I’ve been able to avoid getting bit off for the most part but lately the pike are just smashing my chatterbaits and they rip right through the plastic trailers like zakos, razor shads, twister tails, and rage menaces. One trip through those teeth and the plastic is in shreds, rendering it useless. I’m considering using them without a plastic trailer. Any thoughts? I’m just getting sick of going through so many soft plastic trailers.

I've never tried it.  I'm pretty sure they'd work..might miss a few. One way to find out. 

This may ruffle some feathers:The first few years I used a chatterbait I fished them without trailers and caught fish no problem. Now I use a trailer every time...does it look good to me? Yes. Do I catch more fish? No. I'm probably doing it cuz everybody says I have too...peer pressure...drinking the Kool-Aid whatever you call it.I would definitely try it without. Spinner bait is one where I've almost never thrown a trailer as well..and it's a confidence bait for me. In my mind a Spinner bait and bladed jig have plenty of drawing power from the blades. Swim jig is the only moving style jig bait when I think the trailer is a must since its the trailer that does the work.

You can also try Zman trailers. They will last longer against pikes.

I’ve caught several bass with @Bluebasser86 bladed jig with no trailer. Do the pike hook up on the bait or just bite the trailer off? I’ve only caught one pike but it was fun and had surprisingly tasty meat for a slimy stinky fish. I will be up north in early fall next year and I wouldn’t mind tangling with some of them, never thought to throw chatter bait for pike 

I've fished them with hair and skirted jigs, with and without trailers, trailers that are short and long, slim or bulky.

It all changes how the chatterbait reacts. I've caught fish on every setup and not sure if one setup stands out? Just different! Some days different is good.

 Its easy to get wrapped up in thinking that a particular bait can only look or be fished one way. give it a try and I'm sure you won't be disappointed.

Honestly move south;) losing lures or getting the tails bit off of plastics as you know is the price we pay and the reason I carry no Megabass or jackhammers. 
 

honestly though I would think a bladed jig or any jig wouldn’t catch em, but this comes from a guy who never fishes a spinnerbait with a trailer and crushes them. Best you can do is try it, may work better some days and worse others. I just have it in my head that jigs and bladed jigs need a trailer. 
 

Snot rockets are a pain but a big musky on bass tackle is a blast as long as they don’t cut you off. 

If I could get myself to kill a fish I would try the pickled pike. I have heard it is very tasty. Unfortunately I have gone soft and can't bring myself to filet a fish. I will catch and keep them and have someone else filet it out and eat it, I just can't do it anymore. Maybe that is the route I go with Pike.

If I had the patience to deal with the Y-bones, I'd probably eat some of the ones I've caught...but they all get tossed back.

 

Far as the trailers - northern, muskie, walleye, sauger - all those VERY toothy species are going to rip them up.

Pike are one of my favorite fish to eat. I eat them easily with chopsticks, picking through, the bones never bothered me.

In my waters catching northern pike means moving to a different location not changing presentations...

 

 

oe