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EFFORTLESS Secret How To Fish A Underspin Jig [57 Underspin Jig Fishing Tips On When and Where]

A truly "no brainer" (yet almost always overlooked) way to fish a underspin jig bait for bass... and... how to increase your catch rate by 112% or more... automatically!

Do you want to catch more fish? Have you heard of an underspin jig fishing but are still unsure how to exactly when, where, and how to fish it correctly?

Many anglers know an underspin jig is bait that kinda looks like a swimjig and a spinnerbait.

But what many anglers are kept in the dark with is how exactly to get started fishing with an underspin jig, or how to choose the underspin jig that actually works.

A huge problem I faced… and… possibly you… was what are the best conditions to fish an underspin jig. But that wasn’t the end of my problems… I also had the problem of knowing where exactly I should throw it (without wasting a full day of fishing!)… And to make matters worse, I found out I had the wrong gear. In the begining I was really frustrated!… So… I had to research and learn how to choose the right underspin jig for the conditions… and… learn what’s the best rod, reel, line set up that gave me the best chances of actually catching a fish!

All this can make fishing an underspin jig a nightmare! But luckily for you, I watched hours of instructional videos, read books and magazines about this topic, and even talked to pros at seminars at our local Bass Pro Shops…

So, if you’re a smart person who really wants to catch fish with an underspin jig, and wants to be given no B.S. report that is actually helpful, then this blueprint is the answer you’ve been looking for!

Underspin Jig Primer

An underspin jig includes a jig head with a hook extending from the back and a swivel on the bottom that connects to a blade. The blade sits below the jig head and spins as it passes through the water. 

An underspin jig can also cut through weeds, making it excellent for use around the cover. While these jigs are often used in clear water, you can use them in a variety of situations with the right techniques. 

Use the following report to learn how to fish underspin jigs for bass.

What is an Underspin Jig and Why Would a Fish Bite It?

The jig head typically resembles a shad and includes a loop on the top of the head for tying your line. Depending on your retrieval technique, an underspin jig may mimic an injured shad or one foraging for something to eat. 

Anglers often fish underspin jigs across the bottom using a stop-and-go retrieval. It is effective for attracting attention when the bass are feeding aggressively on shad.

"The bass tend to bite the underspin jig due to its ability to stand out compared to other types of lures."

When everyone else is using a different type of crankbait or spinnerbait, the underspin jig can provide the bass with something different to target. 

Underspin jigs are often used in clear water, as they do not provide as much vibration as other types of spinnerbaits. However, underspin jigs are also available in a variety of styles to suit different water conditions.

Secret #1: Knowing What Are the Different Variations of Underspin Jigs?

The two main types of underspin jigs include exposed underspin jigs and weedless underspin jigs. A weedless jig includes a weed guard that extends from the jig head to shield the hook from weeds. 

A weedless underspin jig is a good choice for fishing near brush piles, grass, and weeds. You can pull the jig through the weeds to create more motion in the water with less risk of snagging your rig on debris. 

Keep in mind that a weedless underspin jig may reduce your hookup ratio. The weed guard can occasionally prevent the bass from fully getting the hook. 

Secret #2: Pick the Right Size Underspin for Bass

Underspin jigs also come in different sizes. The most common sizes for underspin jigs for bass fishing include:

  • 1/8 ounce
  • 1/4 ounce
  • 3/8 ounce
  • 1/2 ounce
  • 3/4 ounce

A 3/8-ounce underspin jig is the best all-around size. However, if you’re fishing in heavy cover, you may want a heavier ½-ounce jig.

1/8-ounce and ¼-ounce underspin jigs are used for finesse fishing. A finesse approach may work better when everyone else is using a more aggressive approach with heavier jigs. 

The size also depends on the depth that you plan on fishing. A 3/8-ounce is well-suited for most depths, but a lighter jig works better for staying near the surface. 

Another consideration is the type of blade. While there are many styles of blades, the three most common jig blades include:

  • Willow leaf blades
  • Colorado blades
  • Indiana blades

Willow Leaf Blade

Willow leaf blades are long and slender. The slender shape creates a smaller profile and less vibration compared to the other styles of blades.

Use a willow leaf blade when you want a subtler presentation or want to use a fast retrieval. The shape cuts through the water faster and does a great job of mimicking small baitfish. 

The slender shape of the willow leaf blade also works well in deep water. The shape creates less lift compared to other blades, which keeps your jig from rising too fast.

Colorado Blade

Colorado blades have a round shape that mimics the look of panfish. While the willow leaf blade produces minimal action the Colorado blade makes the most noise out of the main groups of blades. 

