When selecting a soft plastic jig for your jigs and ChatterBaits, there are plenty of options. Add in the complexity of many different jigs and vibrating jigs on the market; the possibilities for trailers are endless. According to Arizona pro angler Brett Hite, you can simplify things by selecting the right trailer based on the water temperature, desired fall rate, and other factors.
Finesse Jigs
When fishing small finesse jigs, Hite often selects a jig trailer that allows the jig to fall quickly. One of his favorites is a 3.75-inch Yamamoto Fat Baby Craw.
"It's great on a ball head finesse jig or any little jig," he said. "That trailer falls fast because it's just a craw and there is less resistance because it doesn't have any appendages on the side."
One place where it shines over other trailers, according to Hite, is deeper water. "It's great for deeper water because it kicks better, and I think you have a better feel of the jig itself since there isn't the same resistance as bulkier trailers."
Another one of his favorites is the tried-and-true Yamamoto Hula grub, fished solo on a football head jig.
"That is the bait I used to catch the biggest bass of my life, a 13-9 from Lake Roosevelt," he said. "It's great for deeper water because it doesn't have much resistance and falls much faster than a jig with a silicone skirt on it. For anything ½-ounce and above, I like the 5-inch version and use the smaller 4-inch version for lighter jigheads because it has more kick and doesn't need much to get those tails to move."
Standard Jig Trailers
One of Hite's go-to jig trailers is the old-school Yamamoto 5-inch Double Tail grub. It's a versatile trailer that can imitate bluegill as well as shad. Another of his picks is the Flappin' Hawg. It comes in two sizes, but the bigger version is the one Hite generally rigs up.
"It's perfect for a ½-ounce to a 1-ounce jig if you cut it down just a little bit," he shared. "I like the larger size because it has a really good crawfish look. When you want your jig to look a little bulkier, it's a great option."
Another thing he appreciates about this trailer is how streamlined it is and what it does to the jig as it falls. "It's pretty compact and because you don't have all the kickers and appendages - it falls really fast," he said. "You can pull some of the side appendages off as well and it will fall even faster. I also usually take them off anytime I am fishing around brush, so it doesn't hang up."
ChatterBait Trailers
As the "King of the ChatterBait" with several big wins on the baits, Hite knows a thing or two about slinging around the Z-Man Ever Green Jack Hammer. He designed the Yamamoto Zako for use as a trailer, and it's his first choice.
But, he also uses the new smaller 3" Zako and the Paddle Tail Zako based on the conditions. "The smaller Zako is great for finesse ChatterBaits like the Z-Man Mini Max," he said. "It also works with the Stealth Blade and you can cut down the skirt a little bit to make a much more compact profile for pressured fish."
The Paddle Tail version works on a ChatterBait and is also Hite's top pick for swim jigs.
"As a general rule of thumb, I'll never use a paddle tail trailer when the water is cool," he said. "The bigger action is best for warmer water and you want the original when it's cold because it's more subtle. I love fishing the Paddle Tail Zako on the back of a swim jig, but it works well on the Jack Hammer too, and gives it a more aggressive action."
Another option is the 5-inch Yamamoto Shad Shape worm that was released at ICAST 2022. It's designed as a drop-shot bait, but Hite says it's a sleeper for the back of a ChatterBait or on a scrounger head.
"It has a great action that looks just like a baitfish when you put it on the back of a ChatterBait," he said. "Just cut it down a little and it fits great. It's also awesome on a scrounger head for those offshore ledge fishing situations."
Picking a jig and ChatterBait trailer is not always as simple as it seems. The simple addition of a piece of plastic to a hook can cause drastic changes to how a bait performs, whether it is the action, rate of fall, or something else. By experimenting with many different baits and matching them to the situation, Brett Hite uses trailers as a tool to help him catch more bass.
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