Fishing a tournament this past weekend, we had 4 fish in the boat, needing one more to "likely" place in the money and a good one to possibly win.  

 Our primary pattern focused around a jerkbait bite, fishing 8ft+/- flats on clay/gravel banks. This method produced 3 keepers in the first hours of the day.

 Our secondary pattern consisted of pitching tubes/jigs/blades to shallow structure located adjacent to quick drop offs to deeper water.

 I've heard KVD deliver his sermons about always using a trailer hook, but up until know I've never really had an issue with hooking up.  

 We went to our secondary pattern after our jerk bait pattern started to fail.  We started catching dink spots, and than around mid day the bite died.

  I'm pitching a spinnerbait to the shallow structure, and bringing it across/around targets at multiple angles.  I hook up twice, both very likely 3-4lb+ fish, just to have them come unbuttoned at the edge of the boat.

 In hind sight, we waited way to late to move on to our secondary pattern. With about an hour left until weigh in, my partner stuck a 4.5lber and I missed the two above fish.  I don't think we had a real shot at winning (17lbs won) but with my fish we had an assured 2nd, which paid out. We ended up 4th, one spot out of money.

 So...  trailer hooks and spinnerbaits, always? sometimes? never? Opinions please.

I always go with trailer hooks even though 95% of the time my War Eagles' hook is buried in their mouth.

If you lost both at the boat I would say it wasn't necessarily a spinnerbait hook issue....

Did they jump prior to coming unbuttoned?

How did they hit the spinnerbait?

What kind of spinnerbait was it?

Did you winch them in? (Wiching in a 3-4 pound fish along with the fishes strength will just tear a hole in the mouth and when given any slack will just fall out)

:-?

Its hard to explain, but neither jumped.  Remember I'm pitching the spinnerbait like a jig, really short but accurate casts.  

 I did kind of horse them in, but after they would hit, I would get them out of the cover quick, which sort of disoriented them, if you can imagine what I'm talking about.  They hit, I set the hook, reel them out of cover and at the boat they basically catch back up.  Neither fish came unhooked from a strong run or pressure, it was more of just, unbuttoned.  I've thought about it, and I really don't think the hook was ripped out from force.  Although I"m wrong quite often.

I 've never used a trailer hook in my spinnerbaits.

Doesn't sound like a trailer hook issue.  You had the fish hooked and almost to the boat.  It sounds like they got some slack and got the hook out.

If the fish were swiping at the bait or short striking it then a trailer hook would definately help.

Doesn't sound like a trailer hook issue. You had the fish hooked and almost to the boat. It sounds like they got some slack and got the hook out.

If the fish were swiping at the bait or short striking it then a trailer hook would definately help.

There were swiping, most of the fish I caught I would get on the second or third strike, barely on the outter lips, never "deep". Neither fish received slack line, at all.

tnx!

Always use trailer hooks.  Two consecutive misses, or fish hooked on the trailer, and its time for a color/blade change.

Always use trailer hooks. Two consecutive misses, or fish hooked on the trailer, and its time for a color/blade change.

I agree 100%, but on this occasion. I had just picked up the chart/white dual willow booyah spinner bait with 20 mins left. So I was pitching like a mad man. If I had of hit this earlier, I would have adjusted the bait, added a trailer, etc....

I'm trying to figure out if I should use a trailer hook 100% of the time, as it sometimes causes more hangups, for me anyway.

tnx

Doesn't sound like a trailer hook issue. You had the fish hooked and almost to the boat. It sounds like they got some slack and got the hook out.

If the fish were swiping at the bait or short striking it then a trailer hook would definately help.

There were swiping, most of the fish I caught I would get on the second or third strike, barely on the outter lips, never "deep". Neither fish received slack line, at all.

tnx!

Then I would've been searching for a trailer hook to put on!!

I always use a trailer hook.  Somewhere between 1/4 and 1/3 of the fish I catch are on the trailer.

Kelley

Always use trailer hooks. Two consecutive misses, or fish hooked on the trailer, and its time for a color/blade change.

X2

A trailer hook may not always help but it can never hurt.

I always use them. If fish shakes primary hook loose, there is always the trailer to nail him. Trailer will hook the nippers and short strikers.

They do not hinder the baits action so there really is no reason not to use them IMHO

A trailer hook may not always help but it can never hurt.

I always use them. If fish shakes primary hook loose, there is always the trailer to nail him. Trailer will hook the nippers and short strikers.

They do not hinder the baits action so there really is no reason not to use them IMHO

I think you summed it up nicely...  Thanks all.

A trailer hook may not always help but it can never hurt.

I would bet one would hang up more often when pitching the bait into cover like the OP.  So, in this instance the trailer hook may hurt.

I use a trailer when spinnerbait fishing always unless there is very heavy weedgrowth. On buzzbaits I use a trailer at ALL times.

Always use a trailer hook.

I 've never used a trailer hook in my spinnerbaits.

Absolutely never  

Spinner bait always a trailer hook unless in terrible, nasty thick, horrible tangly, clingy sloppy weeds.

Buzzbait, always a trailer hook and sometimes if they are missing I'll piggy back two or even three trailer hooks.