The Best Trailer Of All

[Mobasser]

A-Jay made a thread some time back about the reintroduction of pork rind baits. I hadn't ordered any, so last weekend I finally bought a jar of #11 pork frogs. Mine are blue, which has always been a good color for me.                       They appear to be the same as the ones I used years ago. A-Jays thread brought back a lot of memories for me. My first jig and pig bass in the mid 1980s, came on a black Arkie jig, with #11 pork trailer. After that fish, I always had a couple of jars of pork baits in my box.                                Even when plastic trailers became the big thing, I still stuck with my trusty pork rind baits.                 Eventually, I fished them on other lures also. Spinnerbaits, buzzbaits, weedless spoons, and jigs of all sorts.                                            The argument against pork baits is a long one. They are more costly now, they require a little more care than plastic baits, they're only good in colder water etc. To all this, I say nonsense.                  The secret lies in the soft meaty texture, the look, and the unique action, which in my opinion, can't be duplicated with any injection molded baits.                        There's a very good reason why almost every outdoor writer of past years recommended pork rind baits. I'm hoping that there's a renewed interest in them. I'd like to see the 3" and 4" split tail eel, and the smaller #101 spin frog brought back also.                               These days, if you were to ask ten fisherman what to use as a trailer, you might get one guy who says use a pork rind trailer.               Most all would say to use plastic, and we have a huge group to pick from. But pork baits still can have a place in your tackle, and are well worth the extra care it takes to use them.                 Although I can never speak for anyone else here on BR, I think many older bassmen would agree. In my opinion, one of the best trailers you can ever use.

[WRB]

If anyone has ever read my jig articles and forum replies you know my preferences for pork rind jig trailers. 

Pork rind does take more care to use then soft plastics, it must be kept wet so it doesn’t dry. I use sponge lined lure wraps (pig blankets) when out of the water during an outing. Good pork trailers should float, this is over looked by most anglers. Pork rind is cured in salt and bass like the salty taste, many soft plastic have salt added for that reason.

Nothing moves in the water like a pork trailer, subtle life like that bass react to in lieu of flapping appendages.

Cold water jig trailer yes, but it works just as good year around.

I hope more varieties are re introduced.

There are a few tricks to get the most out of your pork trailer that I have shared over the years and will if interested.

Tom

[Buzzbaiter]

5 hours ago, WRB said:

There are a few tricks to get the most out of your pork trailer that I have shared over the years and will if interested.

I am very interested 

[Columbia Craw]

I used to fish the lizard, kickin frog, craw frog, 11, and the jumbo.  It’s true they were a high maintenance bait but bass would hold on to them so even a dweeb like me could figure out I was bit.

[Log Catcher]

I had been fishing a lot of years before I started using jigs. I still don't use them as much as I should. Sorry to say I have never tried a pork trailer.

[Skunkmaster-k]

Why did they quit making them?

[WRB]

From what I understand the poor quality of hog hides from faster methods of growing the pigs resulted in too soft and thin hide.  

My guess is the shrinking market for pork trailers had more to do with Uncle Josh dropping the products.

My favorite was Super Pork, a mom and pop business that went out of business about 5 years ago. Robin could afford making product in California.

Compared to soft plastics pork jig trailers are plain Jain basic colors with little shelf appeal. The newer generation of bass anglers didn’t buy pork trailers, too messy and stored in liquid jars that sat on shelves in lieu of plastic see through bags.

Today I don’t know anyone who fishes pork trailers besides me.

Tom

[heavyduty]

1 hour ago, Buzzbaiter said:

I am very interested 

Me too!

[WRB]

PM your email and will send it to you.

Tom

[Guitarfish]

Wut?  Post it up Tom.  I have a huge jar of old uncle josh pork frogs.

[river-rat]

 

I still have a good supply of #11 pork frogs in several colors and continue to use them.

 

I wish Uncle Josh would start making the Spring Lizard and Spring Lizard Pup again. I have caught some really big fish when using it as a jig and spinnerbait trailer.

[Dirtyeggroll]

On 10/20/2021 at 12:11 PM, WRB said:

I use sponge lined lure wraps (pig blankets) when out of the water during an outing.

Sounds like a business opportunity!

[scaleface]

10 hours ago, riverat said:

 

I still have a good supply of #11 pork frogs in several colors and continue to use them.

 

I wish Uncle Josh would start making the Spring Lizard and Spring Lizard Pup again. I have caught some really big fish when using it as a jig and spinnerbait trailer.

I can only remember catching a few fish with a Spring Lizard but they were usually big fish .

[Captain Phil]

Before plastic worms came out in the sixties, pork was the standard trailer for spoons, buzz baits and jigs.  Pork has a very subtle action in the water.  The closest plastic would be a ribbon tail worm.   The problem with pork is it's messy.  If the bottle leaks, it rusts everything it touches. It also ages.  You don't want to open a 40 year old bottle of pork baits anywhere near your nose.  Soft plastic baits replaced them for a reason.  Plastics can be molded into any shape, color, size or texture and they keep nearly forever.  There are devotees for pork baits and I can see the appeal as they often catch big fish.

[Catt]

Uncle Josh made a "chunk" that had a single ribbontail. It was extremely deadly on a Snagless Sally.

 

Can't remember the name 

[txchaser]

On 10/20/2021 at 12:11 PM, WRB said:

Good pork trailers should float,

Just bought a jar of the bigger ones (#10). Neither one of them float. Anything I can do to fix them?

[schplurg]

Nevermind

[WRB]

58 minutes ago, txchaser said:

Just bought a jar of the bigger ones (#10). Neither one of them float. Anything I can do to fix them?

1st place each rind skin side down on a flat wooden board.

Take a meat tenderizing hammer and pound the fat side of each rind to release oils. 

2nd make heavy salt solution by boiling 1 cup of Haines  In 2 cups of water until dissolved.

Put the cooled heavy salt water in pint glass jar, lubricate the jar lig threads with Vaseline to prevent thread seizing. Put the pounded rinds in the heavy salt water jars. Add 2 drops of pure 100% anise oil in the jar for sent.

Tom