Hey everyone, so I'm wondering if any of you feel like the claws on these things come off easily, or if it's fish that are swiping at the claws and ripping them off.  I just purchased a load of trailer hooks, so I'm hoping to get rid of that "what if" there.  I've gotten plenty of hits on chatterbaits with a grub or craw trailer, but not a single bass - just one monster catfish...go figure lol.  I hesitated on the trailer hooks as I have all weedless chatterbaits and I figured the trailer hook would defeat the purpose there.  I might use some think mono or thin wire to make the trailer end more weedless. 

I wouldnt use trailer hooks on chatter baits myself. What rod and line are you useing for chatter baits?  That may be the problem. Also z-man make really durable trailers for chatter baits also the sk menace grub is a great trailer. I find the chigger craw is pretty average as far as claw durability but i only use them ad jig trailers.

Tells me your trailer is too long, try a shorter 3" or Lake Fork Shad 3 1/2 swimbait trailer. Chatter baits create enough movement, you don't need added flappers IMO.

FYI, There is a current thread on Chigger Craws.

Tom

I seldom add trailers of any kind until there as an obvious need.

 

The craws do tend to come off a little easier than I prefer but I don't think they fish bite them off so much as shake them off.

Ok, thank you all for your responses.  I'm thinking about switching to grub or swimbait trailers, which I have on other colors.  I forgot to mention this was a black and blue chatterbait and trailer which I currently only have craws for.  That's changing today

You might want to get a chatter bait without the brush guard if you are not fishing timber may help you hook up ratios.

T-rigged crazy legged chigger crawls are one of my go-to's and the claws tend to last for a number of fish.  I don't use them for chatterbait trailers but I'd say that the fish are trying to tell you something.  You're probably getting short strikes which would warrant a color change or bite off a 1/2" or so of the head of the crawl to shorten the trailer. 

Thanks guys.  I think the trailer hook will take care of what's going on here.  Moving forward, I might pick up some chatterbaits without the weed guard for open water, just figured the weedless ones would  be more versatile.