Plastic trailers on spinnerbaits...need your help!

Great responses so far (10:00pm, CDT) ! Please keep them coming!

--
Bob Rickard
(AKA Dr. Spinnerbait)
www.secretweaponlures.com
--------------------------=x O')))

"Bob Rickard" wrote in message ...
I have been fishing spinnerbaits as my go-to lure for about as long as I can remember... I love the darn things. Now, however, I realize that there is one area of spinnerbait fishing about which I am totally ignorant: The use of plastic (or pork) trailers. I never really used them in my own fishing, but now I am exposed to customers who are true believers in them. My brain is now awake, and I have gotta know more! I am sitting here in the middle of one of the most diverse and knowledgeable group of bass anglers that I know of, so I am going to brain-suck (i.e. - ask questions of) you as follows, and your answers will benefit all of us, including me. BTW, I would like to hear from you novices as well as you experts. Your answers may be used to become part of an article on our website, or maybe even as a basis for our own F.A.Q.'s. My questions are as follows:

~ Do you use trailers when you fish spinnerbaits? ___

~ Do you use them a little, or a lot? ___

~ Do you favor particular conditions or situations for their use? ___

~ Do you prefer soft plastic or pork? ___

~ Do you have a favorite kind or type, and if so, please tell us about it? ___

~ What are your favorite colors? ___

~ Do you mix colors, or match colors, or what? ___

~ What other trailer information can you share with us? ___


Many thanks,
--
Bob Rickard
(AKA Dr. Spinnerbait)
www.secretweaponlures.com
--------------------------=x O')))

"Bob Rickard" wrote in message ...
I have been fishing spinnerbaits as my go-to lure for about as long as I can remember... I love the darn things. Now, however, I realize that there is one area of spinnerbait fishing about which I am totally ignorant: The use of plastic (or pork) trailers. I never really used them in my own fishing, but now I am exposed to customers who are true believers in them. My brain is now awake, and I have gotta know more! I am sitting here in the middle of one of the most diverse and knowledgeable group of bass anglers that I know of, so I am going to brain-suck (i.e. - ask questions of) you as follows, and your answers will benefit all of us, including me. BTW, I would like to hear from you novices as well as you experts. Your answers may be used to become part of an article on our website, or maybe even as a basis for our own F.A.Q.'s. My questions are as follows:

~ Do you use trailers when you fish spinnerbaits? ___No

~ Do you use them a little, or a lot? ___Never

~ Do you favor particular conditions or situations for their use? ___I used to use them when I wanted a slower fall rate or fish them slow and high in the water column.

~ Do you prefer soft plastic or pork? ___I used soft plastic when I did.

~ Do you have a favorite kind or type, and if so, please tell us about it? ___Nope, either a curly tail or a split tail grub.

~ What are your favorite colors? ___White seemed to be my go-to color.

~ Do you mix colors, or match colors, or what? ___I don't anymore.

~ What other trailer information can you share with us? ___I know that many anglers really love putting trailers on their spinnerbaits. I used to be one of them myself. However, I found that too many times I would have the fish short-strike at the trailer and I'd miss the fish. If I added a stinger hook, I'd get hung up too many times. I found that especially after finding Secret Weapons, that my strike to hooked fish ratio went up, and that I didn't have to add plastic to the lure to get it to do what I wanted. So now I catch fish using an unadorned Secret Weapon. If the fish are short striking, I simply trim the skirt shorter so that fish that nip at the skirt become hooked fish.

Now, if I need to slow down a bait's fall, I'll add another blade, making a tandem, or I'll use a lighter weight lure. If I need to increase the apparent size, I'll switch blades, going to a larger size. That's the beauty of your spinnerbaits Bob.
--
Steve @ OutdoorFrontiers
http://www.outdoorfrontiers.com
G & S Guide Service and Custom Rods
http://www.herefishyfishy.com


Many thanks,
--
Bob Rickard
(AKA Dr. Spinnerbait)
www.secretweaponlures.com
--------------------------=x O')))

~ Do you use trailers when you fish spinnerbaits?
Occasionally

~ Do you favor particular conditions or situations for their use?
When a Slower retrieve is called for. Increases action and bouyancy.

