Is there a solution I'm missing?

[Glaucus]

I was reintroduced to a problem tonight after I got back from fishing that I've been trying to solve for awhile. Perfectly good trailers on jigs, chatterbaits, spinnerbaits, etc. 

 

You put a trailer on something, don't get bit, it's still in perfectly good condition, and now you have a choice: keep it on and chance rusting your hook or take it off and the keeper shreds the plastic and ruins it. Zero fish, lost money. 

 

Is there a solution I'm missing?

[BTSyndrome]

I take the jigs with trailers and chuck them on the deck with the other lures while I keep fishing. Let them dry out leaving the trailers on the hooks, then put them back in the box and I've never had any hooks rust before by doing this. 

[Glaucus]

8 minutes ago, BTSyndrome said:

I take the jigs with trailers and chuck them on the deck with the other lures while I keep fishing. Let them dry out leaving the trailers on the hooks, then put them back in the box and I've never had any hooks rust before by doing this. 

Salt has destroyed many of my hooks. Z-Man hard baits/jigs are especially heinous, and not just with Elaztech.

[PhishLI]

I put a light coating of oil on my jig heads and hooks before installing salted plastics, and always hang them to dry after an outing. This does the trick for the most part.

[NYWayfarer]

I leave the trailers on if I am going to use the jig again in the next few days. Anything that is going to lay around more than a week gets removed.

[Jig Rookie]

I just fix all my trailers at home with the hot knife trick (or super glue if you don't feel like standing over a hot stove).

[Kev-mo]

How about mend it for non-elaztech plastic. Take the trailer off as carefully as you can and mend it.

 

[JediAmoeba]

The answer to your question is simple...catch more fish.

 

 

[fishwizzard]

I leave plastics on jigs for months and months and have never noticed any general rust issues, the little rusting I did get was always from leaving Zman plastics on cheap crappie jigheads.  I do take great care to never put a jig away if it's even a little damp and use zrust tabs in all my tackle trays.  

[TBAG]

Yeah, I just leave them on. Never had an issue......

[roadwarrior]

Take them off and let it dry. If it is reusable, great. Otherwise throw it away.

 

[Choporoz]

11 hours ago, Glaucus said:

I was reintroduced to a problem tonight after I got back from fishing that I've been trying to solve for awhile. Perfectly good trailers on jigs, chatterbaits, spinnerbaits, etc. 

 

You put a trailer on something, don't get bit, it's still in perfectly good condition, and now you have a choice: keep it on and chance rusting your hook or take it off and the keeper shreds the plastic and ruins it. Zero fish, lost money. 

 

Is there a solution I'm missing?

I now buy better hooks

[Michigander]

I put my jigs on a drying rack affixed to the underside of the hatch lid for my tackle compartment. Rust is negligible.

[Dogface]

Rubber stretches! Just push the rubber down over the barb and slide it off. 

[GreenPig]

Options are 2 hours in a dehydrator, 10 minutes in the clothes dry(high), 63 seconds in the microwave, or just don't fret and fish it. You could have the section of hook that's gonna be inside the plastic powder coated. Just think how long that section will last stuck on the lake bottom between 2 rocks.

[Bass Junke]

10 hours ago, GreenPig said:

Options are 2 hours in a dehydrator, 10 minutes in the clothes dry(high), 63 seconds in the microwave, or just don't fret and fish it. You could have the section of hook that's gonna be inside the plastic powder coated. Just think how long that section will last stuck on the lake bottom between 2 rocks.

I don't know how to powder coat, but I've heard it is a job you want to do in bulk. I like your idea though. What about an enamel? Like Testors model paints or finger nail polish clear coat. Would these work? Which would work better?

 

This year one of my Z Man ned heads is significantly pitted with corrosion. I had a big TRD on it from about May-September, I know a long time. I had a TRD craw on another Z Man ned head for perhaps longer still looks brand new. That big TRD must have been loaded with salt.

23 hours ago, JediAmoeba said:

The answer to your question is simple...catch more fish.

 

 

This is what I need to start doing.

[Fishes in trees]

I generally pull the trailers off.  For me, in the overall scheme of things, the cost of trailers is negligible.

[Derek1]

I just leave them on. Never been long enough to cause a problem. 

[NittyGrittyBoy]

Cheap chatterbaits etc, leave on. Jackhammer, it comes off and its rinsed and dried ?

[jeffo21]

vick's vapor rub        Bahaha just kidding

[Mbirdsley]

I usually leave them on.  The only time I have rust issues Is if I don’t dry the lure out before putting it back in the tray. In my tin boat I have a cubby trey on my bench seat.  A lot of times with jigs or spinner baits I’ll throw them in the cubby tray if I swap lures.  If that doesn’t completely dry them out. when I get home I throw them along with hard baits on the bench in the garage and let them dry over night. 
 

the zman stuff I can’t account for as I have some but, don’t use it a whole lot 

[scaleface]

The  torn up baits on the deck are usually what I use as a trailer .

[Bluebasser86]

I'd rather throw a new trailer away than throw a whole jig away.