Spinnerbaits: Trailer Or Not?

[roadwarrior]

Just looking for everyone's thoughts. My observation has been that it doesn't

really make any difference. What say you?

[jbsoonerfan]

I use a trailer hook, so no trailer for me.

[Kevin22]

Always! 

 

If I need a trailer hook I cut the plastic real short and put it ON the trailer hook. 

[bassin is addicting]

the only trailer i use.....is a hook. 

this past weekend, every fish i caught on a spinner bait was on the trailer hook.  i could feel them bumping it and then finally get caught....  some might say i should have switched colors, speed, etc to get them to eat it better and that maybe true....but i was catching fish so i didn't change..

[TrapperJ]

i was reading about this last year and from what i gathered from here

 

Trailer Hook is the best trailer you can put on a spinner bait.

 

Caught many a fish on just the trailer hook.

 

On my bigger spinnerbaits i havnt had any problems running a grub and a trailer hook if i am needing that bigger profile.

[herruberraschen]

I'm actually getting in to spinnerbaits this year and probably 90/100 or higher will say a trailer hook is the key. 

[David D.]

Trailer: Hook, not plastic.

I have tried the plastic trailer, and I didn't notice a difference. I tried the trailer hook with plastic and the movement just felt a little too erratic. Just a trailer hook? Definitely have more hook-ups.

[Grizzn N Bassin]

i only use a trailer hook ,that is masked by the skirt i don't like a long hook. I have tried ribbon tail worms, pork frogs with no success. this year im going to try a few grubs or twin tail grubs on the back on for boo yah pond magic spinners.  the times i've gotten hit with a ribbon tail worm as a trailer they would hit the worm and not even get close to the hook , just bite the tail off. so i stopped doing that and continued to catch fish.

[Kevin22]

I am a big fan of split tail trailers on them. I should have said that in my other reply. I do not like grubs or anything that slows the bait down. I use the regular ol 4" split tails. White and chartreuse are all you need. The only time I use a grub is when fishing at night. Then its a 4" big Kalin style black grub on a black spinnerbait with a big black colorado blade. 

[Catt]

Like color, sometime it matter, sometimes it don't

I like a twin tail grub as a trailer, the bass like it, & I like it cause it doesn't interfere with my trailer hooks.

[Raul]

Just looking for everyone's thoughts. My observation has been that it doesn't

really make any difference. What say you?

 

I´m with you and I also don´t use trailer hooks.

[fishguy613]

no trailer or trailer hook for me

[A-Jay]

If I'm slow rolling the bait deep, (my favorite way to fish them during the day btw) then a slender action-less trailer is in play; no trailer hook.

 

If I'm target casting in & around cover (wood or weeds) then I usually do not use a trailer or trailer hook.

 

If I'm burning the bait at warp speed in fairly open water, then it's definitely a trailer hook but no trailer.

 

Now the night time bait has a swim bait trailer with no trailer hook needed there.

 

A-Jay

[Lip 'em!]

When running the spinnerbait through wood cover, i rarely use a trailer and never a trailer hook. However when running weed lines i almost always use a twin tail grub trailer. I feel like the little bit of extra action it provides helps to call the fish out of the weeds.

[Siebert Outdoors]

I very rarely use a trailer.  If I do its usually a grub.

[olegs]

I only use a trailer hook.

[WIGuide]

Sometimes I'll use a trailer to change the profile of the bait to get them to commit better.

[Darren.]

I can probably count the number of fish I've caught on a spinner bait on one hand. Sadly.

 

But I'm working them in to my repertoire this year, and I caught my first bass on one in a looooong time just this past weekend. No trailer.

 

This is a helpful thread as I was pondering this very topic this week.

[Jay Ell Gee]

My biggest problem with trailer hooks is how I fish my spinnerbaits. I toss them into some NASTY stuff... Lay downs (my #1), sparse pads, and above/through fairly heavy grass, maybe even around stumps. The waters I fish are so grassy and snaggy (bayous and rivers) that I just can't afford to use a trailer hook. However, if I am in an open water / lake situation, it's definitely an option. As silly as it sounds, they almost completely replace squarebills for me.

If I'm using the trailer hook, I don't mind using the small split tail trailers that come with my z man chatter baits. However, my preference is to just use skirts that have the little "trailer" strands built into them.

If I am not using a trailer hook, I prefer a 3 inch mister twister "meeny" grub, either in chartreuse or blood red.

[nascar2428]

Quit using trailer hooks last year. Never caught a fish on the trailer hook(caught my thumbs plenty of times while removing fish). From watching Glenn's video I know he is a fan of trailers. I plan on experimenting with some this year when the going gets tough.

[The Young Gun]

Trailer hooks are my biggest confidence booster. I burn them and jerk and pause them and by the number of fish that 1/0 strike king trailer hook catches I can't fish without one

[ksboy]

I almost always use trailers and trlr hooks. I tend to go for a large profile so I use some kind of craw. Usually a Larew salt craw or a Wave crawdude.

I will sometimes use a swim type trlr: a zoom fluke or a Luck-E-Strike swim bait.

 

I don't know that the fish prefer them, but I do.

 

Being in Kansas where the wind blows ALL THE TIME, I like the extra weight of the trailer and the trlr hook can't hurt.

 

Just my 2c worth.

[smalljaw67]

My favorite bait and it is very rare that I use a trailer, from my experience a trailer has often been the cause of short strikes.

[Mike L]

I tried plastic trailers for a season a few years back and honestly I don't remember them helping.

Now I'm sure others will swear by them.

I have since switched to SK spinners that have a long skirt section that ends just past the trailer hook.

(which I will always use)

Mike

[frogflogger]

I use the Leverage spinnerbaits without trailer hooks and never have an issue - for deep slow rolling I do like a modified pork frog on a short arm with a colorado blade. All that aside - if you're burning them in clear water a different brand with a trailer hook is the way to go.