/ 
Highsider 220
The Highsider 220 is a long hard-swimbait with four sections, a total length of 27 centimetres and a weight of 135 grams. Its main feature is a removable lip, which allows it to be swum in two different ways, or rather, at two different depths.
With its pointed head and elongated body, it gives little resistance underwater and in the rod when reeled in. In this configuration, it remains on the surface even when retrieved. To make it swim just below the surface, you need to add a minimum weight of 14 grams to get the best presentation out of it.
When the bib is in place, you're dealing with a completely different lure. The first is that it makes the lure dive to a depth of 2 to 2.5 metres.
The second is that it accentuates and increases the ripple frequency of the lure, which therefore still feathers, but more tightly than without the bib. In addition, the snap of the sections is louder and more noisy.
Finally, the lip acts as a protector, as with a crankbait, and allows you to fish cranking, hitting the bottom while limiting the risk of snagging. The use of the bib adds a good deal of resistance to the rod during retrieve, making it much less pleasant to use than without, and a far cry from the traditional hard-swimbait, which is supposed to have no resistance.
Five of the lures on offer have a very natural color choice, which is to be expected given that these lures are initially designed for black-bass fishing.
The sixth reference available is chartreuse, a particularly effective color for pike fishing.
It's fitted with three treble hooks, but don't forget that if you want to use it on public land, you have to remove one of the hooks to comply.
Removing the one in the middle will not affect its balance. If you opt to replace your treble hooks with single hooks, size 4/0 is the right size to go for.
Use
The Highsider 220 was originally designed for black-bass fishing in Japan, and the bib configuration is easy to understand. In France, it's mainly used for pike fishing.
My opinion
The fact of having two lures in one, with the removable lip system, is rather good on paper, but for my part, less convincing once in the water. To be more precise, the configuration with the lip is effective, especially when fishing at constant depths. The configuration without the lip is less convincing, perhaps due to the fact that you have to weight it to use it. So, in my opinion, it's the bib configuration that should motivate the purchase of this lure.
However, care must be taken not to break or lose the bib when it's not in place, as this would detract from the lure's attractiveness, especially as it's this confirguration that seems to me to be the most elaborate and sought-after.
Similar to the well-known Balam 245, this lure is a good alternative to the latter, particularly in terms of its attractive colors, and is a little more affordable with a price just under three figures, at ?99.
Highsider 220
- Brand: Deps
- Type: Hard-swimbait
- Density: Floating
- Length: 27 centimetres
- Weight: 135 grams
- Price: ?99.90
- Distributor France: Fish Connection
