®
OPTIMUM
what’s new from
Winter 2024
BAITS
Optimum Baits may be based in California, but some brands and baits they distribute come from all over the world. Their Optimum and AA’s baits are made here in the United States, but they are responsible for bringing some of the biggest names from Japan into America, including the popular Deps line.
Now, they will also be bringing in a brand from Spain, Swimbait Republic, that specializes in big baits and they are sure to be a big hit.
Here’s a look at some of what’s new with the Optimum Baits brands.
THE SWIMBAIT REPUBLIC GLIDEWAY 176
Swimbaits and glide baits are a worldwide phenomenon, and the Glideway 176 from Swimbait Republic is pretty cool. It’s a bait that can do many things and you can use it as a floating, suspending, or sinking bait.
The ability to change comes down to adding lead stickers on the lure cavities. It’s a slow floating bait if you do nothing to it, but adding weights to the first cavity will make it suspend and adding to both the front and rear joint will cause the bait to sink.
All of the placements of the weights have been dialed in to get these actions in average water temperatures. The hotter the water, the faster the bait
will sink. You can also alter the sinking speed by using different lines.
The bait’s action is also unique and will give you different actions at different retrieve speeds, but they are all natural and trigger reactions from big bass. The bait is a 176mm in size and weighs 80 grams, which is around 2.8 ounces. It comes in five colors for now and while this is their first and only bait, there are more in the works.
REBOUND STICK
One is the Rebound Stick, a stick bait that excels on a wacky or Neko Rig. It comes in three sizes (3-, 5-, 6-, and 7-inches) and a wide range of colors. The bait is tapered on both ends, giving it a unique fall and the bait has ribs along the side for more vibration. Another great thing about it is that it is packed with salt and a crawfish scent. While it’s great for wacky rigs, you can fish it the same way as any other soft stickbait and have success.
KROMUSHI
Another unique bait from Deps is the Kromushi, a small plastic bait that looks like a little bug or beetle. It has a very buoyant plastic so that you can fish it on the surface and its tiny 1.3-inch size makes it look like an insect falling from the sky. You can walk it
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Glideway 176