trailer color?

[rboat]

When using trailers on spinnerbaits, bladed jigs, swim jigs, etc, do you try to match the trailer to the bait color or not? Everything I have read says to match everything as a single unit.          (thats why the wife claims she needs so many shoes to match her clothes 🤣).

Anyhow,

My buddy does the extreme opposite, his trailers are bright bold colors like bright red, orange, blue. He always uses extreme contrasting colors between bait and trailer instead of matching things up. He always does well with the wild colors mixed up in clear or dirty water for Largemouth bass.

So does it matter, and would he do better if he matched trailer to bait? 

What say you?

[Jig Man]

Mostly I match them.

[MediumMouthBass]

Ive always tried matching them, but now im thinking maybe i should try both.

Sometimes they want the bait to "match the hatch" as we say in fly fishing, and sometimes they might want something that looks different, maybe to them it not matching will make it think its injured? And bass will be more inclined to bite.

[WRB]

What does black with blue trailer match?….nothin but is the #1 jig color combinations for decades because bass eat it!

I prefer to match a color in the jig skirt because it looks good to me, sometimes the bass agree.

Tom

[Drawdown]

I threw a “raspberry shad” colored trailer on a green pumpkin skirted jig—made me a believer in having a slightly ridiculous hue on a trailer.

[A-Jay]

When I select any bait that is accompanied by a trailer, I need to feel confidant about the combination.  When I do that, I'll often fish it better.  Meaning I am expecting to get bites.  "Matching" the  trailer color to the bait is one way, as is selecting a matching, size, a matching profile and a matching action.

Either way, I am a Trailer Using Freak and love finding productive combinations. 

A-Jay

[PaulVE64]

In dirty water I go brighter/bolder but in clear water I want the bait to be almost hidden.

Its a wonder I catch them really.

[A-Jay]

3 hours ago, PaulVE64 said:

 in clear water I want the bait to be almost hidden.

I am also a big believer in this.

I go as far as trying to Almost match my bait color of the bottom or cover I am fishing it in.  The bass know it's there.

It's their world.

A-Jay

[softwateronly]

In a clear water fishery, post spawn/bluegill spawn, I mix and match more frequently.  Mostly in the bluegill family because I believe they're on the menu; gp, black and blue, watermelon, light purples, blues, oranges, and pinks.  The rest of the year I lean more toward the @A-Jay and @PaulVE64 method of nearly invisible.

 

scott

[Brian11719]

I try to match it completely. Pretty sure the bass don't care to the point I'm at and it's probably some sort of mental thing on my end...Having said that one of the ones I currently like is a 3/8 matt herren flipping jig in okeechobee 420 with a 3.5 adrenaline craw in green pumpkin blue flake.

[bowhunter63]

I do for sure. But I always dip a little spike it on it . 

[Jar11591]

I try to match them, kinda. I won’t for example use a green pumpkin trailer if im

using a green pumpkin jig or spinnerbait. But I will go with a similar color, like a brown or different shade of green. If I’m using a black and blue jig, I will use a trailer that may have some blue or purple flecks. I like the trailers and baits to be slightly different but still fall into the same category as far as “natural” colors, bright colors etc. 

[papajoe222]

4 hours ago, A-Jay said:

I go as far as trying to Almost match my bait color of the bottom or cover I am fishing it in. 

 

This is something that I almost always did for bottom, or just off the bottom, presentations. It worked well for me for decades. When I retired and was able to spend more time on the water, I started experimenting with colors that contrasted that of the bottom. 

What I found was active fish will search out that contrasting color and my catch rate was better.  They'd still take something matching if it was presented close and slow, but I could work that off color faster and cover more water. Now I try to combine the two.

All of this is from a guy that doesn't believe that color makes a difference the majority of time.

 

 

 

 

 

[A-Jay]

8 hours ago, papajoe222 said:

This is something that I almost always did for bottom, or just off the bottom, presentations. It worked well for me for decades. When I retired and was able to spend more time on the water, I started experimenting with colors that contrasted that of the bottom. 

What I found was active fish will search out that contrasting color and my catch rate was better.  They'd still take something matching if it was presented close and slow, but I could work that off color faster and cover more water. Now I try to combine the two.

All of this is from a guy that doesn't believe that color makes a difference the majority of time.

 

Color might not matter, until it does.

You keep doing you.

A-Jay

 

[Catt]

Contrasting colors 😉

[Deephaven]

Boat should always match the trailer.  😃

 

As for what goes on the hook I match usually, but when that doesn't work I contrast as one of my first change ups.

[NorthernBasser]

17 hours ago, A-Jay said:

I need to feel confidant about the combination.  When I do that, I'll often fish it better. 

I agree with this 100%. This may be the #1 factor in catching fish. Confidence is EVERYTHING. 

 

 

[casts_by_fly]

I fish basically clear or gin clear water most of the time.  I'm also a matcher generally, but I've also started going smaller and smaller with trailers.  I've taken them off my spinnerbaits mostly.  Chatterbaits have moved from Zakos and rage menace to just a spunk shad.

 

The only contrast/standout I'll do is a chartreuse belly on an otherwise plain chatterbait combo.  That's just because we have so many bluegill around.

[ChrisD46]

I was formally in the "match the trailer with the jig color" bass fisherman but lately I have been trying for example a black & blue jig with a green pumpkin trailer or a green pumpkin jig color with a black & blue trailer. Sometimes having a contrast like the above between jig and trailer colors can work out for you plus it shows the bass a little something different . Lastly , as AJ pointed out - it's important to feel confident in your selection of jig and trailer colors as part of the successful equation in catching bass !

[Team9nine]

Doesn't matter to the fish most days, IMO, to the point that I now pretty much just bring and use one style/color of trailer more often than not. Some days by luck or coincidence, I match baits & trailers - some days not so much. Most days I always catch at least a few, regardless