The round shape creates more vibration in the water, making your underspin jig more noticeable to nearby bass. The extra action of the Colorado blade is helpful in muddy water or overcast conditions.

Indiana Blade

The Indiana blade offers a compromise between the willow leaf blade and the Colorado blade. It has a teardrop shape that produces less movement compared to the Colorado blade and more action compared to the willow leaf blade. 

If you are not sure whether you should use a Colorado blade or a willow leaf blade, simply choose an Indiana blade. You get a balanced option that should work in any setting.

The blades also come in a variety of sizes, ranging from 0 to 8. Larger blades provide more action and a larger profile. 

Sizes 3 to 4 are most common for underspin jigs. The typical setup may include a size 3 blade with a 1/8-ounce or ¼-ounce jig or a size 3.5 blade with a 3/8-ounce or ½-ounce jig.

Secret #3: Instantly Recognize the Best Locations on the Lake to Fish an Underspin Jig

Bass and other fish spend most of their time in deeper water throughout most of the year and migrate to shallower water in search of food. They use underwater structures to navigate, which allows you to find bass by targeting the locations and structures they travel:

  1. Points and Secondary Points
  2. Shoreline Cover
  3. Open Flats
  4. Channels
  5. Bluffs and Rock Reefs
  1. Points and Secondary Points

Points and secondary points are areas of shallow water near the shore that extend further out compared to the surrounding areas. The sides of points include ledges that drop off to deeper water.

Fishing around the secondary points allows you to target suspending bass off the ledges. You can also fish for bass in the shallower areas of the points.

  1. Shoreline Cover

A weedless underspin jig is a great option for use in shoreline cover, such as areas with lots of vegetation. While underspin jigs are often used in clear conditions, you can also have success in heavy cover.

A weedless underspin jig can tear through weeds and grass or bump against solid structures to create more movement and attention.

  1. Open Flats

An open flat is one of the top locations to use an underspin jig, as you can cover wider areas in less time. A flat is typically a shallow area with a uniform depth.

An open flat may appear near the shore or in the middle of the lake. Some flats also contain high grass.

Fish the open flats with less vegetation in low-light scenarios, such as after rainfall, overcast days, or night fishing. Fish the open flats with heavy vegetation on clear days, as the vegetation gives the bass the cover they need to feed.

  1. Channels

Bass use channels to migrate between deeper and shallower water. Fish near creek channels and inlets during transitionary periods, such as the early spring or late fall.

The bass are likely to travel the channels during temperature changes. In the spring, bass travel from larger bodies of water to narrower channels for feeding and spawning.

  1. Bluffs and Rock Reefs

Rocky bluffs provide the ideal spot to use a light underspin jig during the winter. The bass may move to the shallower, rocky areas in search of food and warmth on cold days. 

The rocks absorb heat from the sun and offer places for small baitfish to hide. Allow your underspin jig to fall to the bottom and use a slow, steady retrieval to attract nearby bass.

Bonus Secret #4: Understand the Best Basic Retrieval Techniques for Fishing an Underspin Jig

The underspin jig is typically used with a “stop & go” retrieval technique. This retrieval method works well in most settings, including open water and around heavy cover. 

Start by performing a long cast to the area that you want to target. Allow the jig to sink to the desired depth, which is typically the bottom of the water. 

After the jig sinks, crank the reel three to four times. As you reel in your line, the jig will travel closer to you and start to rise in the water. 

The speed of your retrieval also impacts whether the jig rises or sinks. If you reel quickly, the jig will rise faster. 

After cranking the reel several times, stop reeling and allow the jig to fall again. Repeating this stop & go action mimics an injured baitfish and should bring the bass in for a strike.

Pay attention to your line and be ready to set the hook when you stop reeling. The bass often strike during the fall.

Helpful Tip: The bass tend to bite the underspin jig due to its ability to stand out compared to other types of lures."

The underspin jig is typically used with a “stop & go” retrieval technique. This retrieval method works well in most settings, including open water and around heavy cover. 

Start by performing a long cast to the area that you want to target. Allow the jig to sink to the desired depth, which is typically the bottom of the water. 

After the jig sinks, crank the reel three to four times. As you reel in your line, the jig will travel closer to you and start to rise in the water. 

The speed of your retrieval also impacts whether the jig rises or sinks. If you reel quickly, the jig will rise faster. 

After cranking the reel several times, stop reeling and allow the jig to fall again. Repeating this stop & go action mimics an injured baitfish and should bring the bass in for a strike.

Pay attention to your line and be ready to set the hook when you stop reeling. The bass often strike during the fall.

Bonus Secret #5: When To Fish an Underspin Jig

If you’re on a clear water lake, first thing in the morning and have a slight breeze, and the bass are just not hitting a topwater lure, or a more aggressive lure such as a crankbait or a flutter spoon, then you need to consider the underspin jig. 

