Best Spinnerbait Trailers
As with any skirted bass lure, a spinnerbait performs better and catches more bass when you pair it up with a trailer bait.
And with literally countless options out there, we narrowed it down to just two spinnerbait trailers to keep it incredibly simple. Here are the 2 best spinnerbait trailers for bass fishing.
The 2 Trailer Styles:
There are two basic styles of trailers to pair up with your spinnerbait. I won’t go too deep into the details and reasons behind each trailer style, but here are the two trailer types and when to use each one.
And these really are the only styles you need and are the best trailers for spinnerbaits.
Straight Tail / Minnow Trailers
- Clear Water: Helps you fish the spinnerbait faster
- Warm Water: Helps you fish the spinnerbait faster
Paddle Tail Trailers
- Muddy Water: Helps you fish the spinnerbait slower
- Cold Water: Helps you fish the spinnerbait slower
Best Spinnerbait Trailers
Now that you know when to use each style of trailer, what specific baits do we recommend? Out of all the countless options out there, these are our two favorite spinnerbait trailer baits that cover both the straight tail and the paddle tail categories.
1. Z-Man Chattershad
Although originally designed to be fished on a chatterbait, the ChatterShad is also our favorite straight tail spinnerbait trailer. With its advanced design, the Z-Man ChatterShad redefines trailers, delivering a dynamic tail action that draws aggressive strikes.
The ChatterShad’s diamond-shaped cross-section generates a rhythmic tail-kick that enhances the fish-attracting power of any spinnerbait.
Available in 3.5-inch and 4.5-inch sizes, the ChatterShad is versatile enough to pair with both standard and finesse-bladed jigs, like the ChatterBait MiniMax.
Its floating ElaZtech construction offers durability while maintaining a soft, natural feel that fish hold onto longer. Whether you’re burning it across the surface or working it through deeper waters, the ChatterShad’s tail-driven action makes it a go-to choice for targeting bass in various conditions.
- Diamond-shaped cross-section for enhanced tail-kicking action
- Segmented tail with V-shaped ridges for superior energy transmission
- Made from durable, floating ElaZtech material for long-lasting use
- Available in 3.5-inch and 4.5-inch sizes to match different presentations
- Easy to rig arrow-straight
2. Z-Man MinnowZ
What separates Elaztech plastics from other soft plastics is their life-like action, natural buoyancy and unmatched durability.
Elaztech baits not only look great, they are also up to 10X tougher than other plastics.
This helps a lot when using the MinnowZ as a spinnerbait trailer because you don’t need to constantly re-rig or adjust the bait every time you catch a fish.
They resist nicks, cuts and tears, and that means you’re likely to catch a lot more fish on Elaztech before having to replace them.
- Crazy soft, 10X Tough ElaZtech construction for lifelike swimming action and extreme durability
- Balanced Paddle Tail swimming action
- Available in more colors than any other ElaZtech bait
Advantages of Z-Man Baits as Trailers
- Soft Body: The Z-Man ElaZtech material is incredibly soft. This helps give the trailer baits more action and movement as a trailer. This is especially important when using the straight tail trailers because they don’t have any swimming action of their own. But just the vibration of the spinnerbait blades is enough to make the very soft ElaZtech material wiggle and swim.
- Durability: The Z-Man ElaZtech material is incredibly durable. So you won’t have to keep adjusting or replacing your trailer bait after 1-2 bass. You can potentially catch dozens of bass on a single Z-Man bait before needing to replace it, which helps you be very efficient and cost effective on the water.
Why Use a Trailer At All?
So while you can still catch bass on a spinnerbait without a trailer, there are two main reasons why you catch more bass using spinnerbaits with trailers.
First, the overall profile of the spinnerbait when you add a trailer looks more natural and realistic. Without the trailer bait, the body of your spinnerbait really doesn’t have a back half, and looks a bit strange. But adding the trailer bait completes the full body profile of your spinnerbait, and gives a bit more swimming action as well.
Second, adding a trailer bait will increase your hookup ratio. By adding a bit of bulk and improving the profile, the trailer helps the bass to really hone in on the body of the spinnerbait, instead of potentially trying to eat the blades, and never actually getting the hook in their mouth. Also, the extra bulk of the trailer helps bass to suck the spinnerbait farther into their mouth, ensuring a high percentage hook up ratio.
Reeling this In
ltimately, the goal of bass fishing is to get more bites and land more fish. By keeping your trailer choices simple and sticking with the two styles we’ve covered—the straight tail (like the Z-Man ChatterShad) for fast, clear, warm-water presentations, and the paddle tail (such as the Z-Man MinnowZ) for slow, cold, or muddy conditions—you’ll be covered.
Remember, adding a high-quality, durable trailer like those made with ElaZtech not only completes the lure’s profile for a more realistic presentation but also significantly increases your hookup ratio.
Stop overthinking and start catching: pair your spinnerbait with one of these two unbeatable trailers and experience immediate success on the water.
