Googan Squad Blog Posts
How to Follow Shad Migration for Fall Bass Fishing
Fall bass fishing improves dramatically when you understand one key pattern. Bass follow shad and other baitfish as they move from the main lake into creeks and shallow coves. Learning how to follow the shad migration helps you stay around feeding bass throughout the entire fall season. When water temperatures begin to cool, baitfish start moving shallow. Bass simply follow their food. If you stay around the bait, you stay around the bass. Where Bass Go During the Fall Migration Early in the fall, bass often remain scattered near main lake points and the mouths of creeks. As water continues cooling, baitfish move farther into creek arms and protected coves. Bass follow that movement. A few signs help confirm you are around active bait: Small groups of shad flickering near the surface Baitfish dimpling or jumping Birds feeding over the water Sudden surface activity from feeding bass When you see baitfish activity near the back of a creek, bass are usually close by. Fast Moving Baits Help Locate Fall Bass Fall bass are usually willing to chase. That makes reaction baits extremely effective for locating fish quickly. A soft paddle tail like the Saucy Swimmer is one of the best tools for covering water and mimicking the shad bass are feeding on. Another strong option is the Klutch lipless crankbait. Its vibration and rattle imitate a panicked baitfish and help trigger reaction strikes. Once you locate a school, slow down and work the area carefully. A compact jig like the Juicee Jig is perfect for picking off fish that stay near cover after the aggressive ones bite. It gives bass a slower meal after they stop chasing reaction baits. Start by covering water quickly until you locate a group of fish. Once bites begin, slow down and work the area more carefully. Creek Channel Turns That Hold More Bass Not every section of a creek holds the same number of fish. Bass often gather where something changes along the bottom or shoreline. Some of the most productive spots include: Creek channel bends Channel swings near shallow flats Where two coves intersect Points along the creek channel These intersections funnel baitfish and create natural feeding zones. If your electronics show the creek channel moving close to shallow structure, slow down and fish that area carefully. Adjusting as Fall Progresses As water temperatures continue to drop later in fall, the baitfish movement begins to slow. Some shad begin to weaken and drift in deeper water. Bass become slightly less aggressive and start targeting easy prey. During this transition, suspending baits like the Scout jerkbait become very effective. A twitch and pause retrieve mimics a struggling baitfish. Longer pauses often trigger strikes as water temperatures drop. Don't Ignore the Bank in the Fall One common mistake during fall is focusing only on deeper water. In many lakes, bass will push shad extremely shallow during feeding windows. Early morning and evening are prime times for this pattern. Bass may trap baitfish against: Grass edges Rock banks Dock lines Shallow points A topwater bait like the Googan Squad Hound can be very effective in these situations. Walking it across the surface imitates a separated baitfish struggling near the surface. If You Remember One Thing About Fall Bass Fishing Fall bass fishing becomes much easier when you stop searching randomly and start following the bait. Find the shad first, and bass will usually be nearby. Move with the baitfish, cover water with reaction baits, and pay attention to creek channels and feeding activity. When you stay around the bait migration, fall can become one of the most productive bass fishing seasons of the entire year.
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How to Fish a Laydown Tree for Bass
Knowing how to fish a laydown tree for bass means approaching the cover quietly and working each section of the tree carefully. Bass often position near the trunk in deeper water or under shaded branches depending on the season. Pitching precise presentations like a Bandito Bug or Thicc Jig into key sections of the laydown consistently produces bites. Laydowns are one of the most reliable structures in bass fishing. A single fallen tree can hold multiple fish and produce bites year after year. But catching those fish requires patience and a systematic approach. Why Laydowns Hold Bass A fallen tree provides several things bass rely on. It creates shade, ambush points, and protection in a single piece of structure. The branches form lanes where bass can sit quietly while baitfish move past. Over time, submerged wood also builds a small ecosystem. Algae and insects collect on the wood, which attracts baitfish. Those baitfish bring bass. Older laydowns are often more productive because they support a stronger food chain. Understanding the Trunk and the Branches Not every part of a laydown holds fish equally. Depth is the most important factor. The end of the tree closest to deeper water usually holds the biggest bass because it provides a quick escape route. Seasonal positioning also matters. In spring, bass often hold closer to the trunk near deeper water In summer, they spread throughout the branches seeking shade The first cast to the deepest part of the laydown is usually the most important. If a big fish is present, it often sits there. Pitching Baits into Tight Cover Fishing laydowns effectively requires precision. Traditional casting often lands too loudly and cannot reach tight spaces between branches. Instead, use pitching or flipping to place the bait quietly. Two presentations work extremely well in this cover. A Texas-rigged Bandito Bug paired with a Flippin' Weight is one of the most reliable setups for pitching into laydowns. The weight helps the bait fall straight into tight openings while keeping it weedless in heavy wood. The Thicc Jig is ideal when fishing deeper into heavy wood. Its pointed head and weed guard help it move through branches where larger fish hide. The goal is simple. Place the bait directly into the areas where bass are holding. Fishing the Laydown Methodically A large laydown requires multiple presentations. Many anglers rush through the cover and miss fish that are buried deeper in the branches. Instead, work the structure piece by piece. Start by fishing the shallow side of the tree first so you do not spook fish holding deeper. Then move progressively through the structure. Pay close attention to: Branch intersections Thick shade pockets Small openings inside the cover These small details often hold the most aggressive fish. Seasonal Changes in Laydown Fishing Laydowns produce fish year round, but positioning changes with the seasons. In spring, laydowns near spawning flats in shallow water are prime locations. During summer, deeper laydowns with heavy shade become more productive. In fall, trees located near creek channels often hold fish as bass move between shallow feeding areas and deeper water. The most valuable laydowns are those that connect multiple depth zones. A tree that stretches from shallow water into deeper water gives bass options throughout the year. The Key Rule for Fishing Laydowns If you remember one thing about laydown fishing, remember this. Fish the deepest section of the tree first and work the structure slowly. Bass use fallen timber as ambush cover, and the biggest fish often position where the structure meets deeper water. With precise pitches and weedless baits like the Bandito Bug or Thicc Jig, you can consistently pull bass out of wood that many anglers avoid.
