Chatterbait/spinnerbait question

[BassSteve]

I have a habit of throwing my chatterbaits and spinner baits right out of the box, without a trailer on it. I have caught fish this way, but it seems not very many go after it. I was wondering if it has to do with my not using a trailer of some kind? The pond I frequent has pretty chocolate milk water, so I'm not sure if it's because of visibility issues or going without trailer. Please let me know your thoughts. Thanks 

[roadwarrior]

For me, chatterbaits and jigs ALWAYS require a trailer.

Spinnerbaits never.

[Fishingmickey]

Chatterbaits: Yes, 85% of the time, Spinner baits No. Same as Ewrex.

FM

[FryDog62]

Bait Monkey says you have to always use a trailer, he says it simply will not work if you don't ?

[Finessegenics]

It's definitely fine. A trailer adds extra action and/or profile to a bait. However, the blade (s) vibrating and flashing on a chatterbait is enough for a fish to strike it, same with a spinnerbait. But using trailers on spinnerbaits icks me yet there's no way you'd catch me throwing a chatterbait without a trailer. Double standards I guess ?‍♂️

[MN Fisher]

Chatters - 100% trailer

Spinners - about 80% trailer

[Aaron_H]

Throw a Zako on the back of that chatterbait, betcha those Florida pond bass start looking at it more.

[Scott804]

The bass will have a significantly harder time sucking in your bait if it has no trailer attached. It is the whole reason those tiny split tail grub spinnerbait trailers even exist, to give the suction something to grab onto that isn't just loose skirt. I don't think they always strike in this way personally, but it is certainly something to think about, you could be getting these types of strikes and not even know it. 

[LCG]

I fish a stained to muddy large pond quite often. Very little luck with a chatterbait and curly tail grub. A 5/16oz spinnerbaits without a trailer has been very productive though. White and chartreuse or fire tiger.

[Sphynx]

I usually don't bother with a trailer on a spinnerbait, and where I typically fish a vibrating jig doesn't work very well for me, I caught no fish on one last year, and only 2-3 the year before, but when I get down south they work great, and I always fish a trailer on every jig, no matter what style

[Bird]

I've never thrown a Spinnerbait without a trailer, adds some profile and bouyancy........ Spinnerbaits are perhaps my all-time favorite.

 

Infact, the only skirted bait that I throw without a trailer is a buzzbait.

[soflabasser]

You are going to get a lot of different answers since people like to fish spinnerbaits and chatterbaits with a trailer, no trailer, different size blades, different shapes of the blades, and other modifications.  Best piece of advice I can give you is experiment with what you feel will work best in the places you fish.

[Big Rick]

5 hours ago, BassSteve said:

The pond I frequent has pretty chocolate milk water, so I'm not sure if it's because of visibility issues or going without trailer.

I believe this is the most important statement in your post. It could be that your spinnerbait isn't offering enough vibration or thump along with a big enough presence to elicit a strike. Also, you could try the big bladed chatter bait as it is designed to give off extra vibes as well. 

 

As to your actual question: I always use a trailer on a chatter bait but also always a straight tail and never a boot tail. In my experience a boot tail fights against the blade and action suffers. On a spinnerbait I seldom use a trailer as most of my skirts are dual lengths giving off the impression of a trailer anyway. 

[Bankbeater]

I always use a trailer on a jig and chatterbait.  I don't think I have ever used one on a spinnerbait.

[Log Catcher]

I use trailers on chatterbaits and jigs. It is a very rare day I use one on a spinnerbait.

[king fisher]

I find myself going over to the dark side more and more.  While lost in the twilight zone I have been known to do very strange things.  No trailers on spinnerbaits chaterbaits, and jigs.  At the same time I'm committing these terrible crimes, I eat bananas , and fish a shimano reel on a Diawa rod.  I usually come around when the fishing gets slow and the Bait Monkey goes crazy( Bait Monkey believes in using expensive trailers, and trailer hooks on everything including live bait), forcing me to conform to the norms of bass fishing.  However, the dark side has great pull, and I did catch a big bass with a jig, no trailer, while eating a banana fishing a Diawa rod, with a shimano reel.  Could have just been luck maybe the moon phase, but strange things have a way of becoming less strange the more they happen.  Lately I find myself walking that thin line between being a Rebel, and a criminal more and more.  

[gim]

I rarely use one on a spinnerbait.  Always on a chatterbait.  I believe that most chatterbaits are designed to be used with a plastic trailer because they have a keeper, whereas the spinnerbaits I use do not have a keeper.

[rtwvumtneer6]

Chatterbait always, particularly one that plays well with the blade (the reason some will rig a swimbait upside down).  Everything on this lure is in line; line, blade, head, skirt and trailer.

 

With a spinnerbait, I feel it's more about giving the fish a target.  If they're hitting the blades and not the hook, it's time for a trailer. A trailer can also be used to manipulate where you want to run the bait in the water column for a given retrieval speed, but that would be opening up a whole new topic. 

 

Short answer: Chatterbait always, spinnerbait when necessary.  

[Bluebasser86]

Bladed jigs always get a trailer.

 

Spinnerbaits are more situational but chocolate milk water is one of those situations that calls for a trailer. 

[MN Fisher]

7 hours ago, Bluebasser86 said:

Spinnerbaits are more situational but chocolate milk water is one of those situations that calls for a trailer. 

Ya - or pea-soup green from an algae bloom - one the few times I put a trailer on a spinner.

[LrgmouthShad]

7 hours ago, Bluebasser86 said:

Spinnerbaits are more situational but chocolate milk water is one of those situations that calls for a trailer

You mentioned fall feed up last year being another time to use one. 

[Bluebasser86]

11 minutes ago, MN Fisher said:

Ya - or pea-soup green from an algae bloom - one the few times I put a trailer on a spinner.

Probably, but that's some of my favorite water to fish my blue bladed jig in so I don't use a spinnerbait in that color water often.

9 minutes ago, LrgmouthShad said:

You mentioned fall feed up last year being another time to use one. 

Yes, when they're targeting those full grown gizzard shad and I want a big profile, I'll put a whole 4.8" Fat Impact style trailer on my spinnerbaits. 

[the reel ess]

I never use a trailer on a spinnerbait. I got my PB on one. But I don't find that bass are crazy about the spinnerbait. I'll just catch one every so often on it, strictly reaction. If you look at it, it resembles a shad or shiner. But it doesn't swim like one. If they get a good look at it, they probably wont commit. That's why everyone says to use it around cover and contact the cover if you can.

[BassSteve]

1 minute ago, the reel ess said:

I never use a trailer on a spinnerbait. I got my PB on one. But I don't find that bass are crazy about the spinnerbait. I'll just catch one every so often on it, strictly reaction. If you look at it, it resembles a shad or shiner. But it doesn't swim like one. If they get a good look at it, they probably wont commit. That's why everyone says to use it around cover and contact the cover if you can.

I would agree with that, I have caught more bass on the chatterbait and crankbait than spinnerbaits. 

[the reel ess]

6 minutes ago, BassSteve said:

I would agree with that, I have caught more bass on the chatterbait and crankbait than spinnerbaits. 

But they can be big bites on the SB. I've caught 3 PBs on them over the years. In fact, I caught the fish in my profile pic on one as soon as it hit the water. So, just a split second reaction.