The Deps Balisong Long Bill Minnow might look like a deep diving jerkbait, but it actually fishes more like a tight wobbling crankbait. Perfect for targeting that 8 to 11-foot depth range where most of the trophy-sized bass live, the Balisong Long Bill Minnow was painstakingly crafted to replicate the actions of real baitfish, which spend the majority their lives tentatively swimming short distances, pausing, and always looking before making another move.

Featuring an advanced weight transfer system that allows the Balisong Long Bill Minnow to cast like a bullet, it also helps it maintain a tight wiggling, swimming action, while keeping it from darting or gliding too far off to the side like standard ripbaits. The weight transfer system also shifts the balance of the bait during short pauses, causing the Balisong Long Bill Minnow to slowly float up, headfirst, giving it the illusion of a weak or wounded baitfish. It is equipped with a vibrating spring weight as well in the nose cone, which pulses throughout the body of the bait even while paused and induces strikes by stimulating the bass’s lateral line

The bill on the Balisong Long Bill Minnow is engineered to keep the bait tracking at about a 60-degree angle to the bottom, which greatly reduces snags by making the tail pendulum forward when it comes in contact with snags and allows the bait to easily slide over and out of impediments. Outfitted with three razor-sharp Owner Treble Hooks and highly realistic paintjobs, the Deps Balisong Long Bill Minnow is the next step in true baitfish imitation.

Deps recommends two different styles of retrieve for the Balisong Long Bill Minnow

Retrieve One: Designed for open water

Step 1: Make a long cast
Step 2: Reel the bait down to running depth while holding the rod at the 9 o’clock position
Step 3: Stroke the rod upwards to the 11 or 12 o’clock position and experiment with length of strokes and also quickness, softness, hardness, and suddenness to see what works best during the current conditions
Step 4: Use the reel to take up loose line on the down-stroke only
Step 5: Repeat steps 1-4 the entire length of the cast.

Retrieve Two: Designed for bottom contact

Step 1: Make a long cast
Step 2: Reel the bait down to running depth
Step 3: Use a stop-and-go retrieve, as the bait comes into contact with the bottom it activates the vibrating spring weight. While the bait is paused the weight transfer system shifts the balance and the bait will start to float head up while also producing subtle vibrations.
Step 4: Repeat steps 1-3 the entire length of the cast.