Jigs with Trailers vs Jigs without Trailers

[JustJames]

I have a few of rage craw and others with one craw or the rip part missing. I normally replace trailer, I might have to give crawless a try.

[J Francho]

I had @Siebert Outdoors make me a pink puffball jig from living rubber and a compact Owner hook.  We called it the bed bug and it is meant to be fished trailer-less specifically for bed fishing.  I still have them.  That and hair or marabou jigs are the only other jigs I can think of that would be fished trailer-less.

[Black Hawk Basser]

1 hour ago, Fishin Dad said:

This has me thinking now, what trailer would/should I try without something that a craw type of look to it?   I thought curly tail grub (I have used these on a swim jig).  I always just assumed when jig fishing on the bottom, I was imitating a craw, but I may give this a try for the fun of it.  What ideas could a guy use to try this??

I have had success fishing a jig with a Yum ribbed tube for a trailer.  It wasn't my first choice, but I didn't have any "appropriate" jig trailers with me.

[Boomstick]

16 hours ago, A-Jay said:

I always just assumed that there was some kind of actual law that forbid the use of a trailerless jig. . . .

A-Jay 

You mean there isn't? I'm going to try this the next time I'm out. All the money I spent on jig trailers better not have been money wasted.

[Hopalong7]

Hey guys, I know I'm a newbie here, but I go back 'bout 55 years or more jig fishing.  for at least 45 of those 55 years I would NEVER consider putting anything plastic on the back of my jig.  Nothing but an Uncle Josh #11 pork chunk would do.  I treated my pork with glycerin to make the pork like an old worn out dish rag. When I came to the scales with a decent sack of Bass everyone assumed the jig bite was on.  I know it was just something between my ears, but I was totally convinced I could not catch fish with a plastic trailer of any sort.  It took me forever to overcome this, and I doubt if I'd have ever tried, if pork didn't get hard to come by.  I even made my own at times from butchered pig scraps.  Oops...I think I just caught myself in a lie...I did put plastic on my jigs.  I'd cut a 3/4- 1" piece out of the body of a ring worm and thread it on the hook shank and then hook the pork chunk in the bend of the hook.  It would give the bait more body and slow the rate of fall...Sorry.  I well know that it was only physiological but it was still there and very prevalent in my mind.  Given the choice today, I'd still go for the pork, but wouldn't have and don't have a problem fishing plastic on my jig.  You gotta do what you know in YOUR mind will work.  Good Fishin' Guys, Walt

[Columbia Craw]

I can relate Walt. We had few options in the 70's.  I used to take a worm and use a razor blade and cut down the length to make a split tail. I recall finding out UJ added dual colors. I was so excited to have black blue or brown orange in #11 frogs. I attached a few plastic trailer options.  Each does something different to a jig but it always seems to fall into, profile, vibration, rate of fall and action. I'm healing from a surgery so took a minute to photo some examples that I know you will be familiar with.