A sturdier weighted underspin?

[Swamp Girl]

I've been fishing Owner shaft-weighted underspins with my Keitechs and I am unhappy with their lifespans. About ten fish in, they lose their spinners. Has anyone found a sturdier shaft-weighted underspin?

[fishballer06]

Are you looking for a keel weighted swimbait hook? Or an actual underspin with a lead head? There is a difference. 

 

 

[Swamp Girl]

10 minutes ago, fishballer06 said:

Are you looking for a keel weighted swimbait hook

 

Yes.

[galyonj]

Owner sells replacement spinner kits. As long as the eye formed into the lead is healthy, I reckon you could get a new spinner swapped in pretty quick with a little pair of pliers.

[Swamp Girl]

Just now, galyonj said:

Owner sells replacement spinner kits. As long as the eye formed into the lead is healthy, I reckon you could get a new spinner swapped in pretty quick with a little pair of pliers.

 

I did not know this. I'll do a Google search. However, I think their design is flawed if there's a need for replacement spinners. 

[galyonj]

I think you're correct; I think they were kind of backed into a corner by the EWG hook.

 

Those arms that move the blade away from the belly of the hook are tiny little things, and I bet they're banging against everything in the lure's path.

 

Would the hardware have more survivability if you shortened that arm? Would it draw strikes as effectively?

 

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[Swamp Girl]

I just ordered three kinds of Owner blades like pictured below and I'll attach them with split rings, so the problem should be solved thanks to you:

 

 

[galyonj]

[Mike L]

@ol'crickety

 

Check out the Gambler Duz-It Swim Bait hook. I’ve been using them for years on most all swim baits and never had the problem your having. 
 

The spinners come in either gold or nickel and can be adjusted on the shank

to fine tune the running depth you want. 
 

 

 

 

Mike

[MeatHead1313]

Lazyman hooks are very popular for inshore fishing for redfish here in South Louisiana and are very durable. The blades do tend to tarnish easily in saltwater, but haven't heard of any issue when they've been used solely in freshwater. 

[greentrout]

Blakemore Road Runners. Jimmy Houston caught a ton on 'em ...

[Big Swimbait]

20 hours ago, greentrout said:

Blakemore Road Runners. Jimmy Houston caught a ton on 'em ...

I think Casey Ashley won an Elite derby on them also.

[Darth-Baiter]

i ripped the skirt off the Uozo swimjig from Megabass.  i only bought two, and one skirt is ripped off.

 

i only catch fish on the skirted version, but i havent focused on either versions all that much, if i am being honest.  the spinner is held with a titanium wire if i remember it right.  

[greentrout]

1 hour ago, Big Swimbait said:

I think Casey Ashley won an Elite derby on them also.

Tackle Warehouse sells Randy Howell's Swim'n Runner. Bassmaster Classic Winner. 

 

 

[WRB]

All the underspins referenced are jig heads. Storming Hornet was the 1st I recall with a fish head jig, Blakemore Road runner has been around decades before. The late Aaron Martens helped Blackmore design a bass Road Runner horse head jig design.

Owner is a keel weighted hook design like the Original Blade Runner now a fishead jig design.

Tom

[galyonj]

48 minutes ago, WRB said:

All the underspins referenced are jig heads.

 

I don't think anybody actually read the post. The saw the title and started vomiting ad copy.

[txchaser]

@ol'crickety are they coming off near the blade or near the head? 

If near the head, just crimp the wire wrapped around the main shaft all the way down. They are designed to be twisted off to put different blades on. Sometimes they come off in the slop though.

 

If near the blade, it's probably the split ring/swivel, can't help with that. But ten fish in sounds really bad. Never had anything like that... could be a bad batch? 

 

So far I always end up back at the owners. 

[Swamp Girl]

18 minutes ago, txchaser said:

are they coming off near the blade or near the head? 

 

Near the head.

 

18 minutes ago, txchaser said:

But ten fish in sounds really bad. Never had anything like that... could be a bad batch? 

 

I do fish in slop. I'm pulling off weeds every other cast. 

