Rigging a curl tail grub - tail up or tail down?

[catchnm]

I used to fish curl tail grubs a lot when I first started bass fishing and had a lot of success with them in ponds and in my home lake. I also used Sassy shads a lot then in the lake and would always rig them with the swim tail down, of course. My question really comes form looking back over those years and realizing that when I would rig a curly tail with the tail down it seemed to catch more fish when I would slow reel it just above the bottom. I think it also helped the jig to be more weedless and snag proof. My theory is that the tail would be wiggling in the silt and bottom junk and creating a mud trail. Or if in the weeds, slapping the tops of the weeds as it wiggled by, keeping the hook just above the weeds. In either case the tail was what was sending the "feel" back to my hands, and not the jighead itself. When I rigged tail up was when I fished shallower and with a faster retrieve, sometimes even waking the grub just under the surface.

Back then I just used standard ball-head jigheads in 1/8 (my favorite), 1/4, and occasionally a 3/8 oz. size. With all the types offered now, I'm going back to thinking about fishing "grubs" more. Swim-tails, flukes, paddle-tails, and the old curl tail. I've picked up several colors of Fat Albert single tails and I have a ton of Flukes, still have Sassy Shads, even have some of the old Cabelas"Mr. Mean" grubs left. Been checking out Houdini Shads also. I have some Road Runner heads, slider type, darter type, minnow head, as well as standard ball head type jigs right now. Looking to add Scrounger heads and Sworming Hornet heads later.

Mainly will be swimming these but I'm open to any other suggestions you guys might have.

[Goose52]

I just sorted my "catch log" (Excel spreadsheet) and it indicates that I've caught 475 fish so far this season on 5" single-tail grubs. I use the Zoom Fat Alberts in a couple of colors, but also use a Gander Mountain 5" grub that is heavier and tougher than the Fat Albert. I can get as many as 10 fish out of the Gander Mountain grub before it tears up too bad to use.

I mostly fish these grubs weightless on a 1/0 EWG with the hook tex-posed. I fish them shallow and get most hits on the fall. They also "swim" very well and I can get bit on the retrieve. I sometimes also fish them as a top-water. When there's no shallow bite, I will sometimes add a 1/8oz slip sinker to get a bit deeper but if I need to go very deep, I usually just switch to a worm instead of the grub.

It's been a great bait for me 

 

 

[Delaware Valley Tackle]

I've never noticed a difference between rigging tail up or down as long as you do one or the other. Otherwise they twist and don't swim right.

[RandySBreth]

There was a great segment on one of the In-Fisherman shows about "tail-up versus tail-down".

I don't think it matters except which way you have confidence in.

By the way, if you've never tried Kalin grubs, you are missing out. Soft tail that works on the slowest retrieve, and great colors.

[Raul]

I was taught to rig them tail down, however I haven 't noticed any difference rigged tail up.

[moby bass]

Never tried rigging them weightless on a EWG.  I'm going to give it a try.

[Raul]

Never tried rigging them weightless on a EWG. I'm going to give it a try.

Killer technique, but if somebody ever asks you didn 't hear it from me ok ?

[Goose52]

Never tried rigging them weightless on a EWG. I'm going to give it a try.

Killer technique, but if somebody ever asks you didn 't hear it from me ok ?

Yep - I was only kidding about catching 475 fish with the bait rigged weightless on the EWG ..........

Actually, it's now 477 fish 'cause I got 2 more bass this morning with that rig. 8-)  BTW -fished weightless, it doesn't matter about tail up or down - the bait will spin on the retrieve - add a swivel above your bait. In my case, I fish these on braid and the swivel makes a convenient connector between the braid and the short leader...

[iceintheveins]

Never tried rigging them weightless on a EWG. I'm going to give it a try.

A lethal technique instead of throwing your typical worm. I like the bigger grubs for this one. At least 4", 5" all the better.

[iceintheveins]

I usually rig tail down, has a better action on the drop that way.

[Goose52]

Never tried rigging them weightless on a EWG. I'm going to give it a try.

A lethal technique instead of throwing your typical worm. I like the bigger grubs for this one. At least 4", 5" all the better.

I've been fishing the 5" ..................... and I have some 6" grubs on order

[Nine Miler]

There was a great segment on one of the In-Fisherman shows about "tail-up versus tail-down".

I don't think it matters except which way you have confidence in.

By the way, if you've never tried Kalin grubs, you are missing out. Soft tail that works on the slowest retrieve, and great colors.

+1 for Kalin's. 

[Wayne P.]

Tail down for dropping presentations and tail up for horizontal presentations.

[1inStripes]

Doesn't Kalin put on the bag to always rig tail down?  Or at least used to.

[Nine Miler]

I think you may be right, I don't have any of the original packages around though.  I always go tail down now, mostly because I have had a better time of avoiding getting the tail stuck on the hook point that way. 

I can't say the tail up method is less effective for catching, just more of a PITA in my opinion.

[basscrusher]

If you are fishing with an exposed hook, tail down will decrease the tendency for the tail to get impaled on the hook and run with no action (because the tail would be snagged up).  If fished texas style, doesn't seem to matter.

[Blue Streak]

I fish them both ways but I seem to get more hits tail down.

[catchnm]

Wow! Great responses. I actually have some Kalins left from back in the day, 3" and 5". Forgot all about rigging them tex-rigged weightless, used to do that for my daughter when we'd fish ponds. She usually outfished me then too, but that was sure OK by me. I'll be out early Thursday morning on one of my favorite spots and I'll be throwing grubs, grubs, grubs. Weightless, shaky head, ball head, light c-rig, light t-rig, and maybe even one on an open hooked buzzbait. I'll post back my results.

Keep the good responses coming guys. As usual Bass Resource posters have a wealth of good info.

[timothy_spain]

I think it was the Mr. Twisters that shows on the bag to hook it tail up.  But I like it tail down.