One of my favorite ways to target bass in grass and around cover is with a swim jig. The versatility, effectiveness and overall ability to get you some big bites makes the swim jig a must have for all bass fishing anglers.
A key, yet often overlooked component of a swim jig is the trailer. Selecting the right swim jig and trailer combination makes a huge difference and will contribute to your overall success.
There are literally hundreds of jig trailers out on the market these days, but if I could only pick one, I would say the Rage Swimmer is the best overall swim jig trailer. I have confidence that you could use this trailer and catch bass anywhere in the country.
However, there are a lot of great trailer options out there and some that simply aren’t as effective and are a waste of time.
For that reason, I have tested a ton of different swim jig trailers over the years and have put together the following list of my top choices. This article will save you both time and money and best of all help you catch a bunch of bass on a swim jig.
Swim Jig Trailers
What makes a swim jig more effective at times than other techniques like a swimbait is that you can get secondary action with the skirt and a body rock or roll when paired with the right trailer. It’s also weedless making it ideal for fishing around heavy vegetation and cover.
When selecting a swim jig trailer, it’s important to keep in mind that different trailers will give the bait a unique action. The best trailers are going to be the ones that really get the swim jig rolling and rocking as you move it through the water.
Here is a look at the main categories of swim jig trailers and some tips on when to use each one:
Types of Swim Jig Trailers
Paddles Tail Swimbaits
The paddle tail category is my favorite type of swim jig trailer. These trailers do a great job at imitating baitfish and provide your presentation with some great secondary action. The tail kick is what really makes these trailers shine. Paddle tail swimbait trailers like the Rage Swimmer or the Keitech Fat Swim impact are great options.
Craw/Creature Baits
When the bass are targeting crayfish a craw or creature style of swim jig trailer is the way to go. This type of trailer gives of a subtler, yet effective secondary action and can trigger some big time strikes.
Grubs
Another killer swim jig trailer category is the classic grub. I will typically use a double tail grub because it produces a great swimming motion, but a single tail grub is also a solid choice. The way I view grubs is that they are a more finesse trailer. Meaning they work better when the fish are finicky and aren’t as aggressive. The subtle action tends to trigger bass into striking in tough conditions.
Now that we have covered the basics around swim jig trailers, let’s talk specific baits. Here is my top 10 must have swim jig trailers.
Make sure to check out My Recommended Bass Fishing Gear and Tackle Guide to ensure you have the right gear for your next fishing adventure.
10 Must Have Swim Jig Trailers
Rage Swimmer
If I could only choose one swim jig trailer the Rage Swimmer by Strike King would easily be my number one choice. What really separates this bait from others is the rock and roll action it gives your swim jig as you move it through the water. This jig will flat out catch them.
My go to size is the 3.75 and 4.75. The two sizes tend to give you the most action that will catch both big and small fish. As far as colors go, Electric Shad, Pearl Flash, Green Gizzard Shad and Green Pumpkin are my favorite colors.
D Walker
Another fantastic paddle tail style swim bait is the D Walker by River2Sea. This bait is a close second to the Rage Swimmer and might even give your swimbaits an even bigger role and rock action than any other bait. It comes it some great colors and is a must have bait.
When throwing the D Walker on a swimbait, I will use both the 100 and 200 size depending on the size of swim jig I’m using. For larger swim jigs the 200 size is a must. When using your standard swim jig 100 is my preferred choice.
The D Walker doesn’t come in a ton of different colors, but the ones they do have are killer. The PB Red, Green Pumpkin Red Flake and the Shamrock Shad are some of my favorites.
Strike King Rage Bug
The Strike King Rage Bug has been a staple for many bass fishing anglers and is a proven tournament bait that works great when paired with a swim jig. When the bass are looking to feed on crayfish or blue gill is when I’ll bust out this bait.
The Rage Bug comes in one size (4inch) and offers some great color options. Making it easy to choose a color that will best fit your fishery. The Green Pumpkin, Black Blue Flake, Bama Bug and June Bug are my go-to colors.
Keitech Fat Swing Impact
The Keitech Fat Swing Impact is another one of my favorite swim jig trailers. This bait has some great life-like swimming action that makes it difficult for any nearby bass to resist.
I’ve noticed this bait doesn’t quite produce the same body shake like the D Walker and Rage swimmer, but it’s still an all-around great bait.
The ideal size for this bait when paired with a swim jig is the 3.8 and 4.3 depending on the size of your jig. With that said, feel free to experiment and find which ones work best for you.
