Do you remove your soft plastic trailers from your jigs before you store them? Or do you just leave it attached and store the jig/trailer together in your tackle box?

I've left some trailers attached to the jig but it seems that over time the hooks will rust (seems to happen if the plastic trailer has a lot of salt). Most of the jigs I use have barbs to help hold the trailer on the jig, and when I remove the trailer it tears the plastic making it hard to use again.

Just wanted to get an idea of how some of you guys address this in your tackle storage.

Seldom is a the trailer on my jig worth saving when I'm done using it, so I tear them off and toss them in the trash at the end of the day.

If you want to reuse them, keep some super glue or similar product with you.  One small drop and your keeper barb will keep the trailer on the jig, even it it's tore up a bit.

If you're using chunk style trailers with the hook run throughg the nose, just take them off and put them back in the package, after you have let the water dry off.  That way, you don't hve a wet bait in the bag or box.

Brad

Depends on the trailer.  If it is a salt filled bait, I take it off as soon as I am off the water to keep the hook from rusting.  If it is not a salt filled bait, I tend to leave it on.

i always take them off. mostly to prevent a good jig from rusting

Plastic is my choice and it is the Rage Tail Chunks and Craws.  My advice is to take them off the jig and place them back in the original package. This will avoid the dust and dirt from getting on them causing some discoloration as well as help maintain the natural scent ,if there was any, to stay on and /or re-absorb the original scent . Take the time to repair a damaged plastic trailer if possible by simply melting the torn areas back together with a lighter. This is a simple process and you will get better at it the more often you do it. I design my own soft plastics and often have had to repair the prototypes many times since I only had only produced a few of them for testing. I have used the same jig chunk to catch up to 15 fish before it was rendered unusable. Some of the chunks on the market tear up easily, like lose claws etc. This is unfortunate but makes the manufacturer more $'s since you have to replace them. All of us have caught fish on a one clawed trailer but a badly damaged trailer sometimes causes us to lose confidence in the presentation which in turn makes us impatient or have less confidence. For this reason by all means replace it or repair it. Keep your old one clawed (wounded warriors) and melt that claw on another wounded warrior. Done it many times to stay in the game. Also be choosy in your purchases to buy trailers that are both extremely active but also more durable. This will send a message to the manufacturers to take better care of the fisherman which will in turn make them more $'s in the long run.

Plastic is my choice and it is the Rage Tail Chunks and Craws. My advice is to take them off the jig and place them back in the original package. This will avoid the dust and dirt from getting on them causing some discoloration as well as help maintain the natural scent ,if there was any, to stay on and /or re-absorb the original scent . Take the time to repair a damaged plastic trailer if possible by simply melting the torn areas back together with a lighter. This is a simple process and you will get better at it the more often you do it. I design my own soft plastics and often have had to repair the prototypes many times since I only had only produced a few of them for testing. I have used the same jig chunk to catch up to 15 fish before it was rendered unusable. Some of the chunks on the market tear up easily, like lose claws etc. This is unfortunate but makes the manufacturer more $'s since you have to replace them. All of us have caught fish on a one clawed trailer but a badly damaged trailer sometimes causes us to lose confidence in the presentation which in turn makes us impatient or have less confidence. For this reason by all means replace it or repair it. Keep your old one clawed (wounded warriors) and melt that claw on another wounded warrior. Done it many times to stay in the game. Also be choosy in your purchases to buy trailers that are both extremely active but also more durable. This will send a message to the manufacturers to take better care of the fisherman which will in turn make them more $'s in the long run.

Good info

I just started using the Rage tails and really like what I see! Never thought about saving and repairing,thank you.

I never bothered to take the trailers off but I will now. Thanks

i always take them off. mostly to prevent a good jig from rusting

I have never had a jig last long enough to rust.

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i always take them off. mostly to prevent a good jig from rusting

I have never had a jig last long enough to rust.

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Oh thats why some jigs rust--I just learned something

The jig hook actually will not rust unless the trailer has alot of salt in it. Any water that is trapped between the trailer and the hook will normally evaporate in a short time and/or be absorbed into the plastic first then dissipate without causing ill effects to your hook.