Bucktail Technique

[plankton]

Just finished reading, Fishing with Bucktails, by William Muller. The primary technique he advocates is a steady retrieve using a porkrind trailer to impart action (as well as scent) to the bucktail. Anyone here ever try that approach? I've always fished my bucktails with a jigging action - lift, drop, repeat. I've also never done that well with porkrind, seems that soft plastic trailers have worked better for me. So this steady retrieve with a pork trailer approach intrigues me. Anyone use this style with success?

[Vogt]

Pork rind and less imparted action has given me way higher results than what I used to do, which was more lifting and bouncing. I will give the jig an occasional twitch when it ticks a rock, but thats about it. When you have an area with less of a sweep you may want to twitch the jig a bit more, but in a good current I agree with Muller "less is best".

[NIB]

I have read Doc's book with great anticipation as I love the jig it is one of my favorite lures.I thought it was only OK at best.Seemed like a commercial for uncle josh.Plus I don't care for the swinging hook.Nor do any of the masters who have gave me advice over the years..If u ask me U miss more fish with em an I have never had any trouble landing fish off of the single hook of the jig.The Jig, IMO has the best percentage of hooked to landed fish ratio by a long shot.There are so many ways to fish a bucktail.There are no wrong ways.I have for years primarily fished a weight that allowed be to just fish off the bottom with a comfortably slow retrieve.Occasionally twitching the rod tip.Sometimes more twitch sometimes less I always let the fish tell me what they want.My weight for this method in shallow NJ waters would vary from 1/2-2 oz.s depending on the conditions of the surf. I have also done well with 3 oz buctails.Primarily 3/4's oz was my favorite size..My first trip to montauk I was enlightened to a entirely different approach.The use of a heavier bucktail to reach out a bit further required a much brisker retrieve to keep the jig from snagging along the kelp covered rocks an produced quite well.When u can adjust the weight of a lure with a simple clip it enables the angler to fish in many different ways to be productive.Then there are the trailers. I have used just about every pc of rubber u could imagine on the hook of a jig including many different sizes of pork.I have also caught in a screaming tide in the canal one night with a 6 oz unpainted bare ball jig..Thats no paint,no hair...
While fishing the simple upgrade of a 3/8" strip to the 1" strip can change the fall rate of the jig dramatically.I usually buy the big 2" strips an cut em up myself it's much cheaper this way.I pack em in a jar red and white together along with many different sizes..In rubber I will use Fin-S fish along with other paddle tail type baits.. They all work well I have no real preference from pork or rubber.I have had a fish fold the pork more so than the rubber up on the hook,it does happen with both baits..When it comes down to it. I primarily use what I can present to the fish in a manner that enables me to go slow an still have some action.My biggest jig fish have come on rubber.There are no wrong ways as long as ur catching..

[bart]

[QUOTE=NIB;564302]When u can adjust the weight of a lure with a simple clip it enables the angler to fish in many different ways to be productive.

does this mean you're using a breakaway clip/snap or are you tying direct. Thanks...

[emgred]

I agree with NIB as to swing hooks. None of my "bucktail mentors" used them.
As to retrieve, I had success with virtually no retrieve, just a little bit of rod tip action, in strong inlet rips to burning them in the rocks of M. And just about everything in between. Like NIB, I too have used almost everything you can think of as a trailer.
This very basic lure can be presented in an almost limitless number of ways. Good bucktailers have spent years perfecting their technique and that technique will change from spot to spot.
It is a steep learning curve, and you will hang up and loose many bucktails as you learn, but it is well worth the effort. (I have caught more fish over 30LBs on bucktails than all other plugs combined.)
My go is Smiling Bill style. When fishing M, I use Andrus Jetty Casters. Colors - White, Green (chartreuse), White, Black, White, did I mention white?
Also I will NOT ever use a Spro bucktail Ever. (Hooks stink)

[cow tamer]

Originally Posted by NIB

There are so many ways to fish a bucktail.There are no wrong ways. I always let the fish tell me what they want. .When it comes right down to it, I primarily use what I can present to the fish in a manner that enables me to go slow and still have some action.There are no wrong ways, as long as ur catching..

No truer words were ever spoken as they relate to any lure, any bait.
That's fishing, in a nutshell.

[joe the plumber]

Men,
All I can say about this post and the responces to it,is that they are the best I have ever read on this site.Thank you.Joe

[Zeno]

NIB knows his chit

[The Dad Fisherman]

That book is on my "To Read" List this year.

So I got 1st Dibs if you decide to sell it...

[Saltheart]

It can get really com-plicated depending on where you are jigging. Off a beach . in the canal , out a moderate outflow , dead calm water , etc.

i think you want to try many things with a jig until something works. even the "best" techniques must be abandoned when they are not working.

i wrote something about jigging here about 7 years ago. maybe it can be searched for.

[Mike P]

Doc is a lot like Daignault. His experience is in a very closed universe. Frank says no great fish are ever taken on poppers, and that bottle plugs are only worthwhile as casting weights for teasers.. Doc believes that the bucktailing techniques used in the shallow Long Island inlets are universally adaptable. Cast and bring in a bucktail on a slow steady retrieve in the Canal, and the biggest bass you'll ever catch is about 18".

