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Muskie Fishing -> General Discussion -> Trailers on Lures

AirMuskie

Posted 7/8/2004 4:47 PM (#111571)
Subject: Trailers on Lures

Looking for some opinions on how many of you like to stick a trailing grub or anything else on a spinnerbait or even a bucktail. If so, what do you use? Single tail, double tail? Berkely has this thing called a Bungee bait which has a different twist to the tail. Thanks for your opinions.

Wade

Posted 7/8/2004 5:43 PM (#111573 - in reply to #111571)
Subject: RE: Trailers on Lures

Air,

They can really make a difference. I use them on buzzbaits, bucktails, spoons and even jerkbaits (or buy a Squirrelly Burt).

On buzzers I like Kalins 5" Triple Threats and 6" Mogambo Grubs. They also add lift so you can slow down. I usually go the opposite in color to the skirt to add contrast.

On bucktails and spoons I like Mister Twister Twintails for lift and slower retrieve speeds and single tails for faster retrieves or smaller bait size. I started using a Zoom 4" worm on my musky spoons last year with great results too. Try it on a 1.25 oz Johnson's Minnow.

Of course, sometimes they want that bait naked and a trailer is unnecessary.

MuskieMedic

Posted 7/8/2004 10:45 PM (#111593 - in reply to #111571)
Subject: RE: Trailers on Lures

Posts: 2091

Location: Stevens Point, WI

Rarely do I use a bucktail or spinnerbait without some type of trailer. Sometimes a really tiny grub is all that is needed and other times I use larger tails. As for style.... I've had good luck the past couple of seasons with double tails, especially the 4-6" variety. Another thing to try is a good sized tube like ToddM uses in his TM Tails, something different that definately produces.

mikie

Posted 7/9/2004 6:30 AM (#111607 - in reply to #111571)
Subject: RE: Trailers on Lures

Location: Athens, Ohio

I've started training grubs off crankbaits. R&H has some 'hitch hikers" that are small clips that attach to the split ring with a spiral to twist the grub onto it. Makes a whole new action for the bait. m

AirMuskie

Posted 7/9/2004 2:01 PM (#111654 - in reply to #111607)
Subject: RE: Trailers on Lures

Mikie,

You surprised me with the crankbait trailer application. I never would have considered that. Do you do this with shallow running cranks, deep divers, or all of them?

AirMuskie

Sponge

Posted 7/9/2004 7:48 AM (#111613 - in reply to #111571)
Subject: RE: Trailers on Lures

I often use a small U-Haul trailer; keeps me bait deeper and holds more scent! (This is what happens when a neuron misfires...)

Gander Mt Guide

Posted 7/9/2004 8:07 AM (#111618 - in reply to #111571)
Subject: RE: Trailers on Lures

Posts: 2515

Location: Waukesha & Land O Lakes, WI

I'm going to let you in on a secret.....buy Berkley 10" Power Worms and add them to the back of your spinners...if you dont see a fish, I'll buy the package back from you.

I tried this while fishing the WMT in May, second cast, fish. Got my first legal of the year on it, had numerous follows, lost a mid 40's last weekend.....it works.

Here's a hint, dont try to match the worm color to your baits.

Edited by Gander Mt Guide 7/9/2004 8:08 AM

AirMuskie

Posted 7/9/2004 2:12 PM (#111656 - in reply to #111618)
Subject: RE: Trailers on Lures

Gander,

Mikie surprised me with his response, but you stunned me. My first thought was that the muskies would strike short and I'd miss a lot of fish. Have you ever got the lure back to the boat and most of the worm was gone from a short strike? I don't know if I've got the faith to try that one. With my good fortunes all I would end up with is 4" trailers instead of 10" ones. But hey, 4" trailers work, right?

Gander Mt Guide

Posted 7/9/2004 3:14 PM (#111663 - in reply to #111656)
Subject: RE: Trailers on Lures

Posts: 2515

Location: Waukesha & Land O Lakes, WI

I've lost entire worms(because I only thread the last 1/4" on), but not pieces. My thought was this, it's different...and so far I've a caught legal gator, caught 6 northerns, and lost about 5-6 musky...the thing is an excellent attractor.