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How to Pick a Bass Fishing Rod
Learning how to pick a bass fishing rod starts with understanding three things: power, action, and length. Once you know what each one does, choosing the right rod becomes simple. The goal is not owning twenty rods. It is choosing the right tools for the techniques you actually fish. If you are just getting started, a 7' Medium-Heavy Fast baitcasting rod paired with a 7' Medium spinning rod will cover most bass fishing situations you will encounter. Rod Power: The Backbone of Your Setup Rod power describes how much force it takes to bend the rod. In practical terms, it determines how well the rod handles certain lure weights and how much control you have over the fish. Most bass rods fall into a few key categories. Light to Medium-Light Used primarily for finesse techniques. Typical uses include: Ned rigs Drop shots Small wacky rigs These rods load easily and cast light baits well. Medium A versatile spinning rod power that works well for: Shaky heads Wacky rigs Small swimbaits It provides more backbone than a finesse rod while still handling light line. Medium-Heavy This is the workhorse power in bass fishing. It handles: Texas rigs Jigs Spinnerbaits Chatterbaits Many soft plastics If someone asked for one rod that can do almost everything, this is it. Heavy and Extra-Heavy These rods are built for heavy cover techniques. You typically use them for: Frogs Punching vegetation Flipping thick cover When you need to move a bass out of grass or wood quickly, this power matters. Rod Action: Fast vs Moderate Rod action describes where the rod bends when pressure is applied. Understanding this helps you match the rod to the lure style. Fast Action A fast rod bends mostly in the upper portion of the blank. The lower section stays stiff and provides hook-setting power. Fast rods are ideal for: Texas rigs Jigs Spinnerbaits Soft plastics They transmit bites clearly and drive hooks into the fish quickly. Moderate Action Moderate rods bend deeper into the blank. They are ideal for treble-hook lures such as: Crankbaits Some topwaters That deeper bend keeps tension on the fish during head shakes. It also helps prevent treble hooks from pulling free. Many anglers use graphite rods for most techniques and switch to fiberglass or composite rods for crankbaits. Rod Length: Balancing Distance and Control Rod length affects casting distance, leverage, and accuracy. Most bass rods fall between 6'6" and 7'11". Here is how length typically plays out on the water. Shorter Rods (6'6" to 7'0") Best for accuracy and tight casting angles. Good choices for: Dock fishing Close-quarters casting Bank fishing with obstacles Mid-Length Rods (7'0" to 7'3") This range is the sweet spot for many techniques. It balances: Casting distance Hookset power Accuracy That is why many all-purpose bass rods land in this range. Longer Rods (7'4" and above) Long rods create more leverage. They help with: Long casts Deep-water hooksets Heavy cover techniques Flipping rods and frog rods often fall in the 7'4" to 7'11" range for this reason. The Simplest Two-Rod Setup for Bass Fishing A two-rod system covers almost everything a new bass angler needs. If you were building a practical starting setup, it would look like this. Rod One: Medium-Heavy Fast Baitcaster (7'0" to 7'3") This rod handles most power fishing techniques: Texas rigs Jigs Spinnerbaits Swim jigs Many moving baits It is the rod you will reach for the most. Rod Two: Medium or Medium-Light Spinning Rod (around 7'0") This rod covers finesse fishing. Typical techniques include: Ned rigs Drop shots Wacky rigs These presentations rely on lighter line and smaller baits, which spinning gear handles better. With just these two rods, an angler can fish confidently in most situations. Rod Materials: Graphite, Fiberglass, and Composite Rod materials affect sensitivity, weight, and how the rod loads during a fight. Graphite Rods Most bass rods today are graphite. They are: Lightweight Sensitive Responsive That sensitivity helps detect subtle bites when fishing soft plastics or jigs. Fiberglass Rods Fiberglass rods bend more deeply and recover more slowly. This makes them ideal for: Crankbaits Treble-hook lures The softer action helps keep fish pinned. Composite Rods Composite rods blend graphite and fiberglass. They provide: Moderate action Better sensitivity than pure fiberglass Many crankbait rods today use composite blanks for that reason. If You Remember One Thing If you are trying to figure out how to pick a bass fishing rod, focus on three things: power, action, and length. Once those match the technique you plan to fish, the rod will perform the way it should. Start with a Medium-Heavy Fast baitcasting rod and a Medium spinning rod. Those two tools cover the majority of bass fishing techniques and give you a strong foundation to build from. As your skills grow and you fish more specific techniques, you can add specialized rods. But those first two rods will continue catching fish for years.
