Here ’ s a stealthy little Japanese frog with a befitting title . Deps ’ SlitherK is designed to do just what the name suggests : slide through the thickest slop like a well-heeled 4x4 . At 3 / 8 ounce , the 2 ¼-inch bait doesn ’ t stir up much commotion when it goes on the prowl , yet it triggers explosive strikes and produces stellar hook-up ratios . First Impressions The SlitherK is hardly new . It made its way to the American market in 2012 but has flown under the radar with many anglers , possibly due to its $ 20.99 price tag . I ’ ve been throwing it for the better part of a decade and have found plenty to love .
Super Soft : I ’ m not sure what type of plastic its body is made from , but Optimum
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Baits ’ Matt Paino claims it ’ s way softer than most on the market . The result is a bait that collapses quickly and easily when a bass eats it , resulting in an excellent hook-up ratio .
A Different Mold : Plenty of forethought went into the body design , which features cupped sides , a flat belly and a strategically placed belly weight built around a 3 / 0 frog hook with a nasty bite and a horizontal line tie . All of that adds up to a deep , horizontal floating position that intentionally suppresses the side-to-side movement of the bait and also creates more water push and vibration . It comes complete with a pair of tiny air / water escape holes in the rear .
Size : Big isn ’ t always better . The physical profile of the body is noticeably smaller
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in length and weighs less than most competitors , yet it casts like something larger . Deps finishes the bait off with a single , genuine rabbit-fur tail that is centered on the butt .
No Legs : The bait doesn ’ t have two legs made from silicone strands like most hollow bodies . Instead , its bushy , rabbit-fur tail shows bass a different action and prevents the need for trimming to make it walk correctly .
Color Choices : It ’ s offered in 13 different colors , including several white / bone and black hues that seem to be popular with frog junkies . I ’ m also a big fan of the shooting star and visible shiner patterns .
In Action
A few casts were all it took to realize the SlitherK is
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a hot rod tricked out for high performance .
Long Reach : The first thing I noticed was how well the bait cuts the wind . Casts of 30 yards or more were the norm in combination with 65-pound Suffix 832 . Deps claims the rabbit fur tail adds a little casting weight once wet .
Easy to Walk : The sealed belly weight sits close to center , causing the frog to always land belly down , sit flat in the water and partially submerged on the surface . These features , coupled with the concave sides and flat pad of the rump section , help facilitate a fluid walking action that is simple to accomplish using light , downward twitches of the rod tip .
Light on its Toes : The bait isn ’ t designed to cause a
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