When the bass start eating a jig, I make some pretty ridiculous bulk orders from Tackle Warehouse. If the bite is good enough, you’ll sometimes go through two full packs of soft plastic trailers in a single day of fishing. It’s part of the game, but I’ve found a trailer that can save you a little hassle and lots of money.
I’ve been testing the Z-Man Batwingz Jig Trailer for the last several months. Not only does it look great on the back of a jig, but it will last for dozens of fish catches before you need to replace it.
What you’ll like about it
More than anything, I expect anglers to appreciate the sheer durability of the Z-Man Batwingz Jig Trailer. Soft plastics may not seem like much of an investment, but they add up very quickly. This particular trailer is incredibly long-lasting; you can skip it all day, put it around pesky bluegill beds and catch a pile of big bass and it won’t go anywhere. It’s not going to rip off the hook and its “wings” stay intact even after very aggressive bites. I’ve caught well over 15 bass on the pictured Batwingz and throughout 2 1/2 months of testing, I’ve yet to use an entire pack of one color. Not even kidding.
The same ElaZtech construction that makes the Batwingz Jig Trailer so durable also contributes to its buoyancy. As the head of your jig sits on the bottom, this trailer will float. A lot of soft plastics claim to do the same, but it’s tough to find a truly buoyant jig trailer. The wings of this trailer float nicely and mimic the natural defensive posture of a crawfish. This natural buoyancy has resulted in many, many bites throughout my testing; especially in colder water. When the bass want a jig with a slower fall, this is an awesome option.
In addition to the durability, you’re going to like the price of the Batwingz Jig Trailer. You’d think all that fancy, heavy-duty plastic would cost a small fortune, but these trailers are actually quite reasonable. Priced starting at $3.99 per 6-pack, it’s a darn good deal. It sounds crazy, but I honestly wouldn’t be surprised if a single pack lasted more than 60 fish catches.
My experiences with it
I like to skip docks with a jig—a lot. So a thorough review of the Batwingz was right in my wheelhouse. I spent a lot of hours fishing with this trailer throughout the winter months and I really liked it.
It’s a simple, chunk-style design, so there are no crazy appendages to write about or wild action to analyze. It falls slowly to the bottom, the “wings” elevate while your jig is at rest and it has a very fluid movement as it’s hopped across the bottom. This very natural action gets a lot of bites.
The Batwingz has also held up quite well to skipping docks. I’ve used many chunk-style trailers in the past that wear out rather quickly after repeated skip casts. But I can slam this dude into dock posts, pontoon boats and boat lifts and it doesn’t get misshapen or fall off the hook. You’d have to really do something special to get it to fall off the hook.
As I mentioned earlier, this is by far one of the more durable jig trailers I’ve ever used. It’s tough to imagine how unique this material is until you get your hands on it. Fortunately, the ElaZtech plastic doesn’t have any strange smell to it and it seems to hold scent quite well.
Final impressions
If you like to hang a chunk-style trailer on the back of your jigs, I think you’ll really like the Batwingz Jig Trailer. It looks great in the water, it’s ridiculously durable and it’s affordable. I’ve really enjoyed using it for the past several months.
The Z-Man Batwingz Jig Trailer is available at these online retailers:
