Deps Slide Swimmer 250 Product Review

Lure Review

Glide Week : The Perfect Sliding Storm

Date:	4/10/14
Tackle Type:	Lure
Manufacturer:	Deps
Reviewer:	Cal

Total Score: 7.14 - ULTIMATE ENTHUSIAST AWARD!

Introduction: What happens when you combine the enthusiastic allure of JDM tackle together with the passion inspired craze of big baits? What happens when that same product, a bait, is available only in limited quantities? Imagine a waiting list ranging anywhere from fifty to three hundred people lining up for a chance to purchase that bait. Imagine retail costs of up to 70% above msrp for that very same bait. Finally, imagine five fish limits totaling forty pounds and more serving only to continually drive the demand for that bait higher and higher! Here now is our look at the hottest glide bait on the market, the Deps Slideswimmer 250.

See why the Slideswimmer is such a deadly bait.

Deps Slide Swimmer 250 Specifications
Type	Glide Bait
Length	10" (Also available in 115mm with 175mm available to DEPS club members within Japan only)
Weight	6.3 oz (as tested)
Depth	any
Rate(s) of Fall	Slow Sink
Pieces	2
Colors	13
Hooks	1/0 Owner
Origin	Made in Japan
MSRP	$150

Quality/Construction: The Slideswimmer 250 is a ten inch bait weighing six and a half ounces. It shares the same shape and profile as the manufacturer's Silent Killer bait including the unique rubberized coating around the entire bait. On initial inspection, this coating gives the bait a very peculiar, unrefined, almost toylike aura.

This is where glide baits get real serious. The Slideswimmer 250 is a ten inch bait weighing just over six ounces.

It takes a really close look at this bait to appreciate the intricacies of its construction. The bait's finish is painted onto the soft rubber coating used to surround and protect its resin body. As a result the patterns are very subdued and honestly unimpressive. Detailing on the bait, thanks to the molded rubber is very good with regards to fins but again very subdued in and around the bait's head. Hardware on this bait is top notch and the craftsmanship demonstrated to put this bait together is actually very good.

Quality Ratings for Deps Slideswimmer 250
Finish (1-5)	Detailing (1-5)	Hardware (1-5)	Craftsmanship (1-5)	Total	Possible	Rating (= Tot/Pos * 10)
3	4	5	4	16	20	8

Performance: Where the heaviest baits in our Glide Week roundup thus far have weighed between four to four and a half ounces, the 250 Slideswimmer is a traditional big bait weighing in at a solid six and a third ounces. This means you need some serious gear with which to throw this bait. My reels of choice during our field tests with this bait have been the Abu Revo Winch and Okuma's 300 sized Citrix Reel. Rods of choice include Megabass's Red Demon, Evergreen International's Super Stallion Valiant, and Okuma's EVX-C-861XH-Ta. I prefer fishing the Slideswimmer with twenty five to thirty pound nylon mono - usually Sunline SuperNatural.

You need a serious stick to throw this bait. One of our favorites is the no no-nonsense Okuma EVX-C-861XH-Ta.

As discussed earlier, out of the package, the Slideswimmer is not an overly impressive bait. That rubber coating is so unconventional, it just takes some time to take the bait seriously. That being the time to tie it on and toss it out, because once this bait hits the water, any and all doubts of its allure virtually swim away. In short, this bait is sick in the water. Its attitude in descent is perfectly parallel and as son as you click that spool over to begin your retrieve, the bait glides and slides effortlessly back to your position.

A closer look at the bait's stout joint hardware.

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