Bass Pro Shops – Baitfish Underspin Jig

In this weeks article, I take a look at the Bass Pro Shops Baitfish Underspin Jig. This popular, and very low cost jig is a great option for anglers who might want to dip their toes into the underspin world and not break the bank. These baits are well designed and have some nice features that you might want to look at.

Flash—here’s an easy meal for you!

There are a ton of great underspin baits out in the market, but none more affordable than the Bass Pro Shops Baitfish Underspin Jig. With a retail price of under $4 each, these baits are pretty hard to resist.

Here are the specs on the Bass Pro Shops Baitfish Underspin Jig that I will be reviewing

First Glance

Just like all of my reviews, I really like to take a look at the packaging of a bait. After all, this is the first thing a person sees when deciding to grab your bait off of the peg at the store.

In the case of these baits, the packaging is pretty basic. Clear plastic sleeve stapled to a header/backer card.

In the image below you can see the packaging for what it is worth. Very basic, but also gets the point across. On the top of the header card you can see that there are six possible sizes to choose from on these baits. There is a basic blue dot on the lower right signifying that this is a 3/4 ounce bait. The rest of the front, not too exciting.

The back of the packaging has a lot of info. A few bullet points along the top that tell you the components/features of the bait in both English and French. Prop 65 as usual, then the website, model number and barcode. Pretty simple.

A Full Look at the Bass Pro Shops Baitfish Underspin Jig

In this article, I will go component by component of these baits and give you my thoughts and opinions on each of them. I try to tell you what I see, good and bad.

The Nose of the Bait

Lets start at the very tip of the bait and work our way all the way down to the back.

The first thing you may notice on this bait is the finish. Its rough! The bait in the image below is directly out of the packaging. This thing looks like it has been bouncing off of rocks and catching fish for years.

Starting at the end of the bait, you can see that this bait has a very flat nose/mouth section. This is in fact good for bouncing it off of the bottom and/or rocks and structure. The paintjob does leave a lot to be desired on the front end of the bait.

Baitfish Underspin Eyes

Now we’ll move down the bait just a touch and take a look at the eyes. As you can see in the image below, the eyes are depressed into the head which is kind of nice. I have seen too many baits with sticker eyes that pop off after a few bounces along the bottom. These have a nice live bait eye feel to them, and the indentation will move enough water to add just a bit more movement.

While we are on the image above, you can get a good look at the line attachment point. It is a bent wire system, pretty standard.

Swivel With It

As we move to the underside of the bait you will come across the Swivel. Per the packaging specs, this bait features a ball bearing swivel system attached to two split rings. It looks to be a heavy-duty enough swivel.

So Shiny!

Attached to that ball bearing swivel you will find a polished nickel willow blade. This long slender blade is quite shiny, and will put off a ton of flash. The blade didn’t feature any stamping or logos, but I’m sure that is what is keeping the bait in the very affordable price range.

Getting Hooked on the Baitfish Underspin

The Bass Pro Shops Baitfish Underspin touts an ultra-sharp Mustad hook. I can vouch that this thing is certainly sharp!

At the bottom of the body is a small cone shaped bait keeper to help keep your plastic, or skirt pinned to the bait without sliding down. Nothing too exagerated, and pretty basic, but it will do the job.

Realistic Body?

Another key bullet point that the Bass Pro Sops Baitfish Underspin Jig lists is the “Realistic Baitfish Finish.” Not completely sold on that at this point. In the image below, you can see some patterning to the bait, but the overall paint job is just hard on the eyes. But again, we are talking about a sub-$4 bait.

Available Sizes

As mentioned right at the top, the Bass Pro Shops Baitfish Underspin Jigs are available in 6 weights. 3/16, 1/4, 5/16, 3/8, 1/2 and the bait I am reviewing, the 3/4 ounce.

Here is a look at the full size 3/4 ounce bait in my hand for reference.

Pros and Cons

Overall, these are nice baits that are very reasonably priced. The shiny willow blade gives off a ton of flash drawing in fish from great distances. The price is also a plus as you really can’t beat that price for an underspin style bait.

The downside of these baits is the paint finish really is rough and leave a lot to be desired. The only other negative, and this is completely personal preference, is the short distance between the bottom of the bait and the actual blade. If you mount a plastic body to the bait, a lot of times the blade will hit the bait causing it to stall and not spin. Not what you are looking for in an underspin. Here is an example of an extended arm on an underspin from my previous article. The last of the drawbacks is that this is a Bass Pro only item. You can’t find these at your local shop, or Amazon, or anywhere else, only at Bass Pro Shops. Here is a link to the full range and selection of the Baitfish Underspin Jigs.

Overall, these are nice baits and a great way for the budget minded angler to try out the underspin phenomenon.

Thank you for stopping by Fishing Tackle Insider.

See you on the water!