Last year, after using a vice to hold a weedless jighead while winding thread around it to hold a skirt, I thought, 'there's got to be a better way!' I just happened to have some thin plastic zip ties (used for electric wires) laying around and I figured why not use them instead of the much longer process of tying, gluing, etc. Wella! I'll never go back to tying wrapping spinnerbait or jig skirts. The zip holds a wire trailer keeper (which I came up with six years ago for small panfish jigs) and is pictured.

Here are the steps:

1. Lay out the skirt tabs (usually three) and place them into the tie that's been zipped loosely.

2. Bend a 2" piece of plastic coated wire into a small U at one end and insert the long forward under the zip, catching the U.

3. Zip it tight and cut off the end or use it as a weed guard.

4. Snip the skirt tab ends, bend back the wire and form an L as pictured.

You're finished.

The zip tie will never slide down unless you push it down to change skirts and using a new zip tie. Skirts can be reused, if not damaged or cut too short. The trailer keeper holds and holds! Swing it out/ swing it in.

I haven't tried putting a rattle under the zip yet, but then again, I'm not a believer in rattles

or a complicated color selection.

Note: Skirts and jigs can purchased from www.lurecraft.com or for a huge selection of colors, www.fishingskirts.com.

 

That is pretty slick. And I was thinking I could use fly tying thread to do this but frowned at the amount of work it would involve. Now you method is short, sweet, simple and in Oprah's words, an "aha" moment.

My usual fishing buddy and I used them yesterday and slammed bass in 4-12 FOW. Color didn't matter much and we used Rage Tails or pork frog rubber copies, holding them in place with the pictured wire trailer-lock. The 3/8 oz and 1/2 jigs were king!! Six bass on onejig and trailer and then rocks claimed the jig.

Excellent post, sometimes I even use these zip ties to hold my trailer on a little longer as well. If I can get a couple more fish on the one trailer it is worth it to me. Some plastics now days are 6-7 bucks for a bag of 5!!

Excellent post, sometimes I even use these zip ties to hold my trailer on a little longer as well. If I can get a couple more fish on the one trailer it is worth it to me. Some plastics now days are 6-7 bucks for a bag of 5!!

Now you need to find a way to keep claws on Paca Chunks and Chigger Chunks.

That way I can copy it.

You and me both! Nothing irritates me more than a new trailer with both claws ripped off!!

Now you need to find a way to keep claws on Paca Chunks and Chigger Chunks.

That way I can copy it.

I already have (including Rage Tails) from plaster molds I made and now pour my own.

Ok, rookie question here-been fishing a year or so- what/how does the wire work for the trailer? How do you attach the trailer to it?

Ok, rookie question here-been fishing a year or so- what/how does the wire work for the trailer? How do you attach the trailer to it?

Hope this clarifies. The keepers presently on bass jigs are embedded in the lead head, are too short and the wire bend to small to do much good.

The longer 'L' of the coated wire sticks deeper into the trailer body and can be stuck in at different angles (top or side).

another veiw:

thx the pics helped too