Chatterbait trailers can be defined as soft plastic worms, grubs, etc. that are attached to a chatter bait to make it more effective at attracting fish. They do so by giving a swimming action, adding color and making the chatter bait bigger for better visibility.
However, there is a wide variety of chatter baits that are available in the market, with most of them have different designs. To help you in the selection process, this article looks at 10 of the best chatter bait trailers to consider buying.
10 Best Chatterbait Trailers – Review
1. Strike King RGCRW – Best Overall Chatterbait Trailer
- Length: 4”
- Weight: 0.16 oz.
- Number of Pieces: 7
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Top of the list is Strike King’s RGCRW, which takes the overall best spot because it is built to create turbulence. Since it has a lobster-like design, as soon as you move the rod, the claws flap back and forth, creating enough turbulence to catch the fish’s attention.
Additionally, the trailer comes in various colors that have flakes in them for easy visibility even in murky waters.
That said, this property makes the unit very versatile because it can be rigged with a variety of hooks, especially when jigging. This is because its aggressiveness creates a new action that compliments swim jigs, making it easier to target and catch big bass.
Another important feature of the trailer is that it is very lightweight (0.16 oz.). This allows it to swim at any depth so that you can catch almost any type of fish.
The only problem is that the unit works best in the presence of short or no skirt at all to create the most turbulence. Therefore, you might have to trim your chatter bait before use.
Pros:
- Lobster design with claws for maximum turbulence
- Multiple color options
- Versatile
- Lightweight (0.16 oz.)
Cons:
- Requires short or no skirt
2. Z-Man Split Tail Grub – Best Budget Chatterbait Trailer
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- Length: 4”
- Weight: 3.2 oz.
- Number of Pieces: 10
If you are a bit short on cash, Z-Man’s split tail grub is the best chatter bait trailer to buy because it is very affordable. Despite this, it comes as a 10-piece set, which gives you enough pieces to set up multiple chatter baits.
As the name suggests, the trailer has a split tail design and has a smooth body that makes it move naturally in water. This design is highly popular by tournament anglers.
Other than that, the unit has a 10x tough ElaZtech construction that can withstand countless fish bites and harsh weather conditions. You also get 4 bright color options, which are green pumpkin, chartreuse gold, hot chartreuse, and white pearl.
The only problem is that the trailer’s long tails can stick together, which then limits its swimming capabilities.
Pros:
- Affordable
- 10x tough ElaZtech construction
- Generous 10-piece set
- 4 bright color options
Cons:
- Tails can stick together
3. Yamamoto 061990 – Best Chatterbait Trailer Value Pack
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- Length: 5”
- Weight: 16 oz.
- Number of Pieces: 36
Yamamoto’s 061990 is the best value pack because it contains 36 trailer pieces. These make it ideal to buy as a group of anglers then share the pieces equally.
Additionally, the trailers come in 6 different colors. You get 6 of each of the following colors: black with blue flakes, blue pearl with silver flakes, pumpkin and green pumpkin with black speckles, watermelon with black and red speckles and smoke with black and purple flakes.
All of them have a fish-like design that allows them to move subtly in water. What makes them noticeable are the flakes/speckles, which work best in clear waters.
Other features include a long 5” length and neat packaging in a reusable Plano utility box. However, you don’t get a lot of vibration for fish attraction.
Pros:
- 36-piece set
- 6 color kit
- Flakes/speckles for better visibility
- Reusable utility box packaging
Cons:
- Does not vibrate a lot
4. Yamamoto Zako Swimbait – Best Swimbait Trailer for Chatterbait
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- Length: 4”
- Weight: 1.92 oz.
- Number of Pieces: 6
Not only does this Yamamoto piece move naturally like a fish, but it is shaped like one and even has a fishtail for fish-like movement behind your chatter bait. This makes it the best swimbait on the list.
Additionally, the unit is available in different color options that range from bright colors such as chartreuse shad laminate to dark ones like black with blue flakes. This gives you a wide array of suitable trailers to target different fish.
Other features include a segmented body that adds on some vibrating movement to attract attention and a large belly that gives you enough plastic to pierce into the chatter bait hook.
However, the product comes as a set of only 6 trailers, which are quite a few.
