversation is especially worth noting. Multiple guests have mentioned it as a presentation that draws fish that won’t commit to smaller swimbaits, including Ep. 122. That consistency makes it worth experimenting with more seriously. The soft plastic color guide covers the forage-matching side of this conversation for anglers building out their presentations.

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