The Bountiful Bucktail
By
Jan Stephen Maizler
If I were compelled to fish with only one lure in my tackle box, it would surely be the bucktail. Whether in a survival kit or a tournament bag, this venerable lure has the pedigree of an incredibly long history of popularity- and the reason is simple: versatility in all kinds of marine settings from the inland flats to the cobalt depths while sporting a “universal” color that mimics so many of our baitfish.
I like to think of this lure as kind of a Superhero or X-man- basically magnificent, but when given a new quality or feature, capable of even so much more. Therefore, the white bucktail is inherently perfect, but may take on “another form” based on how and where it will be used such as different head shapes and different hookeye placements for different action as well as different head sizes for different sink rates and operating depths. Remember, though it may be slightly altered for each unique piscatorial purpose, it’s still the same Superhero!
It’s extremely important to choose a bucktail of the highest quality where the materials and construction are of the finest kind. Be sure that your white bucktail has an abundance of skirted hair material that is sufficiently wrapped to the jighead. It’s even a better sign if the hairs look “overwrapped” and that said wrapping has a clear coating of some sort binding it together.
There are two essentials of the jighead construction itself. Firstly, the hook must be of the finest grade wire and must feature a point that is “sticky-sharp” right out of the box. Secondly, the finished details of the jighead itself should be as life-like as possible- this is particularly true of well-designed eyes. For these reasons, I choose a white Backbone bucktail for the flats and a white Spro Prime bucktail for bay, bridge, and ocean applications.
BUCKTAIL BASICS-
The bucktail is basically some hairs tied to a jighead, which is the essence of simplicity itself. This lure has the striking white coloring that matches or mimics that vast majority of scaled baitfish around the world like minnows, shiners, whitebait, sardines, mullet, and balao. Even the darker forage fish that live in the offshore weedlines have white bellies, which is exactly what gamefish like mahi are aiming for as they attack upwards in the water column!
While it’s often claimed this lure has no built-in action, thoughtful consideration will reveal this conjecture as only partially true. Fast-reeling a (white) bucktail creates a streaking presentation that no feeding kings, mackeral, mahi, jacks, or barracuda can resist- ask these fish whether that white bucktail has no action! Perhaps it’s more accurate to convey that a jigging or bouncing retrieve allows this marvelous lure to attract more of the same species of fish (as well as other species) in a larger window of water, weather, and feeding conditions.
You’ll find bucktails are available in sizes ranging from 1/32 ounce to 5 ounces. Water depth, degree of current, size of the forage fish, and size of the target gamefish will determine the size of the bucktail. The basic rule is to keep the size of your white bucktail as small as possible, which allows the smallest of your target species (as well as the largest) to partake of your irresistible and somewhat generous pseudo-meal.
The above factors as well as the actual action of the drop and retrieve of the jig in the water column determine your choice of jighead shape and style. The hookeye placement in your white bucktail will determine its retrieve action as well as its retrieve in relation to the actual bottom, be it mud, grass, sand, reefs, or wrecks.
It will always pay to rig your bucktail with a loop knot to give it maximum action: this is regardless of whether you use a leader or not. As to knot choice, either the Uni-Knot or Homer Rhode loop knot are fine.
By
Jan Stephen Maizler
If I were compelled to fish with only one lure in my tackle box, it would surely be the bucktail. Whether in a survival kit or a tournament bag, this venerable lure has the pedigree of an incredibly long history of popularity- and the reason is simple: versatility in all kinds of marine settings from the inland flats to the cobalt depths while sporting a “universal” color that mimics so many of our baitfish.
I like to think of this lure as kind of a Superhero or X-man- basically magnificent, but when given a new quality or feature, capable of even so much more. Therefore, the white bucktail is inherently perfect, but may take on “another form” based on how and where it will be used such as different head shapes and different hookeye placements for different action as well as different head sizes for different sink rates and operating depths. Remember, though it may be slightly altered for each unique piscatorial purpose, it’s still the same Superhero!
