I always have fished a spinnerbait with some sort of trailer attached, sometimes a plastic grub or worm, sometimes a tied on bucktail or bunny strip trailer.  Because of the attached trailer I've never used a trailer hook with my spinnerbaits.  This next season I want to fish my spinnerbaits with a trailer hook as much as the cover will allow me.  My interest is whether or not a dressed trailer hook would add anything positive to the presentation.  Do any of you tie hackle or mylar to your trailer hooks?  Rig them with a plastic grub/worm?  I'm looking for opinions either for or against, especially if there is experience behind the opinions.  Thanks

 

oe

You can still run a trailer hook after you've attached a trailer

I always use a trailer on a spinnerbait, and in tournies I add on a trailer hook as well. It doesnt hinder the trailer much, and I dont add a trailer on the trailer hook.

I've tried it both ways on a whim one time and found that my hook up ratio was zero and it kept helicoptering on me with a fluke on the trailer hook. (which I use more of than any other trailer)

I think that if a fish is non committed but keyed on the fluke it will get hooked on the trailer hook as it is just above it. I think it minimizes an other wise short strike. 

 

Mike

Spinnerbait trailer hooks have been the subject of a few threads here recently.  Some anglers swear by them and Always use them while others rarely if ever feel the need to go that way.

 I'll say that there are times for me where fish are seriously choking the bait so a trailer hook may not be totally needed.  Other times fish may be just nipping at the bait or the plastic trailer and not totally committing to it.  A trailer hook is often the only way to get these fish to the boat.

A trailer hook for me goes on when I'm burning the bait.  Often the strikes seem to happen pretty fast and bass don't always get the bait well enough to facilitate a good hook up.  Many bass come to the boat on just the trailer hook.  Should be also noted here that I rarely if ever use any plastic type trailer when speed is being used as the triggering factor. 

Conversely when I'm presenting a spinnerbait  in just about any other manner, I'm using some type of plastic trailer and no trailer hook.  

YMMV ~ (I stole that from Goose52 - I like it though)

A-Jay