Edited by Gander Mt Guide 7/9/2004 3:16 PM

lobi

Posted 7/9/2004 8:31 PM (#111679 - in reply to #111656)
Subject: RE: Trailers on Lures

Posts: 1137

Location: Holly, MI

AirMuskie - 7/9/2004 3:12 PM

Gander,

Mikie surprised me with his response, but you stunned me. My first thought was that the muskies would strike short and I'd miss a lot of fish. Have you ever got the lure back to the boat and most of the worm was gone from a short strike? I don't know if I've got the faith to try that one. With my good fortunes all I would end up with is 4" trailers instead of 10" ones. But hey, 4" trailers work, right? ;)

I think more often than not the Muskie will nail mid body or near the head of a baitfish. I can't remember the last time I had a Muskie hooked on a rear hook of a 3 hook bait. Look at the factory trolling or twitching or jerk baits with a big plastic tail. There are no hooks near the back. On spinnerbaits I like the quad tails. The outside two are long and spindly for lots of flutter. The inside two add profile. They certainly can make running a bait shallow much easier. I use more white than anything, most baitfish tailends are light in color especially walleye.

AirMuskie

Posted 7/11/2004 3:50 AM (#111730 - in reply to #111679)
Subject: RE: Trailers on Lures

Lobi,

Give me a name of the company who makes the quad tails. Haven't seen them before. Thanks.

Air

7Islands

Posted 7/9/2004 8:24 AM (#111620 - in reply to #111571)
Subject: RE: Trailers on Lures

Posts: 389

Location: Presque Isle Wisconsin

Im a firm beleiver in adding trailers on many types of lures.The action of baitfish is basically all in the rear end (tail ). Bucktails benefit the most from the addition of soft plastic tails because the body part is basically dead.Marabou helped that to a great degree and a plastic tail adds even more action to the body.On stained water like flowages I like to use the Marabou with a Gapen tail addition PLUS twin blades. This gives three diffent types of action to the bait and has experentially shown to be effective. Plastic trailers do not work well on most glide baits because they cut down on the side to side action of the lure as the tail has a rudder effect. They work very well on minnow type baits and up and down type jerkbaits. Which is why we are seeing them right out of the box with trailers like the squirelly Burt and Jake.

AirMuskie

Posted 7/9/2004 3:01 PM (#111660 - in reply to #111620)
Subject: RE: Trailers on Lures

7Islands,

I agree with you completely about what you said concerning that trailers benefit bucktails most. I've never liked the action on your average bucktail. I was very happy when the marabous came out. I have gone to throwing the Mepps Marabou quite a bit. I would be interested in knowing what marabou you throw that has tandem blades. The only one that I know of is Dorazio's Com Boo. Also, do you know of anyone that makes spinnerbaits with the marabou body? I don't think I've seen that yet.

AirMuskie

deanj

Posted 7/9/2004 3:09 PM (#111661 - in reply to #111660)
Subject: RE: Trailers on Lures

Posts: 22

Location: Twin Cities

Shumway's Funky Chicken Spinnerbait are 'bo and hackle...
And his flashers are twin blade.

(See: http://www.shumwaysmusky.com/shumwaylures.shtml) for pics.

-Dean

AirMuskie

Posted 7/9/2004 3:24 PM (#111665 - in reply to #111661)
Subject: RE: Trailers on Lures

DeanJ,

Thanks. I knew about the Funky Chicken being part bou, but was wondering if anyone produced an all bou spinnerbait. There's an idea for someone. The question is who'll make and sell it first.

AirMuskie

Herb_b

Posted 7/9/2004 4:51 PM (#111670 - in reply to #111571)
Subject: RE: Trailers on Lures

Posts: 829

Location: Maple Grove, MN

I've had great luck with the Cats Tail bucktails. They are heavily made, have a weight for better casting, and have a built-in trailer hook. Here is the link for all you trailer lovers.

http://www.catstaillures.com

My favorites are chartruse blade/black hair and copper or silver blade and brown hair. I like to use 4 to 5 inch double tail trailers with them depending on the size of lure and how much lift is desired.

stephendawg

Posted 7/11/2004 11:31 PM (#111781 - in reply to #111571)
Subject: RE: Trailers on Lures

Posts: 1023

Location: Lafayette, IN

I think like Lobi. I think a preditor is attratcted by the lifelike action of the trailer but tends to focus the strike at the larger profile of the bait. Sure, sometimes a fish will come up short but if it's hot a throwback bait could trip it's trigger without a trailer. Chad Cain was the first one I saw use a grub trailer on a crank and we got to see it in the Hawg Trough at BPS. It really had a big impact on my thinking. There is rarely a day fishing for musky that I don't have at least a small grub on the rear treble hook of my tails and cranks. It looks like a pesky minnow chasing a larger morsel that would make a more efficient meal for the big fish. My uncle has been adding plastic worm trailers to his safety pin spinner baits for over 20 years (and out fishing me I might add). I'm just a slow learner.

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