So i have always wondered and figured it had to do with the moudling process but almost every soft plastic that has legs, claws, or a tail has them connected to the body buy a small bit of plastic. most time i disconnect them. some times i leave them together, i don't really seem to see a difference. the only difference i have noticed is when punching a beaver tail in grass i get bit a lot more with the flappers stuck together. especially the BIOSPAWN vilecraw. any one else leave the legs together. or does most everyone break them apart.  

I've always tore them apart.

I don't know how much it really matters, but I always tear them apart as well

I usually separate them, too. I imagine in cold water you might opt to leave them together, though, to make the action more subtle.

They are designed to be separated.

 

 

 

 

I separate them almost every time but my buddy doesn't separate the claws on his smallie beaves, well the ones he uses for jig trailers he pulls those apart but if he is T-rigging them he leaves them together, he said it makes them glide better and slip through cover but I'm not sure I buy it but he does catch fish like that so I guess it doesn't hurt.

For a more subtle/gliding presentation I'll leave them together and for more erratic action I break them apart.

I snip 'em.

It's personal preference really. My number 1 bait a several years ago ( like 10-12 years ago) my favorite bait was the yum zellamander. If anyone knows that bait, it's a lizard, but had 2 ribbon tails. I would dominate if I ripped one of the tails off and wouldn't get bit at all with both tails.

Later on in my years ( as I starting paying attention to patterns and such) I decided that most likely the key part in that was the rate of fall.