Jig Trailers

[youngbuckanglers]

Im using some creature worms as a trailer for my brown jig and has worked tremendously. Just wondering if theres any other good trailers

[Loop_Dad]

I just love twin tail grub.

[Bassego]

Either Rage tail chunk, Grub, baby rage craw or the netbait paca Chunk. The rage tail action is insane and out fishes every other trailer i use. My only issue with them is the claws come off easy.

[Bankbeater]

Sometimes using a plastic worm as a trailer is killer. I usually use a Super Chunk or a Large Salty Chunk. Both by Zoom.

[Bluebasser86]

I'm not real particular about my jig trailer brand. Zoom, Strike King, Berkley, BPS, doesn't really matter. I normally use a craw type trailer or a twin tail grub but half a brush hog or even a whole one if I'm after a big fish or a beaver style bait can be really good too.

[Nod]

Years and years ago (before all the new-fangled stuff came to market), us oldtimers (when we were young) bought jars of white pork rind that we used as trailers. Wouldn't be surprised if pork rind still would work.

[Siebert Outdoors]

Anymore I use either my cosmic craw or a Rage Craw.

[MichBassMan]

Even though I usually use craw or chunk type trailers there are two lakes I fish, (both have bigger than average largemouth for a northern lake), where I use creature baits like a brush hog or berkley power hawg with about one inch missing from the head end. Generally I have a good supply of these because the head end is torn up from T.Rign em. In these two lakes they eat jigs with these oversized trailers like candy.

[Arv]

Pretty much just craw style for me. If I'm swimming a jig I'll probably put something else on there

[WRB]

A jig relies on the trailer to provide life like movement when moving through the water column or sitting still on the bottom. The only other jig element that provides movement is the skirt and most of the skirt movement is very suttle until the jig makes a sudden stop when it hits the bottom and flares out, otherwise the skirt simply adds bulk and color.

What this means is the trailer becomes the fish attracting component of the jig...a good trailer should be capable of catching bass without being attached to a jig! Think of the trailer in this light

; would you fish it on a C-rig, a T-rig? If you would what prey do you think the trailer looks like to the bass?

Live bait Crawdads anglers look for Crawdads that are 2 1/2 to 3" body length, with small claws or no claws, that have molted recently and have brighter color shells. Bass don't like Crawdads with big claws, they prefer lively Crawdads with no or smaller claws because they are less dangerous to eat. This doesn't mean bass will avoid big clawed Crawdads, it' s a preference issue.

The big clawed plastic trailers are more like a bluegill or bait fish profile and movement than a Crawdad.

What all this comes down to is; select a trailer that moves like the prey the bass are targeting. Crawdads are slow moving and only move fast to escape a predator. Baitfish rarely move along the bottom, unless the baitfish are bottom feeders like sculpin or gobies. Larger adult size bass know what they are hunting for and you should also know if the bass are eating Crawdads or baitfish; jig trailers represent both. The trailer with twin tails and big flapping claws appendages have the profile of a baitfish to bass. The reason the old #11 pork frog works so good is it has suttle movement, small compact size, about 3" long when attached to the jig, without big claws, perfect Crawdad profile! When the trailer and jig overall length is 5" you are fishing a baitfish profile jig and can move it a little faster and more erratic to trigger strikes.

Tom

[TNBassin']

I normally use a black papi craw on my blue/black jig, but recently switched to a blue/black creature worm. Lots of flaps and appendages on this thing and it gives it a slightly longer and slimmer profile.

[iceintheveins]

Cut a netbait mad paca in half, and use it as a trailer. Gives you the best of both worlds.

[ww2farmer]

The style of jig I am using and/or cover I am fishing dictates the type of trailer. When flipping grass, wood, or boat docks, I like a compact trailer, with out alot of flapping appendages, threaded on the jig hook. This lets it slip in and out cover well. Both sizes of Zoom Super chunks are my choice for this kind of work. If the bite is tough and/or in cold water, I use a GYCB baby craw. For dragging football jigs, I like Beavers, and the same GYCB craw when they want a trailer that dosen't do much, or a double tail grub when they want something that moves a little. Swim jigs get a single tail grub, like the Rage grub, or a soft swimbait like the Netbait BK swimmer.

[Jake P]

Football jigs= Netbait Paca Craw, Rage craw & Lobster. Swim Jigs= Zoom Super Chunk Jr, Rage Grub, Rage Baby Craw & Rage Menace. Flipping & Pitching Jigs= All of the previously mentioned and Havoc Pit boss chunk. I have & will use others but these get the nod 99.98% of the time.

[papajoe222]

I fish a lot of bare jigs of different styles and so my trailer is based on what type of jig I'm using. If I'm trying to imitate a minnow, it's a paddle tail (similar to a swimbait) or a Reaper. if it's a craw, the PacaCraw family gets the nod 80% of the time.

[RyneB]

rage craw and paca craw. If you throw swimjigs i suggest the new Rage Menace. Also use a zoom grub and rage craw as swim jig trailers. But after using the Menace, thats pretty much all iv been using lately.

[iceintheveins]

You can't go wrong with rage and paca chunks either.

[Hi Salenity]

It's no secret I'm a Rage guy but I think a lot of it has to do with timing and color. If they won't take a jig it will all be a mute point... if they will the color is as important as anything. I mostly use the colors Seibert posted and I'm going to order some of those trailers soon

[GoTakeANap]

all the bass ive caught on jigs have been with a zoom brush hog. havent had any luck with the craw traliors. you should give it a shot if you wanna try something different that works for me.

[whitwolf]

One of two trailers: Zoom super chunk Jr. or either a Reaction Innovations smallie or sweet beaver.

[(='_'=)]

pretty good info, thanx!!

would someone have a closeup of how to hook the trailer?? i am new to jig fishing, and im not really sure if i am rigging my trailers correctly....

thanx!

[Arv]

I don't have pictures on hand but I can try explain how I do it real quick and hopefully it will make sense. I use a lot of "full body" soft plastics (beaver style, flukes, etc) as opposed to chunks, mostly because I just picked up my first pack the other day to see what theyre all about. I will first line up the body of the plastic with the jig hook and see where the hook would come out one I start to thread it on. If I feel like there is too much of the lure exposed beyond the skirt of the jig, I will bite off a small chunk of whatever I'm about to put on. This is probably personal preference and will vary from person to person and lure to lure but I find I usually wind up biting off about 1/4 of an inch on most soft plastics. Once I feel like the lure is the appropriate length, I eyeball where the hook will come out and find out which side is "up." A lot of the craws will have little eyes on one side verses the other (this probably doesnt matter that much because I'll usually flip them "upside down" on the hook if they start to get mangled). Then I'll move the weed guard to the side just enough to push the hook through the end of the plastic and continue to thread it on the hook till it has reached the point where I measured it to come out before. Make sure the hook comes through in the middle of the lure and continue to push it all the way on till its flush against the back of the skirt. Hopefully that makes sense. Again, this is how I've done it, its definitely caught me some QUALITY fish before, but you might find other people say something different.

[matstone7]

pretty good info, thanx!!

would someone have a closeup of how to hook the trailer?? i am new to jig fishing, and im not really sure if i am rigging my trailers correctly....

thanx!

Here you go.....

[(='_'=)]

thanx to both of you!!

and, what about these type of trailers? i have some of these, and some jigs, but dont know how to properly rig them...

i will try to get me some trailers like the one matstone showed, but in the meanwhile i would like to use the ones i have....

[Mike L]

Hook goes thru the big oblong end. Flat side down.

You can put the hook thru where that little nib is or behind it.

Mike