Pencil surface lures are generally weighted with all of the weight in the back 1/3 of the lure so that the nose sticks out of the water. Because it is such a thin lure, the hooks and split rings act as the ballast instead of weighting below the center line of the lure. The difference is that with the back half of the lure in the water and the front half out, the drag is significantly different from back to front, which is how the walking action is achieved.
Over these past weeks I just built a 10 inch glider and was finally able to test it at the local lake. With the weight distributed over the entire belly of the lure, I can still get it to roll if I twitch the bait way too hard. It's because I built this one out of maple which is much more dense than the traditional cedar glides. Maybe try to not jerk the bait so hard, but work it soft and methodical. Each lure, especially when handmade, will have it's quirks. Once you figure them out, you'll be able to get them to dance.
Last thought, you can always add a rear stability plane like they have on the Drifter Hell Hounds which will significantly decrease it's ability to roll:
-
Andy