 

I do like your crimping idea. Thanks for that. I also ordered some sturdy Owner blades and am going to try those too. They arrive next Tuesday. 

 

Thanks all for the suggestions!

[txchaser]

7 minutes ago, ol'crickety said:

 

Near the head.

 

 

I do fish in slop. I'm pulling off weeds every other cast. 

 

I do like your crimping idea. Thanks for that. I also ordered some sturdy Owner blades and am going to try those too. They arrive next Tuesday. 

 

Thanks all for the suggestions!

Oh yeah. The wire is bent into a quick attach/detatch shape, and the slop will knock them off. Spin that wire that looks like a tag end around one more time with some pliers. Make sure the eye stays open and loose.

[Mike L]

The Gambler Duz-It is not a jig head. 
It’s worth checking out if someone is looking for a hook with an attached blade that can be moved if desired 

 

 

 

 

 

Mike

[Big Hands]

The Owner Flashy Swimmer has held up great for me with the only issue being that occasionally the wire gets a little bent, in which case I just straighten it out. 

 

 

[Swamp Girl]

3 hours ago, Big Hands said:

The Owner Flashy Swimmer has held up great for me with the only issue being that occasionally the wire gets a little bent, in which case I just straighten it out. 

 

 

 

That's the one I use, Big Hands, but when I see photos of California reservoirs, they look weed-free. I think it's the Maine bog weeds that batter my Owner Flashy Swimmers.

[Big Hands]

9 hours ago, ol'crickety said:

That's the one I use, Big Hands, but when I see photos of California reservoirs, they look weed-free. I think it's the Maine bog weeds that batter my Owner Flashy Swimmers.

 

I pretty much exclusively fish at Castaic Lake, where I live, unless I go out of state to somewhere like Texas to fish. And, you are correct to characterize Castaic as a 'highland reservoir' that ARE very much weed free in most areas.

 

With the Flashy Swimmer, I target areas that have cover and structure and mostly do not fish them in the open water most think of when imagining a lake like Castaic. Cover and structure is where they are most effective for me. I generally lose them before I have a chance to tear them up, but I have purchased spare blades for them so I can change them out as I wish. I prefer the silver and gold Colorado blades personally, but I know others that favor the willow blades.

 

I think I will start a thread where can all share some of the bizarre places and circumstances we fish. But, so as not to hi-jack your thread here, I will just share a couple pics to illustrate the relatively weed-free highland reservoir environment that I fish in.

 

This is a pic of a transducer that was only on the trolling motor of my boat for one year. It was on a Minn Kota trolling motor, which has a skeg in front of it and goes down a few more inches below it, which protects it to a large degree.

 

 

 

[Swamp Girl]

1 hour ago, Big Hands said:

 

I pretty much exclusively fish at Castaic Lake, where I live, unless I go out of state to somewhere like Texas to fish. And, you are correct to characterize Castaic as a 'highland reservoir' that ARE very much weed free in most areas.

 

With the Flashy Swimmer, I target areas that have cover and structure and mostly do not fish them in the open water most think of when imagining a lake like Castaic. Cover and structure is where they are most effective for me. I generally lose them before I have a chance to tear them up, but I have purchased spare blades for them so I can change them out as I wish. I prefer the silver and gold Colorado blades personally, but I know others that favor the willow blades.

 

I think I will start a thread where can all share some of the bizarre places and circumstances we fish. But, so as not to hi-jack your thread here, I will just share a couple pics to illustrate the relatively weed-free highland reservoir environment that I fish in.

 

This is a pic of a transducer that was only on the trolling motor of my boat for one year. It was on a Minn Kota trolling motor, which has a skeg in front of it and goes down a few more inches below it, which protects it to a large degree.

 

 

 

 

I sure recognize that bottom that bottom photo. Sometimes I can't see the bass beneath the weeds in my net. 

[txchaser]

On 9/15/2023 at 3:53 AM, Big Hands said:

The Owner Flashy Swimmer has held up great for me with the only issue being that occasionally the wire gets a little bent, in which case I just straighten it out. 

How are you finding those Trash fish gills vs the keitech? Just got some.

 

@ol'crickety did they stay on after pinching them down?