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The Right Trailer
I
can’t say enough about why I use trailers. Simply put, they are awesome bait enhancers. When fishing jigs, buzzbaits, or spin- nerbaits, I always use trailers. They do a great job of changing the bait’s appearance, action, fall rate and retrieval speed. All of these traits increase the odds of matching the forage and also cre- ates a more lifelike presentation for the fish. I prefer to use Zoom Super Chunk Junior for finesse jigs and Zoom Super Chunk Senior when fishing full-sized jigs. I always match the trailer size to the jig size. As a rule of thumb, keep dark-colored jigs with darker trailers and light-colored jigs with lighter trailers. The three colors I can not live without are black/blue, blue sapphire and green pumpkin. In clear water when bass are relating to bottom composition, I use a Critter Craw trailer in green pumpkin. This crawdad imitator gives the bait a more natural appear- ance. In clear water when bass tend to suspend, I prefer Packa Chunk in green pumpkin. The Packa slows the fall rate and adds a little extra action to the jig. On overcast days or when fish- ing dirty water, black/blue and blue sapphire trailers really excel. Water color will determine size - the dirtier the water, the bigger the trailer. The above trailers provide the bait with additional color and allow the jig to displace more wa- ter. The extra vibration and color increases visibility, making the bait easier to find.
Can Make all the difference
By Chad Morgenthaler
When flipping and pitching jigs, I really prefer the Super Chunk trailer because it penetrates cover without getting hung up. It also works well around buck brush and docks. A really cool trick that will change buzzbait fishing forever is to use swim baits as trailers. I prefer Reaction Innovations solid body Skinny Dipper in small or big dipper sizes using mean green shad or white trash color. I thread the bait onto the shank of my Lunker Lure buzzbait, making sure it’s good and straight before adding a dab of super glue to hold it in place. Swim baits allow the buzzbait to be retrieved at a very slow speed, to the point where bass have a hard time resisting it. The tail action of the swim bait causes resistance and also keeps the nose of the buzzbait up, which is the reason it can be retrieved so slow and remain very effective. This presentation can cause some unbelievable strikes. I use the same trail- ers on my spinnerbaits as I do on my buzzbaits. The size of the spinnerbait and the retrieval speed will dictate which size Skinny Dipper to use. The Hawg Caller spinnerbaits utilize the same awesome hook found on the Lunker Lure buzzbaits. I use the same procedure as above when attaching the Skinny Dipper to the spinnerbait. Thread the trailer straight onto the long shank, dab of super glue and I’m ready to cast. If the retrieval speed needs adjusting, change the bait blades. The blades are always a fish magnet, but the swim bait trailer adds one more element, providing a more lifelike appearance and attracting even more fish to your bait. Using soft plastics as trailers has come a long way in recent years. Anglers constantly experiment with new bait and trailer combinations when trying to create a competi- tive edge. With a lot of U.S. waters so heavily pressured, having an edge and presenting the bait in a different fash- ion can make all the difference. BWU
Chad Morgenthaler is in his 10 th season as a professional angler currently competing in the FLW Tour and PAA Series. He is a three-time Bassmaster Classic, five-time Toyota Texas Bass Classic and Forrest Wood Cup qualifier. He is also a PAA board member and past President and Vice President for the organization. www.chadmorgenthaler.com
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Spring 2013