Understand jigs are great for covering a lot of water and an incredibly effective reaction bait. These little baits produce a ton of flash, create a massive amount of vibration, yet seem subtle and somewhat dainty.

The best time to fish an underspin jig is in the summer into late fall. It also works really well when the water is cold.

Helpful Tip: In the summer, an underspin jig is fished similar to a hair jig.

If the bass are done chasing shad and the topwater bite dies, cast out your underspin jig over a point or some other structure where the bass are holding…

Let it fall complete to the bottom and steadily reel it back in. Keep that bait as close as you can to the bottom. 

It’s better even if you slowly bump the rocks on the bottom with your lure to trigger extra bites.

The longer you keep your swimbait in front of the fish’s face, in the strike zone the better chances you will have on getting bit.

However, in the fall it’s really important to find the bass that are chasing shad schools. 

When you find the bass chasing shad, cast out your lure, but this time do not let the bait fall to the ground. 

You want to make sure that you start really in your lure the moment that bait touches the water. Again just real the bait in with a steady retrieve.

Bonus Secret #6: Choose the Best Underspin Jig Colors

Silver and gold are the traditional choices for underspin jigs, as these two colors cover almost any situation. Silver works best in clear water while gold works better in water with less visibility. 

Silver and neutral-colored jig heads are often paired with silver blades.

Gold jig heads are often combined with gold blades while painted jig heads may work well with gold or painted blades.

Helpful Tip: Common painted colors for blades and jigs include chartreuse, green, blue, white, and black. Bright colors are preferred for deep water, as less light penetrates the lower depths of lakes and rivers.

White underspin jigs create more contrast when fishing at night or during overcast conditions.

The profile is easier to see in the darker environment.

Black and blue are also popular combinations. The contrast between the two colors creates a good target for the bass in slightly dirty water and low light conditions.

Soft Plastic Trailer or Trailer Hook? Which is Better?

Underspin jigs are almost always fished with a soft plastic trailer. The soft plastic trailer rounds out the presentation and creates a fuller profile.

Soft plastic trailers come in a variety of sizes, styles, and colors. Common categories include soft swimbaits, tubes, crawfish, toads, and worms.

Worms and swimbaits work best for underspin jigs.

Craws, toads, and many other types of soft plastic trailers have thicker profiles that may interfere with the movement of the blade.

Helpful Tip: A soft plastic stick bait has a slender profile. The blade is less likely to hit the soft plastic trailer as it spins.

When it comes to choosing soft plastic trailers, Keitech is the most popular brand. Keitech swimbaits have a strong scent and salt content that many anglers believe helps attract the bass. 

Most anglers also prefer the paddle tail style when choosing a soft plastic trailer. The trailer offers the right amount of action to create a realistic presentation. 

Along with a soft plastic trailer, you may add a trailer hook. The most common option is a stinger hook connected to the swivel next to the blade. 

Trailer hooks are useful when the fish are finicky or overaggressive. The trailer increases your hook-up ratio by helping to hook the bass when the main hook fails to do the job.

Bonus Secret #7: Rig and Tie on a Underspin Jig the RIGHT Way.

Start by rigging your soft plastic trailer to the hook. Always work slowly to keep the hook centered as you slide the trailer over it. 

The trailer should be perfectly straight. If the trailer is off-center, the underspin jig will drift or roll to one side. 

The tail of the trailer should trail behind the hook. However, the trailer is likely to take a beating after a few strikes.

Helpful Tip: The bass gradually chew up the trailer until you get a catch. You can increase the structural integrity of the soft plastic trailer by adding a dab of super glue when threading it on the hook.

Place the glue on the nose of the trailer. The glue will help keep the trailer in place and allow you to get more use out of it.

You can also create a weedless setup using a soft plastic trailer without a weed guard on your jig. Screw the soft plastic trailer onto the nose of the jig and poke it through the hook. 

Slide the trailer’s body off the hook and then hook the outer skin of the trailer.

The trailer shields the tip of the hook from weeds but doesn’t prevent the hook from hooking the bass.

What Size Soft Plastic Trailer for Underspin Jig is Best?

Choosing the right size soft plastic trailer for an underspin jig depends on the size of your jig and the season. If the trailer is too small, the tail does not create as much action during retrieval.

The most common sizes for soft plastic trailers range from 3.5 to 5 inches. However, you may also want a smaller soft plastic trailer in certain conditions. 

For example, a smaller trailer may stand out more in an overfished lake. 

A small trailer can more closely resemble the small shad that bass go after in the spring and the fall. These trailers may measure 2.5 to 3 inches.