It’s extremely important to choose a bucktail of the highest quality where the materials and construction are of the finest kind. Be sure that your white bucktail has an abundance of skirted hair material that is sufficiently wrapped to the jighead. It’s even a better sign if the hairs look “overwrapped” and that said wrapping has a clear coating of some sort binding it together.
There are two essentials of the jighead construction itself. Firstly, the hook must be of the finest grade wire and must feature a point that is “sticky-sharp” right out of the box. Secondly, the finished details of the jighead itself should be as life-like as possible- this is particularly true of well-designed eyes. For these reasons, I choose a white Backbone bucktail for the flats and a white Spro Prime bucktail for bay, bridge, and ocean applications.
BUCKTAIL BASICS-
The bucktail is basically some hairs tied to a jighead, which is the essence of simplicity itself. This lure has the striking white coloring that matches or mimics that vast majority of scaled baitfish around the world like minnows, shiners, whitebait, sardines, mullet, and balao. Even the darker forage fish that live in the offshore weedlines have white bellies, which is exactly what gamefish like mahi are aiming for as they attack upwards in the water column!
While it’s often claimed this lure has no built-in action, thoughtful consideration will reveal this conjecture as only partially true. Fast-reeling a (white) bucktail creates a streaking presentation that no feeding kings, mackeral, mahi, jacks, or barracuda can resist- ask these fish whether that white bucktail has no action! Perhaps it’s more accurate to convey that a jigging or bouncing retrieve allows this marvelous lure to attract more of the same species of fish (as well as other species) in a larger window of water, weather, and feeding conditions.
You’ll find bucktails are available in sizes ranging from 1/32 ounce to 5 ounces. Water depth, degree of current, size of the forage fish, and size of the target gamefish will determine the size of the bucktail. The basic rule is to keep the size of your white bucktail as small as possible, which allows the smallest of your target species (as well as the largest) to partake of your irresistible and somewhat generous pseudo-meal.
The above factors as well as the actual action of the drop and retrieve of the jig in the water column determine your choice of jighead shape and style. The hookeye placement in your white bucktail will determine its retrieve action as well as its retrieve in relation to the actual bottom, be it mud, grass, sand, reefs, or wrecks.
It will always pay to rig your bucktail with a loop knot to give it maximum action: this is regardless of whether you use a leader or not. As to knot choice, either the Uni-Knot or Homer Rhode loop knot are fine.
BUCKTAILING THE FLATS AND SHALLOWS-
You’d be hard-pressed to find a more universal lure for the flats and shallows than the white bucktail. Because of the brevity of the water column, choose smaller bucktails from 1/8 ounce to 3/8 ounces. You’ll also find it prudent in your skinny water tactics to choose a flat skimmer head that will sink a tad more slowly than other jighead shapes. The flathead skimmer also retrieves up and over grass clumps and beds most effectively as well.
When you fish “deeply-forested” grassflats, be sure to use a white skimmer jig that features a weed guard accessory. These monofilament devices project outward and ward off grass blades that might entangle your hook. They also bend quite easily and nicely to maximize your hookup as your quarry gobbles up your bucktail. BackBone lures come with a standard weed guard.
When you’re casting on very shallow flats, as soon as your bucktail lands, keep your rod
high and begin retrieving. Make sure your retrieve style includes frequent and gentle upward sweeps of the rod, particularly when you’re blind casting to flat bottom. When you blind cast to structure like potholes, pause your bucktail so it sinks into the depths of that hole briefly.
On ultra shallow flats where you see your quarry-such as tailing bones off Abaco or redfish off Flamingo- make your cast in front of but beyond your quarry. This achieves two things. Firstly, it won’t plop next to the fish on the landing and blow them off the flat. Secondly, the retrieve you make will take your bucktail on an intercept course where the feeding fish will see it a reasonable distance in front of them and go after it.
When you’re casting to tailing or “heading” permit, you have two choices. The first is to cast it in front of the fish, reel it past the fish until it sees it and begins its pursuit and then drop it to the bottom dead-still like a hiding crab. The other choice- particularly with schooling permit- is to cast to the periphery of the school in front of them or alongside them and bring it back with short, hopping jigs. I used this latter technique recently off Belize River Lodge and broke the Club Record with an astonishing nine permit in one day with my bucktail.
