Rigging grubs

[SteveJ]

Received such great information on my glider question thought I would press on with grubs.
Is there a preferred way of rigging single tail grubs?

Tail up, down, sideway, doesn't matter?

[ctom]

You're speaking of "twister tail" types of grubs here, right? I'm not a fan of them so I seldom have one on but the only time I or noticed any "better" way to rig one was when I was using a twister with the broad tail on a jig with a slightly over-sized hook. The broader tail would ride up and hang-up on the tip of the hook occasionally. By rigging with the tail pointed down and away from the hook this would not happen.

In the early 1970"s Twisters were the rage and I caught huge numbers of fish using them, ranging from sunfish and perch to northerns. A lot of Mississippi River walleyes ended up on my plate because of them. Then new stuff, new designs of plastics, began surfacing on the market and the almighty twister got firmly set in the back seat. At least by this angler. Twisters still catch bucket loads of fish though.

I suspect thet you're trolling trout with them so I'd rig with the tail down. Away from the hook.

[Do-it Rep]

Have always been a tail down kind of guy myself.  I've always felt that the tail is catching maximum amount of water that way and not drafting off the jig or hook in any way.

[WALLEYE WACKER]

Tail down most of the time on jig’s or as trailers on spinner bait’s and bass jigs.

[aulrich]

Tail up, no reason why.

I suspect it does not matter, though I had never though about sideways ....  I might have to try
 
I have heard of rigging paddle tails sideways

[andrewlamberson]

If the grub has a big "keel" as the first twist on the tail (at the base)....keel down...which normally means tail up. The grub will run more straight.

If not, tail down...only because some of you mentioned that the grub can get hooked up on the hook sometimes if you rig it tail up.

Andy

[ctom]

I have heard of rigging paddle tails sideways

I've fished the Thump-Its with that paddle facing every conceivable way and catch fish. Grubs similar to the K-Grub I fish with that open end of the tail pointing down so it minimizes the hook catching.

Many, many years ago I bought bags of 1000 of the 2" Mister Twister grubs in several colors for my crappie fishing. I still have the Do-It mold that made my 1/16 head that has the barb collar. Using #4 hooks in those 1/16 head it didn't matter in the least how that twister was hung on there, they caught fish and never hung up. Then I found some other brand that had the exaggerated tail width and those guys had to be hung open end down or they were constantly hung on the hook. This was a bigger problem if I were to cast and retrieve with any speed or troll with them. After dealing with those fat boys a while I have just always preferred twisters hung open end down.

Honestly though, like the paddletails, it probably doesn't matter how they are hung on the hook as long as they don't hang up on the hook point.

[Bass in the hood]

I have used several curly tail grubs over the years such as Mister Twisters,Kalin and GY. I dont throw them much anymore. The Glider and the curly tail grub make a great one two punch though and the glider in one of the 6 baits in my skunk beater set.

I almost forgot Tail down when casting I would use tail down 90%
and tail up when yoyo'ing.

[Lines]

I'm like aulrich, I have always rigged them tail up. No real reason, I just started that way and never changed. We still use twister tail grubs a lot.

[Do-it Rep]

Grubs similar to the K-Grub I fish with that open end of the tail pointing down so it minimizes the hook catching.

Boom X2

[efishnc]

Like most replies, I also typically rig tail down, but sometimes I switch things up... it all depends on what I am trying to accomplish. 

The bottom line is the position of the curl in the tail makes a difference in how the bait runs.  As the tail stretches out in the water, it (in essence) forms a wedge, which will cause the bait to track in the direction opposite the curl. Every curl tail possesses this effect and the bigger the tail, the more effect; this can be seen by rigging such a tail sideways on a disproportionately undersized lead head.  (Conversely, a small plastic tail on a big lead head will have minimal effect.)  This can be beneficial knowledge in a couple of instances:

>Many of my walleye friends carry lead heads in 1/16oz & 1/32oz divisions, but I skip those tiny weight differences (staying with 1/8oz marks) and adjust the speed at which my jigs fall by switching the tail position up or down. 

>A bigger grub (like Kalin's Mogambo), can be rigged sideways to counter the tendency of a buzz bait to track to the side (without bending the wire) or it can be rigged tail down to allow most buzz baits to stay on the surface with slower presentations than a skirt would facilitate.  (Similar effects can be applied to spinners baits as well.)

[cc1]

Think me and superharmonix proved yesterday it does not mater how you hook the grub. We could of even rigged it curl tail first.

[BareKnuckleJigs]

Think me and superharmonix proved yesterday it does not mater how you hook the grub. We could of even rigged it curl tail first.

WoW.
My natural colors may have even caught fish yesterday   

[superharmonix]

Think me and superharmonix proved yesterday it does not mater how you hook the grub. We could of even rigged it curl tail first.

I think the other day we could have taken the grub off and just written the word "G.R.U.B." on the hook and still would have put 'em in the box.  The only question would be to use upper case or lower case letters, or possibly to even write the letters in reverse- like in a mirror.