Berkley Fusion19 Underspin Baits | Take One for a Spin

April 7, 2022June 6, 2022 Admin

There is a super top secret technique that is slowly taking over the bass world in both freshwater and saltwater, the Underspin! Ok, maybe not so “top secret” but it is gaining crazy momentum. In this article I will walk you through the Berkley Fusion19 Underspin Baits. These baits are a well built, well designed underspin that should probably make it into your arsenal.

“Berkley® Fusion19™ hooks are for everyone, from the novice to the avid angler. The Underspin pairs perfectly with a variety of baits due to its conical bait keeper, and it provides additional fish-attracting flash with its bright willow blade. Each package provides ideal bait recommendations.”

There are a ton of great underspin baits out on the market today, but these are pretty nice, and very affordable.

Here are the specs of the Fusion19 Underspin that I am reviewing.

First Glance

As with all of my reviews, the first thing that I like to do is review the packaging. It is the first thing that a shopper sees, and sometimes there is more to the packaging than the actual baits inside.

In the case of the Berkley Fusion19 Underspin, the packaging is compact and nice. it is a clam shell design with paper edging suited for printing. The printing on the front has the bait name and brand, as well as sizing on the top as well as the bottom. Clean!

Berkley Fusion 19 Underspin Baits- Packaging Front

The back of the packaging is pretty straight forward with a logo and a few details in both English and French. Since these are to be sold in Canada, they do have to have French descriptions. The barcode has the name, sku and item number on it as well.

One last note on the packaging, Berkley does mention that this bait includes an “innovative resealable clam pack for tackle management.” I was kind of excited to check that out, but it wasn’t that exciting. It is a cool concept, but the packaging never stayed shut and actually tipped over and blew down the road when I was shooting. I did save the environment and retrieved the packaging…in case you were wondering.

Taking it for a Spin – Deep Look at the Berkley Fusion19 Underspin

In this article, I will go component by component of the Berkley Fusion19 Underspin and give you my opinions on each. The good, the bad and the ugly!

The Nose Knows

In this review, I will start at the nose of the bait and work my way down through the back end, or maybe bottom in this case.

In the image above the first thing you might see is some facial details of the bait. This happens to be the “Sexy Shad” color and you can see that pretty prominently above. There is some mouth detail, gill detail as well as indented 3-D eyes. Very nice!

One thing you might not be able to see in the above image is the indented nostril pattern. You can certainly see it below. These little indentations and cut outs make for areas for water to catch and create different rhythms when passing through the water. These rhythms or vibrations hit the fishes lateral line and draw in those big strikes.

A side look at the head reveals more of the indentations on the bait including eyes and gill pattern. The last thing to take a look at in the image below is the line attachment point. In this case, it is a loop right on top of the head. Pretty standard. no split rings needed, as it is a straight tie. This is a straight retrieve bait, so with the top attachment point, as you retrieve your bait will lean slightly forward as you wind it in. No worries there, joint pointing that out.

I’m So Attached

Another very key component to take a look at when in a store and buying baits is how your baits will be attached to the head. In the case of the Berkley Fusion19 Tailspin, they use a multi-level conical bait keeper design. This is very nice and does help to keep your plastic tails in place. As you can see in the image below, there are four levels to that conical bait keeper. Not just a pin system that some baits use. This is a very nice feature.

Here you will also get your first look at the hook design.

Getting Hooked on the Fusion19 Underspin

Berkley baits have generally used a pretty good hook. Not always, but usually. Figuring that this is one of the largest bait brands out there, and they produce a LOT of units, they do a good job.

In the case of this bait, I am reviewing the 3/4 ounce bait which touts a 6/0 hook size. Per Berkley, they use a Forged hook for increased lateral strength that includes a needle sharp point for easy penetration. I do find both of those to be true as I did grab my pliers and give the hook a bend and it felt pretty stout. And on the needle point, my hands and fingers can attest to the accuracy of that statement 🙂

You Spin Me Right Round – Fusion19 Underspin

Now that we talked through the basic componentry of the Berkley Fusion19 Underspin, it is time to take a look at the “underspin” part of the…well, underspin.

The first thing I want to take a look at is the blade attachment point on the jig-head. As you can see in the image below, the blade attachment is directly below the line tie point and is extended down from the bait. This is a GREAT feature if you happen to use thicker bodied baits as I do when fishing saltwater. This extension allows the blade to swing freely down past your plastic tail. Very nice and well thought out.

Flipping the bait over gives you a better look at the wire attachment point for the swivel and blade.

The next thing to look at is how the blade is actually attached to the bait. In this case, Berkley is using a ball bearing swivel which allows the blade to turn freely at slower speeds.

Looking Sharp! The Fusion19 Underspin Blade

Ok, now for the key part of the entire system of the Fusion19 underspin…the blade!

Taking a look at the image below, you can see that Berkley is using a light gauge, thin profile willow leaf blade for extreme flash. This one happens to be silver, and I am not sure if they offer a bronze or copper in this lineup. The blade in the below image is attached to a split-ring and right to the barrel swivel for an extremely free flutter and spin. Another nice feature is the Berkley logo stamped into the blade itself.

Here is a look at the blade size in comparison to the overall bait size. As you can see, the blade is quite small, but creates a tremendous amount of flash when pulling it through the water.

Here is another look at the blade next to the bait.

And one last look at the entire bait in the palm of my hand for size reference. As you can see, it is a nice and compact bait, but with that extended blade attachment. Keep in mind that this is the 3/4oz, 6/0 size bait.

Fishing the Fusion19 Underspin

Fishing an underspin bait is actually very simple. Pin on your favorite tail and make a long cast. Either start retrieving right when it hits the water or let it sink out a bit and start your retrieve. You can actually work these baits multiple ways, but the way I found most effective is on a simple straight retrieve. With the hook being up top, these are also very effective slow crawling along the bottom. As mentioned, I love to fish these in saltwater as well and slowly work them through eel grass. Killer!

Availability

From what I can tell, Berkley offers the Fusion19 Underspin in 4 sizes. 1/4oz- 4/0, 3/8oz-5/0, 1/2oz-5/0 and 3/4oz-6/0 with four colors between each of the sizes. Glitter Shad, Pearl White, Natural Herring and Sexy Shad. That selection has you pretty much covered.

Check out the entire lineup of Berkley Fusion19 Underspin baits at Berkley Fishing.