~ Do you have a favorite kind or type, and if so, please tell us about it? ___
Plastic is cheaper and more readily available with a wider selection of shape, size and color.
Preference is a pork "kicker frog" in white.

~ What are your favorite colors?
translucent, almost clear with a silver flake 4" worms. May dip the tail red.

~ Do you use trailers when you fish spinnerbaits? _Yes_

~ Do you use them a little, or a lot? _50/50_

~ Do you favor particular conditions or situations for their use?
_I use them for "slowing down" the helicopter fall, adding scent, adding a visible hook target. The jig hooking method curly tail seems to be a good bait on a jig so it makes sense (to me) to add one to the hook. The added motion and vibration can add to the temptation in cold water when the fish are moving a bit slower. Also, it is a good method where toothy critter are in the foodchain. Better hang time for a longer advertising blitz. Spinnerbaits can move too fast when the water temp. is cold and the fish just aren't able to smash a lure or in a slowdown mode. In the weeds, as the bait tumbles and hangs up on the way down, the curly tail/trailer will still move in the slightest of currents while the blades remain still, deadsticking with a spinnerbait?. Sometimes I put on three skirts and a trailer to hold the scent longer and to slow down the bait . Sometimes I use a ten inch floating worm with some of the lead clipped off of the spinnerbait to make use of a large spinnerbait frame and a long home made mono trailer (in open water and over tops of weeds) so that if there is a bite from the side the trailing hook gets the fish in the other side of the mouth as it comes along what would have been otherwise a "short strike".__

~ Do you prefer soft plastic or pork?
_What ever is in eyesight at the time but the choice is never as important as the length is, the issue for me or the color dark or light and what color the spinnerbait is. Sometimes a firetail on a white skirt works. Black at night though.__

~ Do you have a favorite kind or type, and if so, please tell us about it?
_No but I would use a curly tail first, if I could _

~ What are your favorite colors?
Black, white, yellow, blue and fire red/orange

~ Do you mix colors, or match colors, or what?
_Depends on my mood, I think? LOL!__

~ What other trailer information can you share with us?
_I agreed with a lot of the guys on their reasoning and added some of "other" in that question, sorry, too lazy to rewrite it down here Bob.__
--
Stony


Many thanks,
--
Bob Rickard
(AKA Dr. Spinnerbait)
www.secretweaponlures.com
--------------------------=x O')))




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I use plastic spinnerbait trailers primarily in the cold water spring
period. I will also use them anytime I want to keep the bait up (over
grass, etc), or slow it down.

I keep a spinnerbait rigged on deck 100% of the time, throw it every time
out some and use a trailer 15%. I use a trailer hook 50%.

Grubs, twintails, dontmatta.

Conditions include: New Hampsire, clear rivers and lakes, largemouth 7#.
My best results with spinnerbaits/trailers include 50 degree surface temps
on flat lakes with last years weeds.


"Bob Rickard" wrote in message
...
I have been fishing spinnerbaits as my go-to lure for about as long as I can
remember... I love the darn things. Now, however, I realize that there is
one area of spinnerbait fishing about which I am totally ignorant: The use
of plastic (or pork) trailers. I never really used them in my own fishing,
but now I am exposed to customers who are true believers in them. My brain
is now awake, and I have gotta know more! I am sitting here in the middle of
one of the most diverse and knowledgeable group of bass anglers that I know
of, so I am going to brain-suck (i.e. - ask questions of) you as follows,
and your answers will benefit all of us, including me. BTW, I would like to
hear from you novices as well as you experts. Your answers may be used to
become part of an article on our website, or maybe even as a basis for our
own F.A.Q.'s. My questions are as follows:

