The Bucktail Jig Nonetheless Catches All of the issues. That is Why

We launched our boat that chilly December morning and motored straight all through the Chesapeake Bay to the Bridge-Tunnel, merely off Virginia’s Jap Shore. My dad and I spent the day chucking white 1 1/2-ounce bucktails on the massive concrete pylons. It was miserably chilly, with the wind biting through our biggest base layers, nonetheless the fishing was unimaginable. We reeled in large striper after large striper. It was the fishing journey that made me fall in love with bucktails. I am bummed that only one grainy {photograph} survives from that journey — a snapshot my mother nabbed as quickly as Daddy and I had been once more on dry land. We had been far too busy reeling in fish to stress about images out on the water. 

As a baby, I believed bucktail jigs had been terribly boring, although my father would possibly catch one thing on them. Like a fishing magician, he appeared to conjure fish of every dimension, type, and coloration with them – from bluegills to lunker largemouths in latest water and flounder, pompano, redfish, and tautog in salt. They’ve a profoundly basic design, and I would practically on a regular basis transfer them over to tie on one factor flashier, fancier, and additional thrilling. I didn’t perceive then {{that a}} bucktail’s magnificence is in its simplicity. These primitive artificial baits are merely modest tufts of hair tied spherical a jig head, nonetheless when fished correctly, a bucktail realistically mimics every baitfish and minnow that swims—in latest or salt water. 

Because of they’re so environment friendly, bucktails are a number of of the most well liked baits on this planet. Any angler worth his salt might have at least a handful tucked someplace in his cope with discipline, whether or not or not he’s after monster saltwater striped bass or farm pond panfish. 

Historic previous of the Bucktail Jig

The origin story of the bucktail lure is fuzzy. Some attribute the design to the normal Greeks who used wool and rooster feathers to create a bucktail-like fly. Others declare North American natives had been the first to development deer hair into fish-catching jigs. 

The Upperman brothers had been the first to commercially produce bucktail jigs. Bill and Maury made them of their Atlantic Metropolis bait retailer, pouring lead into lima bean-shaped molds, painting the cooled heads by hand, after which tying on precise deer hair. Bill Upperman utilized for a patent for his design in 1941. The patent was awarded two years later. It describes the lure design in unimaginable factor, from the exact angle of the hook to the precise placement of the hair:(“the shank of the hook is bent or curved all through the physique to emerge on the excessive … and disposed throughout the airplane of the bill of the hook and significantly inline with barb … [hair is] heavier on the excessive and bottom of the necks than on the edges so that they fan out”. 

The brothers’ straightforward, straightforward lures grew to turn into world well-known when the U.S. navy included them in survival kits assembled for Navy pilots. 

In the mean time, many producers tag the Upperman establish on their bucktail packages as part of their description. In the mean time anglers should purchase Upperman jigs in every dimension and coloration, some with catchy hunger-inducing names like “shrimp scampi,”  “broccoli cheese,” and “key lime pie.” Although plain outdated, boring white nonetheless seems to be the popular variation. Undoubtedly, because of it is usually the best. 

Nonetheless, in case you possibly can’t uncover one factor that strikes your fancy, a great deal of anglers make their very personal custom-made bucktails using lead molds, painted jig heads, and hand-tied deer hair. Landing fish with a selfmade jig crafted with hair from a whitetail deer you harvested your self is form of an accomplishment, one even stylish anglers uncover deeply satisfying.  

Bucktail Hair

It stands to motive {{that a}} bucktail jig might be made with deer hair. Nonetheless, the hair doesn’t basically must return from the tail. Abdomen hair is usually a most popular provide for jig-making. 

Deer hair has a pure buoyancy. Plus, it flares and sways as a result of the jig head is pulled through the water, allowing the factitious bait to mimic the pure swimming motion of a baitfish. 

Deer hair might be extraordinarily receptive to dye. Bucktails with a two-toned skirt, notably one with a darker excessive and light-colored bottom, are frequent selections because of anglers are inclined to think about they provide the impression of being additional like baitfish. Whether or not or not predator fish agree is up for debate.

In case you converse to a purist, bucktails can solely be crafted from deer hair. Nonetheless, stylish bucktails usually attribute completely completely different skirt provides, notably synthetic hair. Synthetic hair is a relatively new supplies for bucktails. It is cheap than pure hair, is on the market in vivid, eye-catching colors, and presents a great deal of lifelike swimming movement. Nonetheless, in case you’re into tying your private jigs, synthetic isn’t pretty as pliable and might be more durable to tie than pure hair.  

