Casting: When it comes to casting the Gen 2 is exactly like the original, weighing in at 5 ounces. I definitely recommend a purpose-built swimbait rod to fish this bait, and especially one that has plenty of backbone to really sling this full sized lure. Like other glide baits the Baitsanity Explorer baits are best when they are given plenty of water to swim in. There are times when a fish will follow the bait for a while before finally committing, and the more confidence you have in your rod the more likely you are going to catapult the bait with reckless abandon. In situations when you have no choice but to fish with a lighter rod a lob cast will suffice in deploying the bait.

I love slinging the Baitsanity Explorer as far as I can get it, working the glide over long distances in an attempt to draw interest from fish. Fishing a stout purpose-built swimbait rod like the Kistler KLX XXH helps

Some of my favorite rods to fish the Baitsanity Explorer Glide with include the Megabass Destroyer Onager, Kistler KLX XXH, and more recently the Douglas DXC XMatrix 7'11" Heavy. All of these rods have the necessary power to launch the Explorer and put it in position for long productive glides back to the shore or boat.

To further distinguish the new Raw pattern Baitsanity creates special new eye designs and airbrushed sections. It is the attention to detail at this price range than makes the Explorer such a great value

Retrieve: In my 2018 review of the original Explorer I talked about the unique glide of the bait and how it really excelled at slower to medium retrieves. When fished very quickly the bait looks a little unnatural, but with the slower retrieves it definitely seems to draw more attention from fish.

Looking for the right water and structure to initiate the attack

When it comes to glide baits the Deps Slide Swimmer really is the OG, the bait that represents the measuring stick for all other glides. While the Slide Swimmer is fishable at just about any speed the Explorer seems to be the most effective when anglers put in work at lower speeds.

I've had the most success over the last two seasons fishing the Baitsanity Explorer Glide Baits slowly while pausing my retrieves and imparting action with a combination of pauses and twitches with the rod tip. It is through these varied retrieves that I have found the Explorer really comes to life, and exhibits the maximum drawing power.

This is also why the new Hatch Match tail options are especially interesting, as they enable anglers to really get creative while fishing the bait when it performs best.

Each Baitsanity Explorer comes with an extra tail and the Hatch Match tails are sold separately for $15.99 each

Changing Hatch Match tails via the Baitsanity BaitConnect system is pretty easy. At the bottom of the tail there is a tension switch that locks into place when the tails are fully seated. Simply push the switch back and pull up on the tail and it will slide up and out. At first some of the tails will feel pretty tight and you have to push and pull but I found after a few interchanges the lock does loosen up.

The locking switch is accessed at the very bottom of the bait

The original Hatch Match tail really changed the overall profile of the bait but the overall gliding action was very similar. The big difference was the thumping action of the paddle tail design which created more noticeable movement at all speeds. I found this tail configuration performed well in the Spring and Summer months where fish were aggressive and eager to chase baits that exhibited more flash or action.

When fully seated the "T' section at the top of the tail will hold the tail firmly in place. One of the great things about this design is not only the ability to switch out tails but customize some of your tails as desired with dyes and paints

The cool thing about this interchangeable tail design is the ability to really match the original bait while altering profile and action. It is also possible to buy extra tails and dye the ends of them if you want to add a chartreuse tail for example, but don't want to be stuck fishing a brightly colored tail in the cooler months. The Baitsanity solution is all about providing anglers with options.

Next: The Hatch Match GX 2.0 Tail Maximizes the Glide...