I recently started experimenting with the little line thru swimbait that osprey makes. It is a phenomenal bait, tracks well, runs at a perfect depth for fishing around shallow cover, and the fish love it.

 

My issue is the hookup ratio I am having with the bait. Honestly it seems like I'm batting about 30% with the bait. Sometimes I'm seeing the fish inhale the whole bait and I'm still missing them. I have tried delaying my hook set as well, no dice. I am in a kayak so an upward hookset is often my only option and this could be an issue as I may need a side sweep, that is also something I have considered.

 

I am using a #4 gamakatsu round bend as my hook, it is the same size as the hook that originally came with the bait and seems plenty big enough. Maybe the round bend isn't the best choice or I need to go to a #2, although that would be a little big for the bait.

 

I have been fishing it on a 7' medium action rod with 12lb fluorocarbon, my rod choice is based on the hook,  I highly doubt the issue is not having enough power to hook the fish.

 

Anyone with suggestions or experience with the bait, send it all my way!

 

  Today

I have one of those little guys and I'm running a pretty enormous hook on it, I want to say it's like a 1/0 or 2\0.  It snags on everything but I don't think I have ever missed a fish on it, but I only have maybe  half dozen bass on it.  

 

 I don't even remember that I have it most of time so I never throw it, but it seems like it fills the "small and heavy" niche pretty well.  

Size 4 maybe too small with all the soft plastic the bass has in it's mouth when you try to hook set. Try up sizing to #2 Gammy round bend.

Also try reel set with rod  sweep like a crankbait to prevent tearing the treble hook out.

Tom

Scott Martin did a video with one recently and he had a treble hook in it

I've not used that bait....but it does look a lot like Optimum Baby Line Thru. For a 4" BLT, I use trebles, burying one in the belly....IIRC, about a 1 or 1/0

Size 4 does seem small. I'd go up to a 2 or 1. I'd also bump up the line size. I like to know I'm driving that hook home with a swimbait. A lot of times you're trying to drive those hooks into a bonier part of the mouth. 

56 minutes ago, fishballer06 said:

Size 4 does seem small. I'd go up to a 2 or 1. I'd also bump up the line size. I like to know I'm driving that hook home with a swimbait. A lot of times you're trying to drive those hooks into a bonier part of the mouth. 

I just went with a 4 because the bait came with one, I don't have any experience with line thrus but it does seem to be too small from what I'm hearing and reading. I'm gonna bump it up to a size 2 but I think I'll stick with 12lb line. It's a pretty small bait and relatively light so I think going much heavier could hinder its action, 15 would probably be okay. I have hooked plenty of fish on a deep diving crank with a size 2 on 10lb line so I don't see how it could be much different, especially because the force is only being distributed on 3 points instead of 6.

I haven't fished the Osprey, but the Optimum BLT 4 and 5 inch are great baits with excellent hookup ratio. Pretty sure they have a size 2 or 1 treble on them. 

10 hours ago, Bluebasser86 said:

I haven't fished the Osprey, but the Optimum BLT 4 and 5 inch are great baits with excellent hookup ratio. Pretty sure they have a size 2 or 1 treble on them. 

Try one out! What depth do those optimum swimbaits run at?

4 hours ago, everythingthatswims said:

Try one out! What depth do those optimum swimbaits run at?

I fish them pretty high but a patient person could fish them much deeper.