~ Do you use trailers when you fish spinnerbaits? ___

~ Do you use them a little, or a lot? ___

~ Do you favor particular conditions or situations for their use? ___

~ Do you prefer soft plastic or pork? ___

~ Do you have a favorite kind or type, and if so, please tell us about it?
___

~ What are your favorite colors? ___

~ Do you mix colors, or match colors, or what? ___

~ What other trailer information can you share with us? ___


Many thanks,
--
Bob Rickard
(AKA Dr. Spinnerbait)
www.secretweaponlures.com
--------------------------=x O')))

I allways use a trailer & a trailer hook. Allways match the color. (
usually wite or chartruse) I talked to Kevin VanDam at a show a couple
of years ago & he said that you should never throw a spinnerbait without
a trailer hook & sometimes when there "short striking" he'll add on a
2nd or 3rd trailer hook !!

Bob, since I started to use your Secret Weapons, I haven't used a trailer at
all. But I've read all the replys and will think about it in the future.]

Larry

"Bob Rickard" wrote in message
...
I have been fishing spinnerbaits as my go-to lure for about as long as I can
remember... I love the darn things. Now, however, I realize that there is
one area of spinnerbait fishing about which I am totally ignorant: The use
of plastic (or pork) trailers. I never really used them in my own fishing,
but now I am exposed to customers who are true believers in them. My brain
is now awake, and I have gotta know more! I am sitting here in the middle of
one of the most diverse and knowledgeable group of bass anglers that I know
of, so I am going to brain-suck (i.e. - ask questions of) you as follows,
and your answers will benefit all of us, including me. BTW, I would like to
hear from you novices as well as you experts. Your answers may be used to
become part of an article on our website, or maybe even as a basis for our
own F.A.Q.'s. My questions are as follows:

~ Do you use trailers when you fish spinnerbaits? ___

~ Do you use them a little, or a lot? ___

~ Do you favor particular conditions or situations for their use? ___

~ Do you prefer soft plastic or pork? ___

~ Do you have a favorite kind or type, and if so, please tell us about it?
___

~ What are your favorite colors? ___

~ Do you mix colors, or match colors, or what? ___

~ What other trailer information can you share with us? ___


Many thanks,
--
Bob Rickard
(AKA Dr. Spinnerbait)
www.secretweaponlures.com
--------------------------=x O')))

Not much help here Bob, but I'll answer the first one.

Larry
"Bob Rickard" wrote in message
...
I have been fishing spinnerbaits as my go-to lure for about as long as I can
remember... I love the darn things. Now, however, I realize that there is
one area of spinnerbait fishing about which I am totally ignorant: The use
of plastic (or pork) trailers. I never really used them in my own fishing,
but now I am exposed to customers who are true believers in them. My brain
is now awake, and I have gotta know more! I am sitting here in the middle of
one of the most diverse and knowledgeable group of bass anglers that I know
of, so I am going to brain-suck (i.e. - ask questions of) you as follows,
and your answers will benefit all of us, including me. BTW, I would like to
hear from you novices as well as you experts. Your answers may be used to
become part of an article on our website, or maybe even as a basis for our
own F.A.Q.'s. My questions are as follows:

~ Do you use trailers when you fish spinnerbaits? ___NO, since I switched to
Secret Weapons, I haven't used a trailer.

~ Do you use them a little, or a lot? ___

~ Do you favor particular conditions or situations for their use? ___

~ Do you prefer soft plastic or pork? ___

~ Do you have a favorite kind or type, and if so, please tell us about it?
___

~ What are your favorite colors? ___

~ Do you mix colors, or match colors, or what? ___

~ What other trailer information can you share with us? ___


Many thanks,
--
Bob Rickard
(AKA Dr. Spinnerbait)
www.secretweaponlures.com
--------------------------=x O')))

Thanks for remembering that zero is still a very important number, Larry.
The responses from all of you so far have been extremely helpful in a very
unexpected way. We have heard from some very knowledgeable anglers, and the
great diversity of opinion here is proof that there is really no pattern of
use (yet?). Answers have ranged from one end of the spectrum all the way to
the other.

