This versatile glide bait will give you that large gizzard shad profile at an affordable price
The “glide bait,” which has evolved from its niche status in the 2010s to the “buzzword” of the 2020s, has certainly arrived at a lake, river or bayou by you.
Toad Thumper Lure Co. dove into the glide bait world several months ago with the Sway Guide developed the past two years by Cody Cannon, who lives in east Texas. It’s a balanced, high-quality glide bait fin to nose that’s easier on the fishing tackle budget, which is what the company’s two co-founders wanted, according to Cannon and Cody Tedford of Dierks, Ark.
“I just wanted to make a good, affordable glide bait with a gizzard shad profile,” Cannon said.
Cannon, 39, was in good spirits as he talked about the company’s wave of new baits, including the Sway Glide, introduced this year. The Hydra HD, a top-of-the-line swim jig, was unveiled during Bassmaster Classic week in March in Fort Worth, Tex.
A large bait for large fish
The Sway Glide is 8 inches long and weighs 3.75 ounces. The new glide bait has “super quality” proponents from the paints to the BKK hooks, Cannon said.
“It’s a large bait,” he said, adding it’s made out of Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene, a plastic material known for toughness, impact-resistance and lightness.
He’ll vouch for its effectiveness, noting he hooked and boated several 9-pound class bass while testing prototypes a few years ago at Lake Fork, Tex.
Don’t let its size intimidate you. As so many first-time users find out, even if they have yet to latch onto a giant, which might be inevitable, a glide bait catches solid fish off beds, fry guarders and even quality bass on random fisheries across the country.
“On this one, man, you just reel it in,” Cannon said, adding this one’s all about the action. “You don’t need to work it too much. If you want, you can add a few half hitches in the retrieve to get a wider glide but it’s real easy to work.”
Cannon said he ties his Sway Glide to 25-pound test Seaguar Tatsu fluorocarbon line on a Dobyns rod.
“I love the action,” he said.
“The Sway Glide Bait is awesome,” Tedford agreed. “It’s the way it moves in the water. It replicates very well.
“Since we launched it, we’re selling over 2,000 units a week. You know, Cody Cannon is the lead singer of Whiskey Myers. I think that helps some. He’s got more than 1 million follows.”
Widespread appeal
Others in the music and bass fishing industries back Toad Thumper Lure Co. products made by their buddy and fellow entertainer/bass angler, according to Tedford. They include Texas country singer and writer Cody Jinks; Texas bass fishing guide Jason Conn, and Sydnie Wells, host of Barstool Outdoors on YouTube. Toad Thumper Lure Co. appreciates the company’s added presence on the respective social media platforms, Tedford said.
Tedford said several Bassmaster Classic qualifiers had the new Sway Glide in their hands while fishing the world championship of bass fishing at Lake Ray Roberts. He and Cannon were working their booth at the 2025 Bassmaster Classic Outdoors Expo at Dickie’s Arena.
Tedford is proud of the company’s rapid ascension to the forefront of the artificial lure manufacturing industry. But it didn’t happen by chance.
“It’s been a lot of hard work,” he said. “I’ve been told by several in the industry we’re one of the fastest-growing fishing companies in the world. We’re now in 48 states and in 2,000 stores. We went from nothing in 2022 to 2,000 stores now.”
Another key partner in the growing business venture, Tedford said, is their friend Jaron Tipton, who runs the shipping warehouse in Dierks, Ark.
For more information on the Sway Glide and other Toad Thumper Lure products, go to toadthumper.co/collections/sway-glide-bait or call (479) 858-8023.