When it comes to rolling tarpon, it always pays to retrieve your bucktail with a slow sweep of the rod and then retrieve the line, much like a slow motion of pumping a fish back to the boat. Tarpon seem to like a pause and retrieve effect, not a jig-and-hop style.
My tackle choice for bucktailing the flats and shallows is spinning tackle featuring a nine-foot steelhead rod for the longest casts as well as a super-fast retrieve spinner loaded with eight-pound test mono line. Braided line is not needed as strikes are obvious, the fish are not far away, and braided line is too unforgiving on the soft mouth of seatrout.
BUCKTAILING THE BRIDGES AND BAYS-
For starters, change your tackle over to stouter tackle. This includes seven-foot long graphite spinning rods combined with reels loaded with 8/30 braided line, such as PowerPro. Baitcasting tackle should utilize similar graphite rod and braided line profiles. Understand that bay waters begin “deeper water” applications where braided lines’ strike detection and power loading features for solid hooksets far outshine monofilament.
Now is the time to consider changing jighead shapes to peahead, beanhead, and “smiling fish” types. Bridge and bay white bucktails usually range in size from ½ ounce to 1 ½ ounces.
Bucktailing these areas is best served by using a longer-interval lift and drop slow-jigging technique that is always oriented to the bottom where most inshore fish spend their time. Even mackerel will blast a bucktail flying up off the bottom. If you see a fish like this following your jigged bucktail, speed it up!
White bucktailing bridges, always should orient to the bottom when the fishing starts. Start working your lure in slow hops right off the bottom, where more snook and tarpon “suspend” than you could possibly realize. One special accessory is the addition of a plastic bait to your white bucktail. I particularly like to add a long red or glo-white plastic worm that extends a few inches past the bottom of the bucktail skirt. Working this rig deep under nighttime bridge shadows has taken countless snook as well as tarpon in my angling history.
DEEP JIGGING WITH BUCKTAILS-
As you go deeper, more modifications are in order. Jighead shape should be bullet-headed to allow for a fast descent. Spinning tackle and bait casting tackle should continue to emphasize graphite rods, and fast-retrieve reels. It’s a given that the reels be loaded with braided line because its’ thin diameter allows for a faster drop or descent as well as the previously mentioned advantages over mono.
The precise methods of deep jigging are already well known. Specifically, there are two important features to remember. Firstly, your white bucktail often gets hit on the drop and a fast pickup and come-tight strike is needed for a solid hookup- this is where graphite rods, fast-retrieve reels, and no-stretch braided line all shine quite brightly with deep jigging. Additionally, getting hit “on the drop” is often signaled by the line “stopping” too soon relative to the depth as well as by the line suddenly flying off the reel far too quickly in the free-spool tempo. Secondly, it will always enhance your catch rate to adorn or “dress up’ your white bucktail for deep jigging. My personal choice is to hang a six-inch long pearl-colored Culprit worm on the hook. My next step is to give a scented squirt of Rip Tide Blast Shrimp Spray to the worm and let it out. I’ve never been disappointed by the results, as I’m sure you won’t be either!
.
CONTACT DATA:
You’d be hard-pressed to find a more universal lure for the flats and shallows than the white bucktail. Because of the brevity of the water column, choose smaller bucktails from 1/8 ounce to 3/8 ounces. You’ll also find it prudent in your skinny water tactics to choose a flat skimmer head that will sink a tad more slowly than other jighead shapes. The flathead skimmer also retrieves up and over grass clumps and beds most effectively as well.
When you fish “deeply-forested” grassflats, be sure to use a white skimmer jig that features a weed guard accessory. These monofilament devices project outward and ward off grass blades that might entangle your hook. They also bend quite easily and nicely to maximize your hookup as your quarry gobbles up your bucktail. BackBone lures come with a standard weed guard.
When you’re casting on very shallow flats, as soon as your bucktail lands, keep your rod
high and begin retrieving. Make sure your retrieve style includes frequent and gentle upward sweeps of the rod, particularly when you’re blind casting to flat bottom. When you blind cast to structure like potholes, pause your bucktail so it sinks into the depths of that hole briefly.