Bonus Secret #8: Have The Right Underspin Jig Rig… and Avoid Missed Fish and Disappointment

The typical setup for an underspin jig may include a 7-foot casting rod with medium-heavy action, a 6:3:1 casting reel, and a 10-pound fluorocarbon line. 

A length of 7 feet is common for casting rods with underspin jigs, as it gives you more leverage compared to a shorter rod.

You can perform longer casts and keep your fishing line above the waves.

Casting rods for underspin jigs may also have medium-heavy power. A medium-heavy casting rod is balanced and suited for lighter or heavier jigs.

Helpful Tip: Anglers also often choose casting rods with a medium-fast action. While most bass fishing rods have fast or very fast action, medium-fast provides greater casting distance and makes setting the hook a little easier.

A 6:3:1 gear ratio is a common choice for the reel when using an underspin jig. You want to avoid using too fast of a reel, as underspin jigs are often retrieved with a slow or medium speed. 

A gear ratio of at least 6:2:1 is typically used with swimbaits and spinnerbaits. A faster gear ratio, such as a 7.1:1, increases the risk of yanking the jig away from the bass before they get a good bite. 

The fluorocarbon fishing line is the preferred choice for underspin jigs. Underspin jigs are often used in clear conditions and a fluorocarbon fishing line is the most discreet option for water with high visibility. 

You only need a 6-pound to 10-pound line when using a light or medium-sized underspin jig.

However, if you plan on using a ¾-ounce or heavier jig, you may want a 12-pound to 14-pound line.

Bonus Secret #9: Setting the Hook Like a Surgeon!

Wait until you feel slight pressure or a tug on the line. Do not immediately pull or jerk your rod when you detect pressure.

An aggressive hookset is more likely to pull the jig away before you get a good hook on the bass.

Helpful Tip: Avoid overly aggressive hooksets. Bass also frequently miss underspin jigs on their first strike.

If you suspect that you got a bite, continue reeling in your line using a slow, steady retrieval. You should notice increased tension from the bass as you reel in the line. 

Maintain the tension as you lean into the fish and continue reeling. If you notice that you miss a lot of hooksets, try adding a trailer hook to your fishing rig.

A trailer hook extending from the underspin jig can increase your catch ratio until you get the hang of setting the hook correctly.

In Summary...

Fishing with an underspin jig is a dynamite way to get a bite. It really shines in the late summer and into the fall.  Most of all, if you’re having a tough time getting bites on other lures such as a jig, Senko, or even a crankbait you need to remember to tie on an underspin jig. 

Not to mention in the fall when bass are chasing the shad migration into the backs of the cove an underspin can make or break your day.

Today, you were given some phenomenal secrets that not many other anglers know about…

Furthermore, you now know what type of underspin jig to use, what size underspin jig to choose, and pick the right location on where to throw it…

On top of that, you were given all the extra bonus secrets on how to retrieve your underspin jig, what’s the best color, how to tie it on, and what’s the best rod, reel, and line to use… along with all the other additional helpful tips you were given. 

But Let Me Ask You a Question… 

Do you now have a better sense of where you can get started, even if you never picked up an underspin jig?  YES, we went over all the variations, including the best colors to start with!

Do you feel that you have a good grasp of where you can fish an underspin jig in your lake?  YES, we went over using multiple helpful locations so you don’t waste your time and money fishing a dead barren spot with no fish on it!

Do you have a good understanding what of kind of gear that is needed to fish an underspin jig successfully? YES, we hammered this topic and went into detail of what everything is needed, we also talked about how to tie on your underspin jig so you don’t break it off when you set the hook on a giant bass!

My last question… Do you feel at least a little more confident now versus from when you started with me today? 

If you said YES to any of these questions… I’m sooo happy that you got something out of this article.  As you now know I truly wanted to over delivered for you… 

Now I Need To Ask A Favor From You… And It’s Not Going To Cost You A Single Dime… 

If you have gotten anything out of this free report; whether its knowing what you need to get started, how to fish it, and where to fish it to be successful…

Then I need you to do something that is going to help you your fellow angler…

And that is share this report.  That’s it! Sharing this report is super easy, and it’s not costing you anything…  You will be doing your good deed for the day (which makes you a good human being)… and… it really helps me out as a creator.  So please share this report. 

THIS IS WHERE YOU CAN HELP ME THE MOST:  There’s a lot of information about this subject you have found helpful, and I’m sure you’ll be able to put some of the knowledge bombs to use.  But sharing this report helps drive traffic which in turn helps me at absolutely no cost to you.  I love creating reports like this for you, and you like reading these types of reports please share this with your friends, family, and fellow anglers.   

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