Tails for spinning lures

[barrybarry]

As I get older and less mobile I've been using a spinning rod more often for Smallies and Trout. I thought I might add some tails to some small sinking lures (2 to 3 inch)
My first thought was barred wood duck feathers. Then I thought rabbit fur. and a little flash might be best. More durable.
Any thoughts? I have almost every material known to man—even a fox tail.

 

[hooker-of-men]

I've tied tails on treble hooks for Mepps / Roostertail style spinners for a family member. Is that the idea?

I put on some flash, some synthetic hair for color, and squirrel tail with a simple distribution wrap.

 

[barrybarry]

That’s the idea. I know how to tie. I was more interested in materials. I have some squirrel tail. It’s a little long and I’ve found it a little slippery. (Picket pin)

 

[Mike]

There used to be and may still be a very small, gold spinner (blade size 1 or 0) that had a clip, which allowed the trailing hook to be changed at will. Our standard approach was to use a wet fly as the hook and it worked quite well. I would think that based on this you could select standard wet fly materials for your treble hook embellishment; however, most furs/hairs would work as well.

 

[dc410]

Arctic Fox tail fur might work well for that.

 

[PennKev]

As I get older and less mobile I've been using a spinning rod more often for Smallies and Trout. I thought I might add some tails to some small sinking lures (2 to 3 inch)
My first thought was barred wood duck feathers. Then I thought rabbit fur. and a little flash might be best. More durable.
Any thoughts? I have almost every material known to man—even a fox tail.

I've used some lures that came with trailing trebles that had krystal flash on them and I use a lot of KF in my streamers so that is the first thing that comes to mind.

 

[troutbert]

For spinners, does adding feathers or hair actually improve the catch rate? Undressed spinners work quite well.

If you want to use your fly tying skills and materials for spinfishing lures, why not just buy a bunch of jigheads and tie your own jigs?

You could tie very simple ones by just tying in some marabou. Or you could tie wooly buggers and slumpbusters or Clouser Minnow style or crayfish patterns or Shenk Sculpin style.

There are lots of streamer patterns that you could tie on a jighead, then cast with spin gear.

 

[Bamboozle]

There used to be and may still be a very small, gold spinner (blade size 1 or 0) that had a clip, which allowed the trailing hook to be changed at will. Our standard approach was to use a wet fly as the hook and it worked quite well. I would think that based on this you could select standard wet fly materials for your treble hook embellishment; however, most furs/hairs would work as well.

Not exactly the same thing, but I bought some spinners last year at the Philadelphia (NOT Fly) Fishing Show at Oaks, PA from a company called RoxStar.

At the show RoxStar were custom building sets of spinners where the customer chose the size, blade shape, number of hook points and the trailer. However in this case the trailers were regular flies, both wet & dry.

It was the first time I saw regular flies used as a trailer so I bought a set of small spinners and chose all single hook flies as my trailers. First off they are excellent quality spinners, the flies are nicely tied (I believe in the US) and they CATCH fish!!

If you are close and want to take a look they will be Philadelphia Fishing Show again in 2025.

As far as "jigs" go, I use regular bead-head or cone-head Woolly Buggers on ultralight spinning gear all the time. In addition, since the days before I ever picked up a fly rod, one of my favorite spinning "lures" are garden variety marabou crappie jigs that are just chenille & marabou.

It would be simple as pie to use a big tungsten bead and tie the same thing on a 3XH regular wet fly hook.

 

[Javelin389t]

For spinners, does adding feathers or hair actually improve the catch rate? Undressed spinners work quite well.

If you want to use your fly tying skills and materials for spinfishing lures, why not just buy a bunch of jigheads and tie your own jigs?

You could tie very simple ones by just tying in some marabou. Or you could tie wooly buggers and slumpbusters or Clouser Minnow style or crayfish patterns or Shenk Sculpin style.

There are lots of streamer patterns that you could tie on a jighead, then cast with spin gear.

Although I can’t back it up with stats., as a diehard rooster tail fan. I think adding a tail to spinners helps. I always liked the soft type hairs over something like mepps squirrel tail. Panther Martin had a good tail also. I think when a trout follows it and gets close. The tail can seal the deal.

 

[Bamboozle]

Although I can’t back it up with stats., as a diehard rooster tail fan. I think adding a tail to spinners helps. I always liked the soft type hairs over something like mepps squirrel tail. Panther Martin had a good tail also. I think when a trout follows it and gets close. The tail can seal the deal.

Speaking of dressed versus undressed spinners...

I'm a BIG fan of BIG inline spinners for pickerel cause I can cast them with baitcasting tackle which is my preference and pickerel clobber them.

However when ordered my "pickerel" spinners from Mepps, I pretty much ordered the same group dressed & undressed because there are some days when the pickerel preferred one over the other.

BTW - If you like and still fish Rooter Tails, you should check out the RoxStar Fly Striker spinners I mentioned in post #8.

 

[springer1]

Not exactly the same thing, but I bought some spinners last year at the Philadelphia (NOT Fly) Fishing Show at Oaks, PA from a company called RoxStar.

Thanks for that link, they have interesting designs.

 

[Bamboozle]

It's a nice product and they offer single hooks (as does Mepps & Rooter Tail) which is all I use for everything.

 

[troutbert]

Joe's Flies have been around for a long time. I've never used these, but I've heard people say they are good.

Joe's Flies Fishing Spinners and Spoons - Shop Now!

When it's time to get serious about hook and hold for the ShortStriking native Trout! it is time to fish with our famous Short-Striker! For the big Rainbows and Browns, fish out improved Super-Striker 1/4oz. Each Joe's Fly is "hand tied" before assembly in our home state of West Virginia.

joesflies.com

 

[Bamboozle]

Joe's Flies have been around for a long time. I've never used these, but I've heard people say they are good.

Joe's Flies Fishing Spinners and Spoons - Shop Now!

When it's time to get serious about hook and hold for the ShortStriking native Trout! it is time to fish with our famous Short-Striker! For the big Rainbows and Browns, fish out improved Super-Striker 1/4oz. Each Joe's Fly is "hand tied" before assembly in our home state of West Virginia.

joesflies.com

Nice looking stuff but it doesn't appear he offers single hook spinners which is all I'll use.

Even though it was an added expense to get all the right type hooks in all the correct sizes, I converted all of my spinners & hard baits to single hook. They work great, they are MUCH better for the fish and the fishermen, they tangle less in the tackle box, snag less when fishing and if I miss or lose a fish because it is a single hook...

So what else is new. 😉

 

[Forestfishin]

Nice looking stuff but it doesn't appear he offers single hook spinners which is all I'll use.

Even though it was an added expense to get all the right type hooks in all the correct sizes, I converted all of my spinners & hard baits to single hook. They work great, they are MUCH better for the fish and the fishermen, they tangle less in the tackle box, snag less when fishing and if I miss or lose a fish because it is a single hook...

So what else is new. 😉

My son uses Joes flies a lot, we just snip off the treble hook and crush the barb on the “fly” and he’s good to go. The unweighted ones can be cast with a fly rod pretty well.

There was a day late last spring where he was lighting it up and the trout wanted nothing to do with anything I threw with a fly rod. I switched to one of those spinners and ended up having a great day.