Several brands manufacture a quality underspin. I have tried many, but Strike King’s Tour Grade Spin Head has an advantage for those seeking bigger than average fish – a 4/0 hook that is the strongest option available.
TRAILERS
In winter, your trailer choices should be narrowed to two categories: swimbait trailers that involve moderate-action and a fluke-style bait that are only used to complete the baitfish profile.
The reasoning here is that the colder water has an effect on what appears natural. For swimbaits, the Swimming Caffeine Shad has helped me catch multiple five-pound and six-pound smallmouth on local bodies of water such as Long Lake, Moses Lake and Lake Coeur d’Alene. This trailer moves, but it is not a wide wobble or hard thumping action.
The key factor in choosing your swimbait trailer (beyond its movement) is matching the hatch with color and choosing a length that isn’t too long. Instead of using the four- inch model, I prefer the five-inch version, due to its bigger profile; but I end up cutting a ¾-inch off the nose of the bait to make sure the fish are not short striking the hook.
For Fluke- style baits, I took a page from Ashley and have done well with Zoom’s Fluke Jr., when water temps drop into the low 40’s. Bites can come few and far between, so a smaller profile with little movement
WINTER 2017
helps with your hook up ratio.
This is where the Tour Grade Spin Head’s Raz- R-Blade wins against other bait manufacturers; the blade spins no matter how slow or fast you engage the reel. When it comes to slowrolling an underspin, the blade must spin at all times or the bait is completely ineffective. As with both trailers, trying
each one on a given day will key you in on
what is most effective.
ROD, REEL AND LINE
The great thing about underspins is that they can be fished on
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