Deciding which fishing jig trailer to use difficult as predatory fish such as bass will alter their preference with changing conditions such as water temperature.
Jig trailers and skirts come in different sizes, shapes and colors and entice a hard strike by the way it thumps, swims or vibrates through the water. Skirts and trailers can be fished separately on a jig or combined to create an even more enticing target for a predator fish. A fishing jig trailer is either rigged with a pork or soft-bodied plastic on the back end. By adding a trailer to the jig, an angler is enhancing its size, color and action of the jig. When combining a skirt with a trailer, be mindful to match the color of the trailer to the skirt. For colder waters below 60 degrees, pork trailers are more effective while soft-bodied plastic trailers are ideal in warm, clearer waters. Jig skirts are added to a jig and trailer to help it look alive by having strands that flare in and out during the swim and drop. Jig skirts are made of hair, rubber or silicon with silicone skirts being the most popular for the variety of colors and they glide through cover easier than rubber skirts.
When thinking about fishing jig trailers it is best to break them down into three main categories. The first category being trailers that are bulky and therefore pushes water with minimal or no vibration while still providing a swim action. Some types of these are the #11 Uncle Josh Pork Frog or the Berkley Gulp! Shrimp.
The second category of fishing jig trailers are those that add bulk and vibration with no swim action. It utilizes subtle movement to trigger the strike. This category is hot with bass usually during the transitional water temperature periods of Fall. Utilizing a soft-bodied plastic with legs and a thin tail such as the PowerBait Power Hawg works well for this category.
The last category are those fishing jig trailers that create the swim action. The boot tail soft-bodied plastics create a dangerously enticing vibration that triggers very aggressive strikes. In addition, this jig swims beautifully and thumps on a constant lure and can be dropped at any time to trigger the all enticing strike during the drop swim.
Any of these jigs and trailers work well with jig skirts. As mentioned above, make sure to match the trailer color to the jig skirt color. These types of fishing lures are very popular with bass and walleye and utilizing micro or mini jigs are great for enticing trout. I personally use a pearl white chub soft-bodied twist tail on a round headed jig and get brown trouts striking down deep where they are in their preferred water temperature during the heat of the day.