Once you’ve selected a bladed jig, the next step becomes choosing a suitable trailer. Professional bass angler Tom Redington shares his 2 favorite soft plastic bait categories tied to bass feeding on shad and minnow forage (cylindrical) or bass targeting panfish such as bluegill and crappies.
TACKLE USED
- Z-Man Evergreen ChatterBait Jack Hammer
- Berkley PowerBait Grass Pig
- Berkley PowerBait Power Swimmer
- Berkley PowerBait Pit Boss
- Berkley PowerBait Chigger Bug
Redington has had good luck with a commonsense match the hatch philosophy. Choose a trailer that resembles the primary forage both in appearance and action, and refine the offering based on bass activity level. Slender paddle tail swimbaits get the nod when mimicking shad, with subtle, tight wiggling plastics often outperforming in cold water. In contrast, hard-thumping and larger swimbaits can outproduce in dirty or warm water (active fish).
Similarly, bulky creature baits displace more water while having a panfish appearance. Also, Redington explains how bulkier baits can benefit ChatterBait performance in shallower water or around cover. All told, there’s no definitive right or wrong, just commonsense advice that seems to hold favor with bass in different situations.
