Trailer Hooks for Spinnerbaits

[B-Gee]

I fish for largemouth bass and peacock bass from the shore of a pond here in south Florida. I would like to try my luck with spinnerbaits. I’ve never used these before. Based on the recommendations I’ve read in this forum I’m planning to buy a couple of 3/8^th ounce War Eagle spinnerbaits and I want to get some trailer hooks to use with them. I would appreciate any recommendations for what brand and size of trailer hook I should buy.

[ATA]

Hi, Buy small trailer hooks 2/0 and it is much better than bigger hooks, Specially if you around grass. Smaller hooks are so much helping to not collect all the grass in the lake

[WRB]

Owner spinnerbait trailer hooks. 

Tom

[Columbia Craw]

I’ve messed around with trailer hooks for years and years. There’s one that I will use, the Gamakatsu G Power Stinger hook in 2/0. It’s worth a look.

[B-Gee]

Thank you for this information. Is it best to tie the line directly to the spinnerbait or do you recommend a swivel, snap or ?

[MickD]

Most spinnerbaits have an open "tie", not a closed loop tie, so snaps often slide up the wire.  If the spinnerbaits used have the open "tie" then tying the line directly to the spinnerbait will be better.  Swivels don't make any sense for a bait like a spinnerbait that doesn't spin.

[B-Gee]

The pond where I fish is not very deep, maybe 8 to 10 feet maximum. I want to buy a couple of War Eagle spinnerbaits to try , but there are so many variations in 3 sizes (1/4, 3/8, 1/2) that I'm kind of bewildered and would appreciate any suggestions for size and color.

[FishTank]

I use to use the Owner Stinger hooks until they were outlawed at a tournament I fished.   I really haven't gone back to them since. They do work but I guess the idea is that it can damage the fish.  Not sure how that is any different from a big jerkbait with 3 treble hooks.

[steve-pierce]

Make sure the eye of whatever you get is large enough to go over the barb of your spinner hook. I bought some small hooks labeled as trailer hooks and they wouldn't fit over the spinner hook 

[BlakeMolone]

I for the life of me can’t figure out why trailer hooks are needed on a spinnerbait, they either hit them or they don’t in my area. Plus it makes them snag easier and that’s a big deal to me, I hate ruining a good cast and/or loosing a good bait.

[steve-pierce]

8 hours ago, Robert C. Gates said:

Thank you for this information. Is it best to tie the line directly to the spinnerbait or do you recommend a swivel, snap or ?

When I use a snap, I put a piece of small engine fuel line around the line tie to keep it from sliding. The fuel line will occasionally slide over the snap and up the line but not often

[Sphynx]

7 hours ago, Robert C. Gates said:

The pond where I fish is not very deep, maybe 8 to 10 feet maximum. I want to buy a couple of War Eagle spinnerbaits to try , but there are so many variations in 3 sizes (1/4, 3/8, 1/2) that I'm kind of bewildered and would appreciate any suggestions for size and color.

The best answer is to grab a couple of each size, as far as colors, I like the shad colors like Mouse, or in the south anything in a bluegill color tends to work pretty well, but the good old white or white and chartreuse spinnerbait in 3/8oz or 1/2oz has been a perennial favorite for years, and not without reason either, been buckets of fish caught that way.

[Munkin]

9I don't use them unless the fish are short striking the bait.  Most of the time it is a 2/0 Gamakatsu or Mustad. 

 

Allen 

[scaleface]

I dont have a favorite , I buy whatever is available and sharpen them if need be . I do like my hooks to swing freely and keep them in place with a rubber disc poked out of a bicycle inner tube with a 1/4 inch hole punch . Those little disc are handy .

[J Francho]

Owner Cutting Point 2/0 or 3/0

[Big Rick]

On 1/10/2022 at 7:43 AM, Robert C. Gates said:

The pond where I fish is not very deep, maybe 8 to 10 feet maximum. I want to buy a couple of War Eagle spinnerbaits to try , but there are so many variations in 3 sizes (1/4, 3/8, 1/2) that I'm kind of bewildered and would appreciate any suggestions for size and color.