Pros:
- Natural fish-like design
- Multiple color options
- Vibrating segmented body
- Large belly for easy hooking
Cons:
- Few pieces
5. Z-Man GMIN-319PK6 – Best Weedless Chatterbait Trailer
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- Length: 3”
- Number of Pieces: 6
With its split dorsal, Z-Man’s GMIN-319PK6 hides and protects the chatter bait’s hook, which makes it ideal for weedless rigging. This ensures that fish are easily hooked once they get a good bite of the trailer.
That said, the unit has a soft rubber feel that allows for easy biting. Despite this, it has a tough ElaZtech construction that is very durable because it can withstand multiple fish bites and harsh weather conditions.
You also get multiple color options that exceed 40 in number but the piece is quite short (3” length) and comes in a small 6-piece pack.
Pros:
- Split dorsal for weedless rigging
- Soft rubber for easy biting
- Tough ElaZtech construction
- Over 40 color options
Cons:
- Small 6-piece pack
- Short length
6. Keitech Fat Swing Impact – Largest Chatterbait Trailer
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- Length: 2.8-7.8”
- Weight: 2.4 oz.
Keitech’s Fat Swing chatter bait trailer is available in multiple sizes that include a 7.8” long piece. This is a very large size and is easily visible when attached to the bait.
Other than that, the unit has a two-tone color injection along its length, which gives a natural color fade to resemble the appearance of most fish.
It is also made using salted plastics that help in masking the smell of plastic, human odor and give a good taste so that the fish can bite for longer. This gives you more time to set the hook.
More features include a center rigging line that helps you to rig correctly by giving you the perfect spot, a tapered body that is ringed for weedless Texas rigging and a streamlined body that can be retrieved at any speed because of its swift swimming motion.
You also get multiple color options to choose from but the only problem is that the trailer is quite expensive, especially with the large 7.8” size.
Pros:
- Long 7.8” size
- Natural 2-tone color injection
- Salted plastic construction
- Ringed, streamlined body with a center rigging line
Cons:
- Expensive
7. Strike King Rage Swimmer – Ribbed Chatterbait Trailer
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- Length: 0.125- 4.75”
- Weight: 3.36-4 oz.
- Number of Pieces: 7
Strike King’s Rage Swimmer is characterized by a ribbed body that is made of soft rubber for easy biting. It has a realistically contoured body that is fish-like, which helps to maintain the perfect swimming motion for easy retrieval at any speed.
The trailer also has a paddle pancake-like tail, which adds on some vibrations through thumping action for attracting attention. This makes it ideal for jigging or power fishing when targeting predator fish such as bass.
Other features include 10 color options and 4 size options. The 2.75” and 3.75” sizes are packed in 7 pieces per set while the large 4.75” size comes in a 6-pack set.
On the downside, the unit is not made using salted plastic to make the fish bite for longer.
Pros:
- Soft ribbed body
- Realistically contoured body
- Paddle tail to create thumping action
- Multiple color options
Cons:
- Non-salted
8. Zoom Bait 080-025 – Salt Impregnated Chatterbait Trailer
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- Length: 3.5”
- Weight: 0.16 oz.
- Number of Pieces: 12
Just like the Keitech Fat Swing, Zoom Bait’s 080-025 is made using salted plastic, which makes fish grab onto it longer so that you get more time to set your hook. This salting also helps to cover up the smell of plastic and human odor to allow the trailer to attract more fish.
Aside from that, this unit has a lobster-like design that features claws at the front and appendages on the sides. These provide the action required to create turbulence at any speed, making the trailer ideal for jigging.
Other features include 28 different color options, a 3.5” length and a pack of 12 for each set. However, to achieve its action in the water, the trailer requires a short skirt on your chatter bait, which means you have to trim it.
Pros:
- Salted plastic construction
- Claws and appendages for turbulent action
- Multiple color options
- Generous 12-pack set
Cons:
- Requires a trimmed skirt
9. Z-Man ElaZtech CrawZ – Non-Toxic Chatterbait Trailer
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- Length: 4”
- Number of Pieces: 6
Z-Man’s CrawZ is built using non-toxic soft plastic that is very safe for fish to bite. That said, this plastic is ElaZtech, which is 10x as tough as other plastics, but still maintains a soft touch for easy biting.
