The Illude Pistol Gill is a
hand carved wooden
glidebait
Impressions:
Last year I wrote
about my favorite
topwater rodent bait,
the Rad Rat, a
handmade custom bait
constructed from
wood by custom
baitmaker Illude.
After fishing this
bait with so much
success over the
last few
seasons I decided it
was time to delver
further into the
Illude portfolio.
Easier said than
done, as other baits
from the
manufacturer are
also in very high
demand, and equally
short supply. This
is the nature of
many custom bait
manufacturers, and
especially the
really good ones,
that often are smaller
family run operations.
As we
learned from the
experience with the Rad
Rat these
baits are the
creation of Lendl
Ha, whom I consider
to be a true master Luresmith. Lendl's
baits are coveted by
swimbait anglers,
and are known for
their artistry,
collectability, and
effectiveness.
The baits have
become instantly
recognizable for
their whimsical styling
and airbrushed paint
finishes.
The Pistol is only
available in one
size (5.5")
The Pistol Gill is
one of the signature
hand carved baits
from Illude, and is
a two piece bait
that is constructed from
cedar, and finished
with a soft hand
poured tail. There
are two versions of
the Pistol Gill, the
standard glidebait
version and a lipped
version called the
Pistol Gill Crank.
The Pistol Gill
comes in a variety
of float rates,
including a standard
float model, low
float, and slow
sink.
Even though it is
not very long the
Pistol Gill has a
stout profile thanks
to the wooden
construction. There
are also pads in
between the joints
to quiet, and
soften, joint impact
during retrieves
After seeing the
Pistol Gill images
online I started my
hunt for one of
these baits, all the
while continuing to
enjoy each fish I
caught on the Rad
Rat. If the Pistol
Gill was even close
to as fun to fish as
the Rad the hunt
would be well worth it.
But after months of
trying to purchase,
or trade for one, I
still hadn't
successfully added a
Pistol to my
arsenal. That all
changed in early
2020.
After a long search
I literally walked
into this Pistol
Gill thanks to
Mickey and Alex at
Coyote Bait and
Tackle in San Jose,
CA
Real World Tests:
Similarly to how
I encountered my
original Rad Rat I
purchased my first
Pistol Gill from
Coyote Bait and
Tackle. After being
on the hunt for this
bait for nearly a
year I walked into
the shop to find a
single bait behind
the glass counter. I
couldn't believe my
luck, and within an
hour of purchase was
at the local lake
making casts. I've
been fishing the
Pistol Gill for a
complete season now,
and have worked the
bait on a variety of
rod and reel setups,
using both straight
braid and a
fluorocarbon leader.
Slinging the Pistol
on the California
Delta