In my experience, clearer water requires faster retrieves. I highly recommend the War Eagle Screaming Eagle. It's on a smaller frame yet weighs in a 1/2 oz. The blades are also smaller which allows a faster retrieve with maintaining desire depth. As far as color goes, any natural shad color should work. 

 

In muddier waters a larger profile bait with rounded blades, Colorado or Indiana, work much better. These blades force a slower retrieve and provide a nice thump that bass can easily locate. 

 

I never use trailer hooks. I stayed hung up every time I did. I have learned that if I am getting short strikes that the fish is targeting the blades instead of the body. To rectify that I put on a trailer of some sort, mostly a paddle tail swim bait to provide a desirable profile once the fish is close enough to strike. In most cases this solves the problem of short strikes. YMMV

[J Francho]

10 minutes ago, Big Rick said:

I have learned that if I am getting short strikes that the fish is targeting the blades instead of the body. To rectify that I put on a trailer of some sort, mostly a paddle tail swim bait to provide a desirable profile once the fish is close enough to strike. In most cases this solves the problem of short strikes. YMMV

Or just use a trailer to begin with and get those fish crashing the blades.  If you want to change to a swimbait trailer after it happens, that's cool, but why miss those early fish?

 

Chin fish:

[Big Rick]

52 minutes ago, J Francho said:

Or just use a trailer to begin with and get those fish crashing the blades.  If you want to change to a swimbait trailer after it happens, that's cool, but why miss those early fish?

 

Chin fish:

Because in some instances adding a paddle tail or some other trailer creates bulk and changes the cadence and depth of the retrieve.  

 

Also, spinner baits like the Screaming Eagle has a multi-layered skirt that acts like a trailer and negates the need for a trailer altogether. 

 

Another aspect of short strikes I forgot to mention is color. Often times a short strike means the color is off just a bit. Get that right and the fish will engulf the bait rather that peel offf after a short strike. 

 

[J Francho]

47 minutes ago, Big Rick said:

Because in some instances adding a paddle tail or some other trailer creates bulk and changes the cadence and depth of the retrieve.  

Sure, but I was referring to when you hadn't determined that aspect and fishing without a trailer.

 

48 minutes ago, Big Rick said:

Also, spinner baits like the Screaming Eagle has a multi-layered skirt that acts like a trailer and negates the need for a trailer altogether. 

This is my preferred trailer style, and it's also a similar head design as the baits Siebert makes for me.  It works great with a trailer hook.

 

49 minutes ago, Big Rick said:

Another aspect of short strikes I forgot to mention is color. Often times a short strike means the color is off just a bit. Get that right and the fish will engulf the bait rather that peel offf after a short strike

This is a great point I agree with 100%.  I don't carry too many colors - mostly white, chartreuse, or a mix of both - but I do have different blade setups like white, chartreuse, silver, gold, nickel, brass, etc that I can change, and sometimes a couple changes ends in the crashing the blades game.  Sometimes that means not getting bit at all, lol.  My point is that I prefer to be prepared for the blade crashing, short strikes since doing so doesn't really impact when they choking the bait.

[RDB]

I would start with a 3/8oz, especially if you are dealing with Florida vegetation.  Unless you are slow rolling, you typically fish spinnerbaits above the bass.  As far as colors, I would just buy replacement skirts…something shad colored (I.e. white) for clear/slightly stained water and something brighter (I.e. white & chartreuse or chartreuse) for heavier stained/muddy water.  You have a lot of tannic water in Florida, so maybe something darker as well (bluegill, junebug).  Brands - lot’s of good ones including War Eagle.  Trailer hooks - as needed, especially around vegetation.  I usually opt for one unless I can’t due to the trailer I am using or conditions I am fishing.