In this video Casey shows how he likes to set up spinnerbaits—and that’s with a soft plastic on the back of them, as well as a stinger (or trailer) hook.
Adding Soft Plastics
First, we’re going to put a soft plastic on the back of our spinnerbait. It doesn’t matter what type of plastic you use, as long as it’s the right size to suit that spinnerbait. Personally, I like to match the colors. I find it aesthetically pleasing—and if the fish are after a bright-colored spinnerbait, they probably want a bright-colored plastic too, and vice versa.
For this setup, I’m using a white spinnerbait with a white soft plastic. This one is a 4-inch Bait Junkie Grub—an ideal size for this type of spinnerbait.
We’re going to rig it just like we would with a soft plastic on a jighead. With grub-style plastics, it’s important to rig them the right way up. When swimming, the tail flares out, staying clear of the hook points. If you rig it upside down, the tail can fold over and get caught on the hook, so orientation matters.
Line it up first. It’s a bit harder with the spinnerbait arm in the way, so take your time. Keep it centered and work it up the hook. These plastics often have a little guidance groove in the middle, which makes it easier. Slowly push it onto the keeper on the spinnerbait.
With 10X soft plastics, it might take a little effort to get it to stay on, but once it’s there and sitting nice and straight, you’re good to go. Now we’ve got a fantastic-looking soft, wiggly tail added to the back, right where the hook is—perfect for getting bites.
Adding a Trailer Hook
Since we’ve added some extra profile with the plastic, I like to add a trailer hook. This helps hook fish that might just nip at the tail.
When picking a trailer hook for a spinnerbait, there are two key things to look for:
- Inline hook – No offset.
- Horizontal eye – Most hooks have this, but many lure-specific single hooks have a vertical eye, which won’t sit properly. A horizontal eye should run sideways, opposite to the hook point.
You want a hook that doesn’t protrude beyond the back of the plastic—keep it within the body. That’s where the fish will bite, and that’s where you want the hook.
Also, choose a hook with a large eye, big enough to go over the main hook and barb. Trailer-specific hooks usually have eyes twice the size of standard ones, so they slide over easily. If you’re having trouble finding them, look at fly-tying hooks, especially saltwater varieties.
Examples:
- Gamakatsu SWAS – Great for this setup.
- Gamakatsu SL12s – Come in sizes from 8 to 12 for all spinnerbait sizes.
Rigging the Trailer Hook
There are a couple of ways to rig the trailer hook. The easiest method for small spinnerbaits is to use a small piece of plastic tubing or heat shrink.
- Flatten the plastic tube slightly to make it oval-shaped.
- Slide it over the eye of the trailer hook. This might take a bit of work—just stretch it enough to get it past the hook eye and over to the other side.
- Trim the excess with scissors once it’s in place.
Even if it’s not super tight, once you push it onto the main hook, it’ll stay put. The plastic tube also acts as a stiff rig, reducing movement and preventing the hook from flopping around. When the barb of the spinnerbait hook goes through the plastic tube, it locks the trailer hook in place.
To attach it:
- Insert the spinnerbait hook through the back of the plastic tube on the trailer hook.
- Make sure the trailer hook faces the same direction as the main hook.
- Push it through carefully—don’t hook yourself!
- Once it’s through, the hook should sit nice and straight, in line with the bait, and it won’t swing freely.
Now you’ve got a perfect trailer hook rigged onto your spinnerbait. It swims great and, if a fish nips anywhere near the tail, it’s going to get pinned—exactly what you want.
There are other methods—like rigging the hook directly through the soft plastic—which also work well but are more time-consuming and require greater precision.
If you’re looking for quality trailer hooks, several brands make them:
- Gamakatsu – Offers pre-made trailer hooks with properly sized tubing.
- Decoy – Also makes excellent pre-rigged versions.
But if you can’t find those, any hook with a horizontal, oversized eye and an inline point will work great.
Super simple, super effective—and will help you catch more fish with your spinnerbaits!