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Meet the Googan Glizzy Glide
The Glide Bait Built for Everyone. Some baits are made to catch fish. Some are made to chase giants. The Glizzy Glide was built to do both. What started as an idea between Googan and Grant Langmore turned into a full-blown obsession to create a glide bait that anybody could fish — without needing a garage full of specialized gear or years of swimbait experience. Because the truth is... glide bait fishing can feel intimidating. Massive rods. Oversided reels. Heavy line. Expensive setups. For alot of anglers, it feels like something for the hardcore swimbait crowd. We wanted to change that. The goal behind the Glizzy Glide was simple: Create a glide bait that fishes naturally on standard gear, works for every skill level, and still has the ability to trigger the kind of bites that keep you up at night. And after countless prototypes, design tweaks, swim tests, and fish catches… the Glizzy Glide was finally born. From CAD Drawings to Big Bites This bait did not happen overnight. The process started with sketches and CAD concepts, dialing in every detail from body shape to weighting balance to the exact glide action we wanted underwater. Then came the prototypes. Some versions glided too wide.Some didn’t recover naturally after turns.Some just flat-out didn’t have the right feel. But that is the glide bait fishing. Tiny adjustments completely change how a bait moves underwater. So the tweaks continued. Your browser does not support the video tag. Over time, the action started becoming exactly what we envisioned: a tight, natural side-to-side walking motion that could be worked effortlessly with slight turns of the reel handle. Not overly complicated.Not over-engineered.Just clean, deadly glide bait action. And once the first big bites started happening during testing... we knew this bait was different. Why Glide Bait Fishing Is Addictive There is a reason glide bait fishing has become an obsession for so many anglers. A glide bait is not usually about numbers. It is about that fish. The fish that follows your bait out of nowhere.The fish that makes your heart start pounding halfway through the retrieve.The fish that could easily become your next PB. Big profile baits trigger big reactions from big bass. And when a bass commits to a glide bait, it usually means business. That is what makes it addictive. It takes patience to fish a glide bait correctly. Slow retrieves. Confidence. Discipline. But when that bite finally happens... There is almost nothing else in fishing like it. Your browser does not support the video tag. Built for Every Skill Level The Glizzy Glide was designed to remove the barrier to entry that comes with most glide baits. If you are brand new to glide bait fishing, this bait was built for you. If you have been throwing swimbaits for years, this bait was built for you too. The action works for the angler instead of forcing the angler to work the bait perfectly. You do not need an ultra-specialized setup.You do not need years of experience.You do not need to overthink it. Just make the cast, slow down, and let the bait do what it was designed to do. That accessibility is what makes the Glizzy Glide different. How to Fish the Glizzy Glide The best part about the Glizzy Glide is how simple it is to fish. You can throw it on a Googan Muscle Rod paired with 17-20lb fluorocarbon or monofilament depending on your preference. Fish it around: Shallow cove Docks Grass Edges Ponds Lakes Creeks The key is slowing down. Use a slow, steady retrieve with subtle turns of the reel handle to let the bait naturally cut side to side in a tight walking action. Every now and then, pause the bait briefly and let it hang in the strike zone. That pause is usually when things get interesting. The Glizzy Glide Launches 6/4/2026 at 10 A.M. CST. The wait is almost over. The Glizzy Glide officially launches on June 4th at 10 AM, and this is one release you are not going to want to miss. Whether you are chasing your first glide bait fish or hunting the biggest bass of your life, the Glizzy Glide was built to give every angler a shot at something special. One cast can change your season. Maybe even your PB. Be ready when it drops.
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Fishing, The Googan Way.
At Googan Squad, we take fishing seriously, without taking the fun out of it. Our products are made through real-world testing and shaped by years on the water. Whether you’re chasing your first bass or your personal best, we’re here to make sure you’re equipped with gear you can trust.
