I got a $50 BPS gift card for christmas and am thinking about adding a few new swim jigs in more of a bluegill color. I think they would do well in pressured ponds where a chatterbait may be too aggressive. I have plenty of swimbaits for trailers but im curious, what do you all use for trailers? Without a blade I'm thinking ill need a trailer with some movement because that will be the only thump and movement from it so I was thinking more paddletail than Zako style. For chatterbaits in love the Zako. But figured I might need something more for swim jigs. 

I'll say it again - all my best catches either on chatter or swim jig have had a Berkley Pit Boss trailer.

Below are a few of my favorite swimjig trailers -

But I have to admit Josh Jones is making me rethink the need for them.

And I mean Hard !

Either way, these have been solid producers on the local brown bass population.

A-Jay

Zoom creepy crawler is a good trailer and inexpensive. Depending upon size, the menace bug or baby menace bug in green pumpkin/purple/gold is a good bluegill choice, with tails rigged vertically or horizontal.

Seiberts has some great bluegill skirt colors for swimjigs

I have a few colors of Rage Menace I'm going to play with. I think Moon Juice will look nice on a bluegill pattern. I have spike it markers that I can add chartreuse to the belly if needed. 

 

I never understood using craw trailers and swimming them though. Do craws swim like that when they flee?

Moon juice looks good. Markers can add that little extra

 

Craws don't swim like that. I wouldn't focus that someone called them craw trailers, I don't believe they mimic a craw unless resting on the bottom (and that might be a stretch also); but more so the action they create to trigger a strike.

1 minute ago, heavyduty said:

Moon juice looks good. Markers can add that little extra

 

Craws don't swim like that. I wouldn't focus that someone called them craw trailers, I don't believe they mimic a craw unless resting on the bottom (and that might be a stretch also); but more so the action they create to trigger a strike.

I guess I get caught up in the fact they are advertised as craws but people are swimming them. Ive seen Gerald Swindel use Zoom Z Craws on swim jigs and buzzbaits. Rigged horizontal they make the Buzz Bait plane out really fast and I got a bite on it, but with so many options that mimic fish it confuses me why someone would use a craw. 

Around here I can only get away with using swim jigs with vertical line ties no matter how I use them. Pitching or whatever. During the cold weather months I keep the trailers as compact as possible. Baits with flapping appendages don't get separated to minimize movement.

3.8 Keitech Fat Impacts work well. As does the X-Zone Swammer. Gambler EZ Swimmer and EZ Vibe are also great paddle tail trailers. 

 

As others have said, the Rage Menace is great. But you could also check out the Z-Man Goat. Similar to the Menace but will last longer. You can rig it vertically to mimic or horizontally like this to keep it a little higher in the water column. 

 

1 hour ago, MN Fisher said:

I'll say it again - all my best catches either on chatter or swim jig have had a Berkley Pit Boss trailer.

Most of my best catches have come when I'm wearing pants...

I’ve tried several and the Zoom swimming chunk is the most productive one I’ve used.

4 hours ago, A-Jay said:

But I have to admit Josh Jones is making me rethink the need for them.

And I mean Hard !

Do tell!

Glenn has a video where he said that he rigs a swim jig with a rage menace vertically and then tears off the top flapper. I tried it and was surprised how well it works. 

18 minutes ago, Big Rick said:

Do tell!

Not sure if I can link it here but the past month or so

the man has been DE-Stroying Giant Green bass on a 6th sense Swimjig with no trailer 

Like 15 pounds giant

Only place I see it is FB

2 minutes in on this one 

https://fb.watch/a8GutqhP4L/

A-Jay

4 hours ago, NorthernBasser said:

3.8 Keitech Fat Impacts work well. As does the X-Zone Swammer. Gambler EZ Swimmer and EZ Vibe are also great paddle tail trailers. 

 

As others have said, the Rage Menace is great. But you could also check out the Z-Man Goat. Similar to the Menace but will last longer. You can rig it vertically to mimic or horizontally like this to keep it a little higher in the water column. 

 

This is what I was talking about. So its more to keep it up in the water column and not trying to hard to look like a fish? Sometimes I give bass too much credit I think because ive cUght them on the dumbest things that look like nothing. 

 

10 minutes ago, A-Jay said:

Not sure if I can link it here but the past month or so

the man has been DE-Stroying Giant Green bass on a 6th sense Swimjig with no trailer 

Like 15 pounds giant

Only place I see it is FB

2 minutes in on this one 

https://fb.watch/a8GutqhP4L/

A-Jay

I watched one of his videos lately. So he isn't using trailers anymore??

2 minutes ago, Luke Barnes said:

This is what I was talking about. So its more to keep it up in the water column and not trying to hard to look like a fish? Sometimes I give bass too much credit I think because ive cUght them on the dumbest things that look like nothing. 

 

I watched one of his videos lately. So he isn't using trailers anymore??

I can't say if it's a permanent thing.

But he's been liking the trailer-less swimjig recently believing that the smaller profile

is what's getting the biggest bites.

Who am I to argue ?

A-Jay

 

If I am swimming it like a baitfish then a Keitech fat impact 3.8 is what I use most of the time.  Craw trailer I have been using a chigger craw. 

 

Allen 

7 hours ago, NorthernBasser said:

3.8 Keitech Fat Impacts work well. As does the X-Zone Swammer. Gambler EZ Swimmer and EZ Vibe are also great paddle tail trailers. 

 

As others have said, the Rage Menace is great. But you could also check out the Z-Man Goat. Similar to the Menace but will last longer. You can rig it vertically to mimic or horizontally like this to keep it a little higher in the water column. 

Is that a SuperK?

 

3 hours ago, A-Jay said:

I can't say if it's a permanent thing.

But he's been liking the trailer-less swimjig recently believing that the smaller profile

is what's getting the biggest bites.

Who am I to argue ?

A-Jay

 

Yeah same with me. I won't argue that it works for him where he uses it. I wonder if it's more situational with different factors. 

9 hours ago, MN Fisher said:

I'll say it again - all my best catches either on chatter or swim jig have had a Berkley Pit Boss trailer.

 +1

Ive used single tail grubs, swim baits and various craws...now days its a menace grub 100% of the time

48 minutes ago, plitz said:

 

No, it's a Siebert Outdoors Shot Caller.

I throw swimbaits or twin tail style baits.  I’ve had a lot more success with bootail swimbaits.  I’ve caught countless fish on a white swim jig with a white swimbait on the back.  

If I’m fish shallower water, I’ll go with a twin tail or a swimbait.  

If I’m fishing deeper, I’m gonna go strictly with a swimbait.

Keitech or GOAT covers it for me anymore. GOAT is awesome on a chatterbait as well.

I've been liking the Gambler EZ and Little EZ myself.