In order so as to add choice, completely different hair (notably rabbit) and feathers (like marabou) might be tied spherical a jig head with or with out deer hair. Rabbit hair is finer than deer hair and produces distinctive underwater movement. Stop a rabbit hair jig throughout the water, and the hairs flare, mimicking a burdened baitfish’s flaring gills and fins. Light, fluffy marabou, traditionally constituted of stork feathers nonetheless now primarily sourced from residence turkeys, creates a pure fluttering movement, undulating even in nonetheless water. 

A great deal of bucktail aficionados fish a bucktail jig merely as they arrive — lead head, hook, and hair. Others favor to sweeten the deal by together with a trailer.  Widespread trailers embody latest fish or squid strips, keep eels or minnows, pork, and mild plastic grubs and worms. A trailer can add spicy movement, coloration, and lifelike scent to attract apprehensive fish.  

The Most interesting Bucktail Jigs

See It

There are a ton of superb bucktail jigs in the marketplace, nonetheless these are a number of of my favorites.

Bucktail Jigs Are Versatile

The bucktail jig might appear unsophisticated, nonetheless its elementary design makes it extraordinarily versatile. They’re typically fished practically anyplace, from the shallows to deep water. They work merely as correctly in nonetheless ponds as in rolling surf. Stable them, troll them, jig them, it doesn’t matter. They’re typically fished as-is, enhanced with latest bait (like strips of squid, decrease bait, or shrimp), or embellished with a mild plastic trailer. 

In freshwater, bucktails are participating enough to land largemouth and smallmouth bass, pike, muskie, trout, shad, catfish, crappie, bluegill, and sunfish. Head to the shoreline and an ideal bucktail will fill your cooler with redfish, striped bass, flounder, bluefish, Spanish mackerel, and speckled trout. Should you want one factor which will put up an epic battle, bucktails might be utilized to catch tarpon, giant cobia, and mahi mahi.  

Bucktails are credited with serving to land plenty of record-book catches, along with the New Jersey state doc 90-pound, 6-ounce cobia that Len Andalis hooked on a white bucktail whereas he was flounder fishing.  The South Carolina state doc gag grouper, which weighed 50 kilos, 4 ounces, was caught by Jim Lasher using a cut-bait enhanced bucktail. 

Plus, bucktail jigs are additional sturdy than many mild plastic lures. They’ll battle with plenty of aggressive and toothy fish, like bluefish, mackerel, pike, and speckled trout, they normally nonetheless come out principally unscathed. Whereas assertive fighters might lastly shred the hair off of a bucktail jig,  you probably can on a regular basis take it dwelling, tie on some additional, and use it to fish one different day. 

One of the simplest ways to Fish a Bucktail Jig

Like its straightforward design, working a bucktail might be comparatively straightforward — Use a sluggish to common retrieval velocity and run the jig on the depth the place fish are feeding. Whereas this basic methodology can and generally does work, really worthwhile bucktail fishing is normally a bit additional superior.

You could add way more participating movement by pausing the retrieve or bouncing the rod tip. Typically merely these slight variations are enough to set off a strike from reluctant fish. 

You could modify the depth of the jig by altering the speed of your retrieve. Reel it sooner, and the bucktail will skitter alongside the very best of the water or scoot it merely above a weed mattress. If that you have to attain deeper fish, let the jig sink sooner than you begin to reel. A sluggish retrieve will let your jig work spherical deep building or alongside a drop-off. 

The simplest solution to work a bucktail jig depends on water depth and conditions, the species you’re concentrating on, and usually the altering moods of the fish. If the fish don’t seem targeted in your jig, maintain experimenting until you get bit.

Be taught Subsequent: The Solely 8 Lures You Need to Catch Fish, Anyplace

Jig Sizes

Bucktail jigs can be found in a variety of sizes. The larger the jig head, the heavier it weighs. Big jigs are normally designed to catch larger fish. Heavy-headed jigs (one to three ounces) are moreover easier to fish deep and work correctly in roiling surf or fast-moving currents. Smaller, lightweight jigs (¼ to no less than one ounce) are good for fishing nonetheless or shallow water. Tiny, “micro” jigs (⅛ ounce) are a pleasurable choice to catch panfish gentle cope with. These super-small bucktails switch much like grass shrimp or tiny baitfish. 

Final Concepts on Bucktail Jigs

Bucktail jigs are true classics of the angling world that additionally earn their maintain throughout the stylish age. Their excellent versatility makes them environment friendly in virtually any water scenario, attracting quite a lot of fish species. Bucktails completely deserve a spot in every cope with discipline.