Swimming action

1. A glide bait that swims with realism and soft action to entice hesitant Bass

S-shaped baits called “glide baits” in English, so named because of their unique ‘S’ shaped swimming pattern, blew onto the Bass fishing scene nearly two decades ago, and remain very popular to this day. Since the S-shaped big bait boom, many products have been released and eliminated, and innovation continues even after more than 15 years have passed since their debut.

The S-swimmers are not only popular in Japan, but in the United States as well. Butch Brown, a famous big Bass trophy hunter, has attracted a lot of attention to one particular lure…the DEPS The Slide Swimmer 250, which he claims nets him hundreds of pounds of Monster Bass per year in the USA. In fact, the Slide Swimmer series is now the leading Japanese S-swimmer lure, and can be spotted all over Europe, where they continue to grow in popularity. The Slide Swimmer comes in four sizes: the 115mm (4.5”), the 145mm (5.7”), the 175mm (6.9”), or the mammoth 250mm (9.8”). Make no mistake, these are big lures meant for huge fish!

The latest offering, the ‘New’ Slide Swimmer, has improved response to rod operation and action sharpness by changing the body from a foam resin to a hollow core ABS resin covered in realistic soft plastic. This is a big bait with such realism and soft action that it will fool big Bass and make them bite. Ghost colors and colors with built-in reflective plates have been added to the lineup, taking advantage of the transparency of the ABS resin (the old model was opaque foamed resin). The key to the Slide Swimmer’s popularity is DEPS’ attitude of continuing to update performance and appeal without being content with the status quo.

2. Soft waves and silent action to catch pressured fish

The Slide Swimmer's wave movement is unique in that it pushes through the water consistently with a certain rigidity while exuding a weaker action with its certain softness of body. This “appealing power with a sense of life” is different from the soft waves of soft-plastic materials and the strong waves of hard types. This lifelike action is achieved by directing water flow through tubes in the front section that extend from the mouth of the bait to the rear of the front section, thereby using the water pressure generated by the retrieve to create the action. It’s an element that can be used regardless of water quality, from muddy to clear.

In addition, the silent action of the soft body is especially effective under high pressure. In contrast to big baits made of soft-plastic material that can only be reeled freely, the strength of the Slide Swimmer is that the angler can make full use of the rod operation to influence the timing to bite, using strong actions such as jerk and twitch. If you add it, it will make an unnatural sound, due to the spring loaded weight in the front half of the lure. This ‘thud’ sound may work as an appealing element when Bass are highly active, but the more severe the situation is, the more silent the action can be, which is a great advantage and directly linked to improved fishing results.

3. How to increase bite chance by action change

The back of the front section of the Slide Swimmer protrudes from the joint and acts as a cushion that, when coupled with the water pressure from the tubes, creates a soft S-shaped swimming action. The action is attractive enough even with free retrieve, but it’s a good idea to change the action up every now and again to increase bite chances and get more fishing results. Especially effective actions include continuous twitching and jerking, as it mimics a wounded baitfish. Jerk and pause also works well, with many strikes occurring on the pause. In the past, these were actions dictated by the rods, but in recent years they have changed to reeling operations with the advent of high gear reels.

Continuous twitching has evolved into a technique called “digimaki” in Japan, and the Japanese have evolved jerking into a technique called the “reeling jerk”. Delicate reel work allows for more precise action changes, such as continuous head swings that suppress movement, interweaving short pauses, and then inducing strikes with escape actions that fly wide to the side. In addition, it is also effective to raise the rod tip up after confirming the chase to create an action in which the baitfish escapes to the surface.

4. Tactics with size and rod choice

As previously stated, the Slide Swimmers are available in 4 sizes: 115mm, 145mm, 175mm, and 250mm. Matching the bait to the location is at the heart of the lure game, but it's not the only answer when it comes to big baits. This is because the very size of the bait often attracts bass. Knowing the sizes of the fish population and what size lure to throw is equally important as what lure to throw. For example, if the 175 is the main lure because it can fully utilize the power of the big bait, and there is a chase that does not reach the bite, throwing a 145 as a follow bait may be an effective follow-up to tempt a strike. However, here’s the problem that anglers have: they can't use the same rod for a 115 and 145 that they need for the 175 or 250. This means carrying exclusive rods for these big baits.

Although the visual appeal of the 115 and 145 is slightly lower due to the size, you should be able to get the results of big baits while still using a medium/medium light setup. The level of attraction to the Bass is different with lighter tackle and rod setup. But the 175 and 250 are in the category of giant baits, and it's not something that can be handled with a standard rod and reel.

Although these big baits don’t get the number of strikes as smaller lures, the fish that hit them are huge! It's a lure that has enough power to induce strikes in very big fish, but it is also worth noting that it’s not the lure to use if limiting out is your goal. you’ll catch less fish, but the Bass you’ll catch will be monsters. One interesting aspect of the 250 is that even though many times the Bass may not bite, they will often follow the lure. Many anglers regard the 250 as a great lure to visually search for bass. While it's a lure that has enough appeal to induce a strike, it's also good to understand all the ways a great lure can catch you big Bass.

5. The DEPS ‘Silent Killer’ series is a floating diver with stronger action.

In contrast to Slide Swimmers that present with smooth S-shaped swimming and realistic waves, the lip of theSilent Killer tightens the ‘S’ pattern and adds stronger action. Taking advantage of the lips ‘floating’ characteristics, waking (running on the surface at slow retrieve) and fast cranking are effective. The basic presentation is to fan cast the silent killer widely and look for reaction strikes. If there is no response, change to a Slide Swimmer, which is a lure that effectively mimics search and feeding. The Silent Killer also has the advantage of clearing obstacles with its lip avoidance performance and buoyancy when attacking spots that are likely to have weeds and structure.

New SlideSwimmer 175 F [Brand New]

$52.99

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• Condition: Brand New
• Length: 175 mm (6.9 inch)
• Weight: 72.8 g (2.6 oz.)

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