Weekly material / Deps New Slide Swimmer 250, always at the top over the years!

The dimensions and swimming action of the New Slide Swimmer 250 remain more or less the same as the previous version, at 25 centimetres and 176 grams, making it an imposing lure all the same.

The swimming action of this glide bait is also similar, describing a wide S-shape in a very fluid, jerk-free way. It's probably one of the best lures in its class, as far as swimming action is concerned.

This fluidity is achieved by its atypical coating. In fact, as soon as you hold the New Slide Swimmer 250 in your hand, you'll notice that one of its special features is that it's covered in latex, giving it a skin-like feel and ensuring absolute glide underwater.

This skin makes the lure completely soundproof, eliminating shocks and noise at the joint, for maximum realism and to avoid arousing the suspicion of predators.

After all its qualities, Deps still found a way to perfect it further.

Improvements in this new version include a stronger ABS body and reinforced joints for even greater strength and durability.

Another special feature is the insertion of a system called "micro vibe" in the head. This creates vibrations at a frequency to which fish are receptive. The head also features a housing for a sinker, transforming the lure from slow sinking to sinking.

Originally fitted with two very strong 1/0 treble hooks, but not necessarily well proportioned for pike fishing. In my case, I replaced them with 5/0 singles to remain consistent. If you opt for trebles, I recommend using the 3/0 size.

Finally, as far as colors are concerned, the choice is varied and shows a certain research, with colors that are neither too realistic nor too simplistic, which is often what works best. The majority of shades consist of a back in one color and sides in another, and stand out from the crowd.

The first target of the New Slide Swimmer 250 is black bass. As far as this species is concerned, this oversized lure is mainly used to make black bass come out and see you, without necessarily expecting them to attack. The second phase is then to present a smaller lure which they will attack. This can be done either immediately, in which case it's best to have two anglers, or later, by returning to places where you've seen big fish.

In France, pike have proved to be another target for this lure. The lure can be reeled in at a constant speed, so that it swims smoothly, or stop and go, so that it turns more sharply, almost 90°, from left to right. Its latex skin is resistant to pike teeth, won't tear, and only a few small cuts may appear.

The funny thing about this lure, which has been around for 15 years now, is that when it first came out, its price seemed disproportionate for just a lure. Today, its price has risen in line with inflation, without going overboard, which, in view of the lure's quality and compared with what the competition is offering, makes it well positioned in terms of value for money.

This reference is a must-have for hard swimbait lovers, especially as quality big glide baits are actually quite rare.