Spinnerbaits and trailers

[Mike Cork]

When growing up, my father always had a trailer of some sort on his spinnerbaits. Back then it might be pork, a twister tail, a double twister tail, he had several favorites.

This translated to me always using one even if a small straight tail worm. I always felt like it created more attraction and I could use trailer size and shape to help control spinnerbait depth and speed.

My tournament partner never uses a trailer on his spinnerbait. When I question him about it he simply replies a spinnerbait has enough going on with the blades spinning and the skirt doing it's thing, why would I want to add something distracting...

So what do all you guys do? Trailer, no trailer, it depends on conditions?

[J.W.]

I usually run a trailer. If nothing else, I think it makes the fish hang onto the lure a little longer when they bite something soft and a little more life-like than wire and hook. Could be all in my head, but I think it helps. That said, I tend to be in the "less is more" camp and usually go with smaller trailers on just about everything, or cut/bite longer trailers down to fit.

[Capt. BassinLou]

No trailer for me. Never liked them on a spinnerbait, but I do use one on swim jig. Go figure. 

[apenland01]

No trailer, but I use tied spinnerbaits that have a bit of a tail anyway....

[Smallie_Stalker]

I used them off and on in the past. It seemed to me that I got a lot more short strikes where the fish would nip or chomp at the tails. More often than not I will have a trailer hook on there now but not an actual trailer itself.





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[Donald Garner]

Great topic,

I always have at least (2) spinnerbaits at the ready on the deck.  I like to fish Willowleaf bladed with  a split tail trailer.  Water conditions will determine the color of the trailer.  Most of my Spinnerbaits are White / Bleeding Shad so my trailer will be a white split tail grub.  The blades size vary due to the bait fish size.  Most of my blades are #2's > #4's.

My Second choice of spinnerbait is a Double Colorado # 2 Gold Blades with a Firetiger Colored Skirt.  The trailers range from creature baits ie. SweetBeaver types to a Single Tail Grub. 

One last bit here, there are times during the Spring I won't use a trailer.  IF the fish are 'Short Striking' the bait I attach a stinger hook instead of a trailer.

[ike8120]

I always run some sort of trailer on my spinnerbaits.

[loomisguy]

Not usually. I have tried a spunk shad as a trailer, and it looks really good to me but the fish don't seem to care.

[skidemn]

I land more of my bites with trailers as I have come to believe what other guys have said on this topic. While the blades attract the fish, the trailer gives them a point of aim to strike when they have closed in, especially in dirtier water. In those instances without a trailer, the fish will often hit the blades, causing them to be hooked outside the mouth or not at all.


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[Wizard]

Time for another secret. I use a trailer on my spinnerbaits with one exception. In the Spring, I use a blade seldom seen today. If bass are attacking a Turtleback blade jig, a trailer is just a pretty ornament. Bass are attacking the blade, not the trailer.

Wizard

[FlatsNBay]

I used to use a split tail trailer all the time until I interviewed a bunch of different pros for an article on spinnerbaits. Much to my sunrise, most of the pros that I interviewed did not use a trailer. Because of that, I started fishing without a trailer and never saw a difference in number of hits, hook ups, or misses.

[fishingram24]

Depends on the time of year and skirt. Springtime almost always use a trailer for a bigger profile with the back half of a lizard being my favorite. If the skirt has a longer tail then I don't particularly in the fall when bait may be smaller. Then again some days it just depends on how I feel.

[chrisD46]

I agree with Mike's Dad - I like to run either a Zoom Split Tail trailer or a standard Zoom 4" Fluke as a trailer . I imagine if the water was pretty stained that even a paddle tail trailer would be useful as a spinner bait trailer . *The key if using a trailer on a spinnerbait is to vary your retrieve - build in a slight hesitation just enough to get the trailer to flutter a little helps get more bites.

[Oldfart9999]

I run a trailer hook, does that count?
Rodney

[Mike Cork]

I don't reckon it adds much action but there are times it's necessary. Here in the south with all the cover we have I try not to use one so I don't get hung up as much.

[Oldfart9999]

I don't reckon it adds much action but there are times it's necessary. Here in the south with all the cover we have I try not to use one so I don't get hung up as much.