What does this mean? Is there still much more that we, as anglers, still
need to learn about spinnerbait trailers? Is it that all these patterns work
equally great? Is it that trailers are not important on spinnerbaits at all?
Or is it that we are just as far away from real answers in the use of
trailers on the spinnerbait's sister lure, the jig? Could the jig & pig just
as well be the jig & whatever, and we have all just been habitually
following the same trend?

I find this fascinating, and feel like that cool little robot in that movie
(title long forgotten) pleaded: "Data! Must have data... ." Me too.

--
Bob Rickard
(AKA Dr. Spinnerbait)
www.secretweaponlures.com
--------------------------=x O')))


"Larry Runkle" wrote in message
...
Not much help here Bob, but I'll answer the first one.

Larry
"Bob Rickard" wrote in message
...
I have been fishing spinnerbaits as my go-to lure for about as long as I
can
remember... I love the darn things. Now, however, I realize that there is
one area of spinnerbait fishing about which I am totally ignorant: The use
of plastic (or pork) trailers. I never really used them in my own fishing,
but now I am exposed to customers who are true believers in them. My brain
is now awake, and I have gotta know more! I am sitting here in the middle
of
one of the most diverse and knowledgeable group of bass anglers that I
know
of, so I am going to brain-suck (i.e. - ask questions of) you as follows,
and your answers will benefit all of us, including me. BTW, I would like
to
hear from you novices as well as you experts. Your answers may be used to
become part of an article on our website, or maybe even as a basis for our
own F.A.Q.'s. My questions are as follows:

~ Do you use trailers when you fish spinnerbaits? ___NO, since I switched
to
Secret Weapons, I haven't used a trailer.

~ Do you use them a little, or a lot? ___

~ Do you favor particular conditions or situations for their use? ___

~ Do you prefer soft plastic or pork? ___

~ Do you have a favorite kind or type, and if so, please tell us about it?
___

~ What are your favorite colors? ___

~ Do you mix colors, or match colors, or what? ___

~ What other trailer information can you share with us? ___


Many thanks,
--
Bob Rickard
(AKA Dr. Spinnerbait)
www.secretweaponlures.com
--------------------------=x O')))

The movie is "Short Circut" (sp) with Allie Sheety. Doc
===============================================

"Bob Rickard" wrote in message ...

I find this fascinating, and feel like that cool little robot in that movie
(title long forgotten) pleaded: "Data! Must have data... ." Me too.

--
Bob Rickard
(AKA Dr. Spinnerbait)
www.secretweaponlures.com
--------------------------=x O')))


"Larry Runkle" wrote in message
...
Not much help here Bob, but I'll answer the first one.

Larry
"Bob Rickard" wrote in message
...
I have been fishing spinnerbaits as my go-to lure for about as long as I
can
remember... I love the darn things. Now, however, I realize that there is
one area of spinnerbait fishing about which I am totally ignorant: The use
of plastic (or pork) trailers. I never really used them in my own fishing,
but now I am exposed to customers who are true believers in them. My brain
is now awake, and I have gotta know more! I am sitting here in the middle
of
one of the most diverse and knowledgeable group of bass anglers that I
know
of, so I am going to brain-suck (i.e. - ask questions of) you as follows,
and your answers will benefit all of us, including me. BTW, I would like
to
hear from you novices as well as you experts. Your answers may be used to
become part of an article on our website, or maybe even as a basis for our
own F.A.Q.'s. My questions are as follows:

~ Do you use trailers when you fish spinnerbaits? ___NO, since I switched
to
Secret Weapons, I haven't used a trailer.

~ Do you use them a little, or a lot? ___

~ Do you favor particular conditions or situations for their use? ___

~ Do you prefer soft plastic or pork? ___

~ Do you have a favorite kind or type, and if so, please tell us about it?
___

~ What are your favorite colors? ___

~ Do you mix colors, or match colors, or what? ___

~ What other trailer information can you share with us? ___


Many thanks,
--
Bob Rickard
(AKA Dr. Spinnerbait)
www.secretweaponlures.com
--------------------------=x O')))