So I went fishing tonight at a dam there were tons of fish there because they would come up to the surface but not jump. Have any idea what fish they would be?

Then I threw on a in-line spinner and I was getting bites like crazy but I could not get them in. I ended hooking up on something that felt pretty big and it popped off literary feet before I brought it up. How can I keep them on/get them on?

Where were you fishing?

The rock river

Hmmmm. The rock has lots of different species. Not sure.

Sounds to me like could be gar. Use a small piece of white nylon rope or heavy string and fray it some. Get their teeth into that they will stay on.

My guess would be carp but I am not familiar with that watershed.

Maybe they were shad... that is a favorite hanging out place for them... and they normally don't bite.

Garry-

Might be shad or some other kind of bait fish.

Probably shad getting foul hooked and tearing off. Shad come to the surface slightly quite frequently.

My thought too.

Here below bagnell dam you will have that, and they are carp so my guess would be carp.

Carp or gar around here when its like that. You should see the mouth of the carp sucking stuff off the surface typically.

Learn how to set a hook.

I did not think it was a carp because I was running an inline spinner and I was really setting the hook the spinner would just pop out of whatever was biting.

Here on local lakes, this time of year there are a gazillion billion shad about 3 inches long in the back of coves. So many shad that you can see the movement of the schools in the water. You can throw out a throw net and get several in every cast.
Many of these will die off and or get eaten, or become compost. Or get eaten. Everything eats them. Except humans.
I can throw a jig or spinner out and through the schools and feel the lure bumping against them but never catch one unless it's in the side. Have talked to people thaat say they have caught them on worms but I never have.
I bet that's what you're seeing.