Apart from that, the trailer is very similar in design to the Zoom Bait 080-025 because it is shaped like a lobster. It has claws at the front and side appendages, which are ideal for creating turbulent action at any speed.
On the downside, the product comes as a set of 6, which are quite a few, and there are only 3 color options, which are very few. On the bright side, the trailer is relatively affordable.
Pros:
- Non-toxic plastic build
- Tough ElaZtech construction
- Claws and appendages for turbulent action
- Quite affordable
Cons:
- Few color options
- Small 6-pack set
10. Yamamoto Senko Bait – Chatterbait Trailer with a Kicking Tail
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- Length: 3.5-5.5”
- Number of Pieces: 10
Rounding up the list is Yamamoto’s Senko bait, which features a pancake-like tail that gives a kicking action during retrieval. This creates some turbulence that is sure to attract the fish’s attention is quite effective in stained water.
Additionally, it is available in many color options and all of them have multiple flakes inside that help in reflecting light. This enhances its visibility in murky waters.
Other features include a naturally contoured fish-like design that resembles the food of most fish, a generous 10-pack set and 3 size options that include 3.5”, 4” and 4.5”.
The only problem is that the plastic used is not salted and therefore, does not entice the fish to bite for longer periods.
Pros:
- Pancake-like kicking tail
- Multiple color options with reflective flakes
- Naturally contoured fish-like design
- Generous 10-pack set
Cons:
- Non-salted
How to Buy the Best Chatterbait Trailer
1. Type
Before buying a chatter bait trailer, the first thing to consider is its type. Type mostly refers to its shape, in which you can have a swimbait that resembles a fish, a crawfish that has claws and appendages, worms and grubs, just to name a few.
Swimbait (baitfish) and crawfish are the most popular and each has its advantages. The former (such as Yamamoto’s Zako) move subtly in water in a fish-like movement and resemble the prey that other large fish prefer.
On the other side, crawfish trailers like Strike King’s RGCRW are more aggressive because their claws and legs create a lot of action even with little rod tip movement. This makes them ideal for fishing in murky waters because the turbulence created makes them easy to spot.
They can also be used in clear waters and are the best for slow fishing like when jigging. This gives them a slight edge over baitfish due to their multiple uses.
2. Size
As a general rule of thumb, large chatter bait trailers are better than small ones because they are easily visible and are more attractive to large fish because they appear as large prey. This means that that the 7.8” Keitech Fat Swing has a slight advantage over the rest.
However, you also need to consider the size of the chatter bait so that you buy the right size for it.
3. Color
When considering color, you need to think about what the fish you are targeting likes to eat. Ideally, you should get a trailer that has the same color as the prey your fish prefers so that you have higher chances of catching it.
Other than that, you need to check the weather, season and lighting conditions. That said, brightly colored trailers with reflective specs usually perform best in low light conditions. For this, check out Strike King’s RGCRW.
4. Versatility
Versatility in chatter bait trailers means the ability to catch different types of fish. One factor that greatly enhances versatility is action and trailers with turbulent action such as Zoom Bait’s 080-025 are better positioned to catch multiple types of fish.
Apart from that, lightweight pieces also have an advantage because they can swim at different depths. This allows them to target different types of fish that swim at different depths in the water column.
5. Durability
Lastly, you need to consider durability. Even though these trailers are made of plastic or rubber, the quality of the material differs depending on the manufacturer.
For instance, Z-Man’s units, such as the split tail grub, are made using ElaZtech plastic, which is 10x tougher than other kinds of plastic. This makes them very durable.
Aside from this, some trailers are made using non-toxic plastic while in others, the material is salted so that the fish can bite for longer due to the good taste. Such features are recommended because they enhance the angling process.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the best chatter bait trailer should at least be easy to spot.
Strike King’s RGCRW takes the top spot because it gives a lot of action in the water and is available in multiple colors for easy spotting. It is also lightweight enough for versatile fishing because it can swim at different depths.
However, if you are looking for a swimbait trailer, Yamamoto’s Zako is the best option to buy because of its natural fish-like design and a large belly for easy hooking. If you are on a tight budget though, Z-Man’s split tail grub is the most affordable piece to buy.