They also have a ton of different color options to choose from. The Ghost Rainbow Trout, Houdini, Perch and Sexy Shad are some of my top choices.
Reaction Innovations Spicy Beaver
The Spicy Beaver by Reaction Innovations is another solid bait that excels on a swim jig. What’s unique about this bait compared to the other creature baits in its category is the two big appendages on the back.
These appendages generate a ton of vibration and action that will easily draw the attention of any nearby bass. This bait comes in one 3-3/4” size and has some sweet color options as well.
My favorite colors are Green Pumpkin, Flora/Bama, Tramp Stamp and White Trash, but there are a lot of other color choices as well.
Zoom Z Craw
The Zoom Z Craw is a special and versatile bait that works great as a punching bait, chatter bait trailer and is an excellent swim jig trailer as well. What I like about the Z Craw is the vibration and unique action it has with its claws and forward-facing ribs. This bait will flat out catch them.
Another added bonus to the Z Craw is that it’s one of the more affordable baits on this list. It’s affordability, effectiveness and versatility make it a must have trailer to pair with your swim jigs.
The Z Craw comes in a Jr which is 3.5” and a Standard size 4.25”. For most situations my preferred choice is the Standard size, especially if I’m targeting largemouth.
It also comes in a variety of colors and patterns allowing you to pick your favorites. I’ve had a lot of success on the California 420 and the Watermelon Candy.
Bandito Bug
Another popular creature bait that also works well on a swim jig is the Bandito Bug. This Googan bait is a killer option and is one that will help you catch a lot of fish.
This bait puts off some great vibrations with its ribbed body and long claws and has some sweet action in the water. The Bandito Bug is a deadly bait when targeting some big bass with a swim jig.
You have two different size options with this bait the smaller 3.3” version and the larger 4”. I’ll mostly use the 4” unless I’m throwing a more finesse swim jig.
As far as colors go you can’t go wrong with any of the options and a lot of it comes down to water clarity, forage and personal preference. My favorites are the Sprayed Lettuce, Natural and Pearl.
Yamamoto Double Tail Grub
How can you have a top swim jig trailer list without mentioning the Yamamoto Double Tail Grub. This is one of my all-time favorite jig trailers and it works particularly well on a swim jig.
Yamamoto is the gold standard when it comes to soft plastic baits and the double tail grub is one of their most versatile and effective baits they have ever made.
The swimming action of this bait will help make your swim jig come to life and will be tough for any bass to resist. It comes in a variety of award winning colors and is a great all-around soft plastic.
Skinny Dipper
Another great paddle tail swim bait is the Skinny Dipper by Reaction Innovations. This bait will flat out put fish in the boat and is a trailer that is definitely worth trying out.
This bait has unique and slender body made to create vibration in the water and does a great job at enticing fish to strike. When targeting bigger fish, the Skinny Dipper (4”) is my go to size and will get you bigger bites. When finesse fishing the Little Dipper (3.5”) is the way to go.
This bait comes in some great colors as well and gives the bass a different look than other paddle tail swimbaits do. Give this bait a shot the next time you’re looking for a swim jig trailer.
Rage Menace
If you are looking for a more subtle, yet still effective creature style bait than the Rage Twin Tail Menace Grub by Strike King is pretty hard to beat.
This bait features a slender profile with two unique shaped craw/grub style tails. These features give the bait a unique swimming action that is a proven fish catcher.
It comes in a lot of great colors making it easy to match the forage and your home lakes. The bait is one of my go to jig trailers when the bite is tough. It will simply catch bass when others won’t.
Now that we have gone over some of the best swim jig trailers to use to catch bass let’s talk when and where a swim jig can be effective.
Where to Fish a Swim Jig
One of the reasons why the swim jig can be such an effective and efficient way to catch bass is because of its versatility. You can pretty much throw this bait around any structure and have success.
Here is some of the key areas I look to target with a swim jig:
- Grass
- Under Docks
- Wood
- Riprap
- Other Types of Structure
How to Fish a Swim Jig
Fishing a swim jig can be straight forward, but there are some key strategies and tips you can implement that will increase your odds of success and help you get more bites.
Check out this video where Jacob Wheeler one of the best bass fishermen in world explains when and how to fish a swim jig.
Final Thoughts
A swim jig is one of the most versatile and effective ways to catch bass all year round. A crucial part, yet often overlooked is ensuring you pair the right trailer on your favorite swim jig.
In this article we have discussed 10 of the best swim jig trailers out on the market. I have a ton of confidence in these baits and would encourage you to pick one of these up and try if for yourself.