The funniest thing that Doc ever wrote was that an angler would be undergunned using a Penn 750 SS

And by the way--swinging hooks hang up more than fixed hook, based on my experience fishing the Canal. I can hang a Crippled Herring a lot easier than I can hang a fixed hook bucktail.

[plankton]

Originally Posted by NIB

I have read Doc's book with great anticipation as I love the jig it is one of my favorite lures.I thought it was only OK at best.Seemed like a commercial for uncle josh.

That's what I was thinking reading it, NIB.

Originally Posted by The Dad Fisherman

That book is on my "To Read" List this year.

So I got 1st Dibs if you decide to sell it...

TDF, you can have my copy if you like, PM me and we can figure something out.

Originally Posted by Mike P

Doc is a lot like Daignault. His experience is in a very closed universe. Frank says no great fish are ever taken on poppers, and that bottle plugs are only worthwhile as casting weights for teasers.. Doc believes that the bucktailing techniques used in the shallow Long Island inlets are universally adaptable. Cast and bring in a bucktail on a slow steady retrieve in the Canal, and the biggest bass you'll ever catch is about 18".

The funniest thing that Doc ever wrote was that an angler would be undergunned using a Penn 750 SS

And by the way--swinging hooks hang up more than fixed hook, based on my experience fishing the Canal. I can hang a Crippled Herring a lot easier than I can hang a fixed hook bucktail.

I got the same feeling, Mike P, seems like a good technique in the right spot, but I kind of expected more from a book that refers to itself as the "ultimate guide to fishing with bucktails". I do fish a lot of shallow estuary areas and I will put this technique to use. I think the information he gives would make an excellent article on bucktailing, but a whole book was kind of a stretch.

Thanks to everyone for their replies.

[The Dad Fisherman]

Originally Posted by plankton

TDF, you can have my copy if you like, PM me and we can figure something out.

Sounds good, That would be awesome. Much Appreciated. maybe hook up at the same place as last time....unless your going down to Plugfest.


And I think I might just have become the 1st Book Ho...

[plankton]

Originally Posted by The Dad Fisherman

Sounds good, That would be awesome. Much Appreciated. maybe hook up at the same place as last time....unless your going down to Plugfest.


And I think I might just have become the 1st Book Ho...

I won't be attending Plugfest, I've been insanely busy lately, the next fishing event I'll be going to will be MSBA. My only day off right now is Sunday and I can't meet you this week, already booked up, I'll PM you next week and maybe we can do it next Sunday. As far as the book ho thing, the first step to recovery is admitting that you have a problem!

Thanks again for all the replies, it's great that we have such an awesome sounding board for discussing different fishing techniques and approaches with others who share our passion. Long live S-B.com!!!

[Mr. Sandman]

Lots of very good advice in many of the above posts. I love reading about bucktailing. It is a fascinating aspect of surfcasting and everyone has there own take on it. The simplicity of the bucktail is amazing yet it can be complicated to use effectively. It is really the "thinking mans lure".

Personally, I think there is a knack to finding the right spot in the water collumn where the fish are (generally near the bottom) without hanging up or snagging something to foul the jig. This is the essence of bucktailing IMO and it can be frustrating to many and it gets complicated when current, distance, and bottom structure come into the equation. However I think that an experienced fishermen, that have a wide choice of bucktails heads in varied weights and tail materials can figure it out and get pretty close. Stay in the zone and think about where it is. Yeah, you gonna loose gear but when you find the sweet spot your gonna pound them.

I have to say I don't agree with everything I read in the bucktail books but it probably does work for them in the places they fish. I tend to prefer heavier bucktails because I want the distance but the trade off (as mentioned above in other posts) is you tend to work them them faster then I would otherwise like. I played with hair amounts and tails to reduce sink rate but still didn't find the perfect combo for the areas I was trying to fish. I did OK and caught fish but I know there is a better way.

Moreover, IMO it always bothers me that most bucktails are designed to be worked VERTICALLY and not cast and worked in a horizontal manner from the shore. When retrieved they don't swim right. I wanted 3-4 oz casting bomb that didn't sink fast and allowed me to fly it slowly off the bottom with more control. When I "jig" it I want it to raise off the bottom, not just swim faster at an angle to the shore and crash into the bottom. To that end end I recently created my own bucktail head and I am having a some test molds made to pour it right now. I only have a couple test heads now but I think it is going to work out. (It is a lot differenet looking then any other bucktail and works much differently) I have not fished it yet, so time will tell if it even works but I am pumped for spring already. To be honest, I think I many need a couple rev's before I get it just the way I like it.
When it is all done and I can prove it works I'll post a pic. ( I have a fixed and swing hook version). If it doesn't work out it will be in the scrap pile with all my other brain-farts.

[NIB]

For horizontal jigging u want a bucktails with the line tie forward for vertical jigging u want a bucktail with the line tie aft..I prefer the current for the bucktails.So many ways to fish it.Throw up current with a lighter jig an tick the bottom throw down with something heavier for the plop an lift.. If I can get 150-200 yds or more line out on a long drift I am in heaven.Just lifting the jig of the bottom when the tide an weights are right.Hold on for the strike as u lower the rod to feel for the bottom...Nothing like it..I have caught em reeling back also.The strikes I get as the jig comes by any kind of structure can be mind blowing..