Okay guys, I've really only started to fish with Needlefish this past season ... had a few before that, played around with them but didn't really get into to them until this year ...

... this past October, some of you may remember the night, it was super cold and there was a meteor shower, stars shooting every which way ...

... a guy I was fishing with had a blurple needle with a Siwash and bucktail off the back ... I had an assortment of black needles by other builders than the one he was using but all with straight treble ... eventually he gave me a new one of the style he was throwing without the bucktail, just a straight treble and I still couldn't do much, except snag one (small) in the chin.

Our retrieves were exactly the same, but again, I got one dink and he scored about a half dozen above the keeper size, nothing huge but several between 10-12 pounds and one in the low 20 class, while I got nill. We even discussed retrieves, compared casts and what we were doing the same and differently, pretty much all the same ...

That said, do you believe the bucktail made the significant difference? Or does this guy just have a horshoe hidden as he is pretty much out there every night and was in the groove? I was a bit discontent, but that's fishing.

Thoughts?:huh:

Saddle hackle works even better.

firm beleiver here in a good tail..at times even a 1/4 longer can make a world of differents....wood or metal.

Try a 3 inch curly tail grub :hee:

Dinks love a bucktail dressed siwash. I did have a few 20# class fish swallow hab's needles a$$ first that were dressed with hackle this past season but for the most part I think 2 trebles is fine.

Bucktail dressed will catch way more stripers than undressed is what I've always found and what I hear back from customers. But a undressed treble is the nuts for when you are around bluefish....great way of culling stripers out of the mix.

My feeling/thought is that the bucktail adds more "action" to the plug.

Bucktail dressed will catch way more stripers than undressed is what I've always found and what I hear back from customers. But a undressed treble is the nuts for when you are around bluefish....great way of culling stripers out of the mix.

My feeling/thought is that the bucktail adds more "action" to the plug.


The Patriot would disagree.:bl:

You may want to try draping an eel skin over the needle as well. let it hang about 1/2 the length of the plug. You can let it hang naturally or even skin it over a siwash hook (shh.....)

the plug with the tail dressing
gives off a different sway
signature....absolutely...



possibly a more subtle vibration

Maybe it's just me, but I really notice large differences in success from very small changes in retrieve w/ needlefish. Some nights I've noticed all my hits come on a short pause - same retrieve w/o the pause = no fish. It's as if the fish were just following all of the baits and just needed a little trigger.

One day in particular, they wanted a long pause at the beginning with a jerk. A guy 10' from me was fishing the same size/color and they wouldn't touch his.

All my needles have some kind of tail - I think it makes them look better when they swim - you get that jointed lure effect.

Buctail all the way....And it's not just needles, but pencil poppers and swimmers. I have had really good luck dressing the back end of olive/white needles and swimmers with light purple bucktail...Your mileage may vary...
Capesams.....You stiffed me bubbah!:liquify: :hs:

On the NEEDLE I like bucktail, saddle hackle, pork rind or rubber on a single hook.

Siwash with a couple of hackle feathers and dressed lightly with bucktail. :humpty:

Siwash with a couple of hackle feathers and dressed lightly with bucktail. :humpty:

Me to :btu:

I always use trebles on the rear of needlefish. I remove the single hook on all needlefish that I buy. Never have seen hair or feathers make a difference on full size needlefish. Stubbies are another story.
Personal preference - if YOU think it makes a difference - do it.

DZ

There have been times when I've seen the tails make a difference, but I'm not totally convinced it's becuase it makes the plug look better to the fish. Scott said it gives the plug better action, and to the human eye, I think it does... look at a danny swimming with that tail wagging off the tail... looks great. On the days that the tails are taking the fish while the plugs without are going unmolested, I attribute it to the presence of small bait. I think and I've seen evidence of this, that the fish are seeing that tail as a small silverside or lance. I have no idea why they would believe that a silver side would be following that close to a larger fish. Which brings you to the question of whether fish really see plugs as fish... or just something that they haven't seen before that might be worth eating??? :huh: who knows??

I like bucktail because of durability, my saddle hackle tails look like garbage after a few fish.
I prefer a 6/0 VMC siwash with bucktail on most my of my needles for the tailhook.

I'm hoping the answer is hackles....Gotta see what the fish vote.

This is a Salty Blank from the Plugfest last year just finished it up last week.......I'm hopin large.

Buctail all the way....And it's not just needles, but pencil poppers and swimmers. I have had really good luck dressing the back end of olive/white needles and swimmers with light purple bucktail...Your mileage may vary...
Capesams.....You stiffed me bubbah!:liquify: :hs:

you'z were lucky to get hooks....did I give you hooks too:confused: what''d want fa free:hf1:

Me to :btu:

Ditto

I'm hoping the answer is hackles....Gotta see what the fish vote.

This is a Salty Blank from the Plugfest last year just finished it up last week.......I'm hopin large.

Nice color.:kewl:

I like both SPARCLY tied bucktail and saddle hackle....with bucktail getting the nod...to me, it's far more important than paint!