The only time I don't have one on is in heavy grass, sparse grass I'll run one, in fact snapping the bait off a small amount can be a trigger. I've run trailers and haven't seen a difference in fish caught but I add a lot of action to spinnerbaits.
Rodney

[Smallie_Stalker]

I don't reckon it adds much action but there are times it's necessary. Here in the south with all the cover we have I try not to use one so I don't get hung up as much.

The only time I don't have one on is in heavy grass, sparse grass I'll run one, in fact snapping the bait off a small amount can be a trigger. I've run trailers and haven't seen a difference in fish caught but I add a lot of action to spinnerbaits.
Rodney

As I mentioned above I also run a trailer hook most of the time Rodney.

Getting it snagged and popping it free is like doing the same thing with a lipless crank. It can trigger bites that you wouldn't get if you were just running the spinnerbait through the grass normally.



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[Hobious]

i run a trailer if only for the added mass that a bass can suck in with its tractor beam suction.

i know a lot of people that dont, and they kill it. 

to be honest, i cant get bit that often on any spinnerbait.  i am a mutant in that regard. 

[Larry Francis]

For me it depends on the bait. If I am thinking they are feeding on Bluegill and a bluegill patterned spinnnerbait I will use a trailer because the bait is usually bigger. Early shad season no. late in the year I will go back to one. It more about matching the hatch for me personally to keep my confidence going in the bait.

Blade size is along the same thought for me as well.

[Oldfart9999]

I impart action to a spinnerbait, let's face it, spinnerbaits cast out and cranked back are pretty lifeless. To alter the flash of the blade, to "poof" out the skirt, to make it more life like requires a stop and go retrieve or an erractic retrieve. Even in open water the retrieve can be a stop and go, we do it with jerkbaits and other baits, why not spinnerbaits. Banging it off grass clumps or stems does the same thing. Imagine banging it off a dock piling, bridge abutment or some other object, there is a momentary pause, the skirt flares, the blades clatter and the hook and trailer hook bang together, all triggers, try working a spinnerbait to imitate that, quick pause or 2 or 3, a sudden quickening of the retrieve something that causes any of those triggers even in open water.
I can't say this originates with me, I learned it from KVD, it works so I do it. Try it, you might like the results.
Rodney

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[Smallie_Stalker]

I impart action to a spinnerbait, let's face it, spinnerbaits cast out and cranked back are pretty lifeless. To alter the flash of the blade, to "poof" out the skirt, to make it more life like requires a stop and go retrieve or an erractic retrieve. Even in open water the retrieve can be a stop and go, we do it with jerkbaits and other baits, why not spinnerbaits. Banging it off grass clumps or stems does the same thing. Imagine banging it off a dock piling, bridge abutment or some other object, there is a momentary pause, the skirt flares, the blades clatter and the hook and trailer hook bang together, all triggers, try working a spinnerbait to imitate that, quick pause or 2 or 3, a sudden quickening of the retrieve something that causes any of those triggers even in open water.
I can't say this originates with me, I learned it from KVD, it works so I do it. Try it, you might like the results.
Rodney

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Very good point Rodney. I don't fish any hardbait with a straight cast it out and crank it back retrieve except maybe a buzzbait.

But even then there are times I will bang it into something and let it sink for a second or two. That can make it look like bait headed for the surface and bass like to trap bait against the surface like any other edge.



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[BASSCATLILDAVE]

I usually use a split tail trailer.

[SenkoSam]

I can relate to Mike's original post.
I used to use a Bill Norman Snatrix Worm as a sb trailer along with a trailer hook - (always a white Snatrix for some reason.) But then I found that changing blade size, shape and number (single vs tandem) was as important as whether I used a trailer.

Anyone use short-arm spinnerbaits? I use them like a skirted jig except with a #4 Colorado blade and always like using a trailer such as one that is shaped like the original Uncle Josh #1 pork frog. The flash, pulsating skirt and flapping tails on the drop and bounced off the bottom has done as well as pork same as when casting a bass jig & trailer.

Note: I copied the original pork frog in three sizes and the plastic version does just as well.

Another trailer I like on a large single Colorado blade is the wide-curl tail Kalin grub. That large flapping tail and blade flash seem to really p/o bass! White or (poured)clear plastic are all I need as far as colors go. (note the Beetle Spin with clear plastic grub.)

There are more, but you get the idea.