Trailer hooks on soft plastics?

[rocknsurf]

Hi Guys, I recently spent a weekend fishing Breede River.

After having no joy with hard baits i started using Paddle tails, I picked up a few knocks but ended up getting bitten off just short of the hook ( I was using 5 inch Paddle tails) - I am guessing it was small Elf!

I have used trailer hooks on spinner baits before when bass fishing and know that they work, but how do they affect the performance of soft plastics like paddle tails? -

I do not want to put the trailer through the plastic, but have it hanging below the plastic, point down or up? !

What are the best trailer hooks on the market these days? I have looked in a few shops since I got back and so far have not been able to find any, any idea who stocks them in CT?

cheers

 

[DJP]

I've played around with trailer hooks on paddle tail a bit. My problem was that the small kob where also hitting the tail, but as soon as I scaled down to 3 or 4 inch I got fewer strikes (the bigger lure puts out more vibration / movement).
I use 2/0 Mustad stainless hooks which I tie on with a short piece (2cm) of Dacron. I tie the Dacron to the shank of the jig head hook and eye of the trailer hook. The trailer hook I just skin hook through the tail of the paddle tail. It works ok, the areas were I fish are very rocky so hang-ups became an issue, but in Breede it should work.