On ultra shallow flats where you see your quarry-such as tailing bones off Abaco or redfish off Flamingo- make your cast in front of but beyond your quarry. This achieves two things. Firstly, it won’t plop next to the fish on the landing and blow them off the flat. Secondly, the retrieve you make will take your bucktail on an intercept course where the feeding fish will see it a reasonable distance in front of them and go after it.
When you’re casting to tailing or “heading” permit, you have two choices. The first is to cast it in front of the fish, reel it past the fish until it sees it and begins its pursuit and then drop it to the bottom dead-still like a hiding crab. The other choice- particularly with schooling permit- is to cast to the periphery of the school in front of them or alongside them and bring it back with short, hopping jigs. I used this latter technique recently off Belize River Lodge and broke the Club Record with an astonishing nine permit in one day with my bucktail.
When it comes to rolling tarpon, it always pays to retrieve your bucktail with a slow sweep of the rod and then retrieve the line, much like a slow motion of pumping a fish back to the boat. Tarpon seem to like a pause and retrieve effect, not a jig-and-hop style.
My tackle choice for bucktailing the flats and shallows is spinning tackle featuring a nine-foot steelhead rod for the longest casts as well as a super-fast retrieve spinner loaded with eight-pound test mono line. Braided line is not needed as strikes are obvious, the fish are not far away, and braided line is too unforgiving on the soft mouth of seatrout.
BUCKTAILING THE BRIDGES AND BAYS-
For starters, change your tackle over to stouter tackle. This includes seven-foot long graphite spinning rods combined with reels loaded with 8/30 braided line, such as PowerPro. Baitcasting tackle should utilize similar graphite rod and braided line profiles. Understand that bay waters begin “deeper water” applications where braided lines’ strike detection and power loading features for solid hooksets far outshine monofilament.
Now is the time to consider changing jighead shapes to peahead, beanhead, and “smiling fish” types. Bridge and bay white bucktails usually range in size from ½ ounce to 1 ½ ounces.
Bucktailing these areas is best served by using a longer-interval lift and drop slow-jigging technique that is always oriented to the bottom where most inshore fish spend their time. Even mackerel will blast a bucktail flying up off the bottom. If you see a fish like this following your jigged bucktail, speed it up!
White bucktailing bridges, always should orient to the bottom when the fishing starts. Start working your lure in slow hops right off the bottom, where more snook and tarpon “suspend” than you could possibly realize. One special accessory is the addition of a plastic bait to your white bucktail. I particularly like to add a long red or glo-white plastic worm that extends a few inches past the bottom of the bucktail skirt. Working this rig deep under nighttime bridge shadows has taken countless snook as well as tarpon in my angling history.
DEEP JIGGING WITH BUCKTAILS-
As you go deeper, more modifications are in order. Jighead shape should be bullet-headed to allow for a fast descent. Spinning tackle and bait casting tackle should continue to emphasize graphite rods, and fast-retrieve reels. It’s a given that the reels be loaded with braided line because its’ thin diameter allows for a faster drop or descent as well as the previously mentioned advantages over mono.
The precise methods of deep jigging are already well known. Specifically, there are two important features to remember. Firstly, your white bucktail often gets hit on the drop and a fast pickup and come-tight strike is needed for a solid hookup- this is where graphite rods, fast-retrieve reels, and no-stretch braided line all shine quite brightly with deep jigging. Additionally, getting hit “on the drop” is often signaled by the line “stopping” too soon relative to the depth as well as by the line suddenly flying off the reel far too quickly in the free-spool tempo. Secondly, it will always enhance your catch rate to adorn or “dress up’ your white bucktail for deep jigging. My personal choice is to hang a six-inch long pearl-colored Culprit worm on the hook. My next step is to give a scented squirt of Rip Tide Blast Shrimp Spray to the worm and let it out. I’ve never been disappointed by the results, as I’m sure you won’t be either!
.
CONTACT DATA:
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