I’m sure this will sound crazy to some, but I’ve been using an underspin jighead in a way I haven’t really seen others use it. I fish a pond/lagoon system in New Orleans City Park which is all very shallow. Deepest point in the entire system is 5 or 6 feet. Plus, it’s used for drainage and it has been pumped down extra low lately. It also gets a TON of fishing pressure, so coming at the bass with a different approach that they haven’t seen before is important. Well... I’ve been throwing a 1/4oz underspin with a 3.75” SK Rage Swimmer trailer in about 10-20” of water on a 7’ MF rod with a 7.3:1 reel spooled up with either 12 or 15# flouro and using a fast retrieve. I’m getting a ton of bites, but I’m only hooking up with about 50% and landing  probably less than 25%. What can I do? I’ve been thinking about a stinger hook or something, but I’m not sure. Any ideas?

How long are waiting between the strike and hookset? Also, make sure you keep the line taut while you're fighting it.

The fish are slapping at the bait because it's moving so fast and they're reacting to it. Since you're using only a single hook, you're only going to hook up if the fish gets the hook point inside their mouth. A few suggestions:

 

1 - Downsize your bait. Drop down to a 2.75" Rage Swimmer. It's easier for the fish to get a bait that size in their mouth.

2 - Change baits. In that shallow of water, a Mann's Baby 1- is perfect. 

3 - After a bite, throw a follow up cast immediately with a different rod. I'd recommend using a Senko or a Fluke in a similar color/size as your Rage Swimmer.

 

There's a possibility Not every bite is from a fish large enough to actually eat your bait; hence the short strikes.

Your speed of retrieve may be too fast - 

What size are the fish you're landing ? 

If the bass you're hanging on your thumb are sizeable, perhaps that hook is too small.

And finally, no one lands them all, but other than frog fishing, a landing rate of below 50% may mean something's a miss.  Change whatever you're doing to land them - do something else.

The worse thing that can happen is you lose it - but you're already doing that so you can only improve.

You're nailing the hard part; finding bass & getting them to strike.

Tweak the rest and you're Golden.

A-Jay

 

 

Unless the water is really clear I would recommend throwing an under spin on a 5:1 reel or about 20 IPT. I have my best luck with them on a slower reel.

I think Fishballer is spot on.  You might try down sizing not just the trailer but the head size also. Go to maybe a 1/8 or 3/16 oz. head as shallow as the pond is a 1/4 oz underspin sinks pretty fast if you try to slow it down. Then slow it down and make sure your hooks are sharp.

Good luck,

Fishingmickey

I got nothing for you, I can't get a bite on an underspin to save my life. If I was in a similar situation, my OCD would have me separating those two lures and trying to see which one is actually being bit or whether it's actually the combination of the two, but again, I'm not the one to ask on this one.

Try a 1/8 oz. Road Runner head with a CB Slider grub.

I wouldn't change anything with your lure and retreive technique because it's working.

Try a simple trick by adding a size 4 treble hook on the single underspin top hook.

Put the treble hook eye over the jig hook so the bottom barb can be inserted into the back of the swimmer. To hold the hook from comming off simply add a 1/4" dia piece of thin plastic*  made with from a paper hole punch for a keeper so the treble doesn't slide back over the hook barb.

Tom

* any food plastic lid like soft butter container.

15 hours ago, Crestliner2008 said:

Try a 1/8 oz. Road Runner head with a CB Slider grub.

I use these and change the blade to small willow leafwillow leaf

2 hours ago, flatcreek said:

I use these and change the blade to small willow leafwillow leaf

They already make a RR head with a willowleaf blade. It's called their "Pro" series. Check out Grizzly Jig Co..

48 minutes ago, Crestliner2008 said:

They already make a RR head with a willowleaf blade. It's called their "Pro" series. Check out Grizzly Jig Co..

I was getting those at Acadamy , but they stopped stocking them.Thanks

On December 18, 2018 at 1:23 PM, flatcreek said:

I was getting those at Acadamy , but they stopped stocking them.Thanks

Check out Sworming Hornet underspins.

Tom