Top 5 Swim Jig Trailers / Get Better at Swim Jig Fishing

Even though we just took the time to list out the Top 10 Swim Jigs – the trailer that you pair with your selection is what will seal the deal.

In dirty water with low visibility or in very thick cover, it might be best to go with a darker color and something with multiple, thumping appendages so the fish can easily find your bait. Dark colors are said to “silhouette” better in low-visibility conditions.

If you’re fishing a shoreline with sparse cover or high-visibility due to clear water, it might be best to go with a natural looking trailer with a slender profile to match the forage. If the fish can inspect your offering, you’ll want it to look as natural as possible.

With that in mind, let’s look at the Top 5 Swim Jig Trailers!

(Looking for Swimbait Jigs? Check these out.)

Strike King KVD Perfect Plastics Swim-N-Shiner

Day in and day out, the Strike King Swim-N-Shiner has put more swim jig fish in the boat for me than any other trailer. The tail “kicks” very well at both slow and fast speeds, and comes in both 4 and 5 inch options. This is a very natural, slender profile that is better suited for clear water, and the green pumpkin / pearl belly combo is fantastic – but the other colors can be great choices as well.

Curly Tail Grubs

This is the original swim jig trailer and it still catches fish! There are a ton of curly tail grubs to choose from. One of the most popular is the Zoom Fat Albert Grub, which comes in multiple colors and a 3″ length. If you rig your swim jig with a curly tail, make sure the tail rides down. This will help provide your bait with extra lift as it comes through the water.

Alternate: Twin Tail Grubs

Twin Tail Grubs have been around for quite a while as well. While you have probably seen these used on standard flipping or Arkie-style jigheads, they also make a great swim jig trailer when you want something that is a bit more frantic than a singular curly tail grub (or a smaller paddle tail).

Z-Man DieZel MinnowZ

Another slender option that is getting a lot of use is the Z-Man DieZel Minnow. This bait comes in sizes ranging from 4 to 7 inches, and they’re made of ElaZtech – which is extremely tough stuff. There are a ton of great color options, and even though the DieZel Minnow isn’t my top pick – it’s still a very versatile, resilient little swim jig trailer. Throw it with confidence.

Strike King Rage Swimmer

Need to bulk up your offering to displace more water? Look to the ribbed body of the Strike King Rage Swimmer. This bait comes in several great colors to pair perfectly with your swim jigs, and sizes range from 2.75 to 5.75 inches. Of these first three trailers, this is what I would tie on when fishing dirty water (unless I wanted multiple appendages).

Strike King Rage Tail Craw

Finally, one of the most versatile soft plastics on the market today: the Strike King Rage Tail Craw. If you had this bait in your bag you could use it as a trailer, you could Texas rig it, Carolina rig it, put it on a jighead or even an upsized drop-shot rig. The cupped claws go crazy on the retrieve – even at slower speeds they pulse violently – this bait makes an awesome swim jig trailer if you want multiple thumping appendages that move a lot of water, and get a lot of attention!

Moving Forward

With all of the options available today, it’s important to avoid overwhelm and just select a few trailers from the list above to get you started. It would take years to cover all of the trailers on the market; simply begin by matching the color of the trailer to the color of your jig as best you can – and get to casting.

Over time you will discover what you prefer, and (more importantly?) what the fish prefer as well.

Next, we’ll look at some custom swim jig options that may be flying under your radar.

Tight lines!

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