Anyone ever tried using a ribbon tail worm as a chatterbait/spinnerbait trailer? I have some zoom ol' monsters with the heads torn up, but tails in good shape. It looks like it should work...

I tried a 7" ribbon tail worm on a chatterbait at a local pond, had some followers but no bites. 

 

Trued a white 5" curly tail grub on a chatterbait on a large lake and it worked well. 

2 minutes ago, LCG said:

I tried a 7" ribbon tail worm on a chatterbait at a local pond, had some followers but no bites. 

 

Trued a white 5" curly tail grub on a chatterbait on a large lake and it worked well. 

Huh. Think I should just leave the ribbon tails at home then?

If I were to use a trailer on a spinnerbait I would likely use something a lot smaller like a twin tail grub. That big ribbon tail gives them a lot of target to hit without getting the bait or hook in their mouth.

3 minutes ago, Log Catcher said:

If I were to use a trailer on a spinnerbait I would likely use something a lot smaller like a twin tail grub. That big ribbon tail gives them a lot of target to hit without getting the bait or hook in their mouth.

I would think about it, but they never seem to have a problem getting the hook in their mouth on 12+ inch worms t-rigged. 

I agree but remember a texas rigged worm is usually being retrieved a lot slower on the bottom. Most spinnerbaits are moving much faster and higher in the water.

Its the only trailer I use on spinnerbaits but I break the worm off at about an inch from the tail. That way the tail goes about 2-3 inches behind the skirt. I have had very good luck with system. I try to match the worm color to the skirt color.

2 hours ago, EGbassing said:

Huh. Think I should just leave the ribbon tails at home then?

Always worth a shot. Just didn't work for me that day, but you can't really judge a few hours of fishing on one day. I would try it again, looked good in the water to me. 

3 hours ago, Log Catcher said:

I agree but remember a texas rigged worm is usually being retrieved a lot slower on the bottom. Most spinnerbaits are moving much faster and higher in the water.

True. Guess I'll try it out and if I'm getting short strikes, take it off.

I've had success with them. One of the trailers I've used often on bladed jigs and regular jigs is about 2/3 of a stick worm. Sounds stupid, but it works. Good way to get extra miles out of your chewed up Senkos.

8 hours ago, Bluebasser86 said:

I've had success with them. One of the trailers I've used often on bladed jigs and regular jigs is about 2/3 of a stick worm. Sounds stupid, but it works. Good way to get extra miles out of your chewed up Senkos.

Nice. I was reading through some old posts about chatterbait trailers and noticed that you said to try a craw type bait rigged sideways. Well, I'm leaving for the lake now and I put a rage craw rigged sideways on the hook, but why do you do that? Wouldn't it be more realistic rigged straight?

sideways may present more of a fish-like profile....but I'm not certain it matters.  I use Rage Tail Bugs on 90% of my chatterbaits, and I usually rig 'flat', but sideways seems to work as well