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Bucktailing . . . . . a plug caster's sacrilege?

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SurfGuy85

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Obviously it's more than casting and retrieving, I'm talking the watered down physical act of how we fish. We put something out there and bring it back in. How we go about it is up to anyone and thats the conversation I was trying to conjure. I used the inlet as an easy example but I meant more to the affect of super thick tied half ounce aND 3/4 Oz bucks in surf/pocket environments fished lateraly within what ever cross current may exist as a primary presentation rather than just on the odd experimental cast. And....to continue clarifying, Bucktails are (often) (mis-used) because of the many options they permit the caster to utilize them but maybe that are never explored. Don't worry old salt pakalola I wasn't implying there was something even you didn't know about.

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This was my 5th season of surfcasting and really tried to make a point of using the bucktail more. I don't think there's a purer, simpler, and more effective lure around and that's not a firsthand claim but gathered from what I've read, watched and seen from accomplished fishermen.  


While there's a time, place, and tide for most of the plugs I've piled up in the past few seasons, I feel like bucktails this year helped me understand structure and water movement more than any other lure I have.  


It wasn't the best season, but bucktails caught most of the fish I landed.  More importantly, it was the one piece of gear that led me to learning the most this season.


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Some people make me laugh, obviously the technique has been around for years and obviously some misread my post. But why respond under the pretense that I'm trying to reinvent the wheel when all I want is a nice hot stove over some bucktailing. Post pics or share your techniques, I was simply detailing a technique i used more often this year. But in typical sol fashion everything turns into a pissing match.

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Try bucktailing the CCC and it will blow your mind on how diffrent it is that bucktailing a sandy beach in jersey or rockpiles on the SS of MTK. Im still young and haven't dedicated enough time to the "art". But next season I will use bucktails almost exclusively to try and learn the technique even if it is only at one standard type of location ex. Sandy bottom, rocky, or very deep fast moveing water.. But as stated before there are so many diffrent ways how to use a bucktail that it is overwhelming sometimes.

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Quote:

Originally Posted by scottyrich View Post

 But next season I will use bucktails almost exclusively to try and learn the technique even if it is only at one standard type of location ex. 


went through the same - took a few weeks earlier this season and only fished BTs... took some doing but when it got dialed in results were impressive... still have a long way to go but the investment has already yielded dividends... good luck


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the subtle differences that can occur with thickly or sparsely-tied jigs is what keeps it interesting for me. I do the same with rubber-fish jigs too..... different jigs all sink faster or slower (and swim less ofr more) than others, and taking the time to find which one fits your needs AT THAT MOMENT is the key to success. it will change with the tide and with every single minor chnge in locations and presentation. I'm also thinking about making some tin "bucktails" to have some other weight options....

its all about da fishes...

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I've always called bucktails my 1 1/2 ounce clousers.

 

and yes- what kind of BS writing is that? I certainly didn't read it.....

There isn't. One way. To fish a bucktail. What ever the fish want. Is what works. Ive seen guys. Not catch. Because. They refused to adapt. Then. I can recall. A spot. Where. We were all. Using 4 ounces. But. This one guy was using. A. 2 once. And he was smoking the fish. On top. Thats why I love bucktail s. Its. The. True idiots lure. Dont take much skill the hard part. Is. Letting go. Of. Rules. And. Finding what the fish want. A good friend of mine. Caught his personal best this year on a bucktail. He did nothing right lol. No trailer no hair left. Hook was probably dull lol ...landed. the fish. In a impossible. Scenario ...he told me the story. And I walked back in the house shaking my head lol why do I bother. Making the perfect bucktail

profile pic Penn Squidder, Lami 01166, Atom 40. 1975 or so. My go to for a couple of years when I was a kid.....

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I know from experience that there is many techniques to buck tailing….. But my technique works, all the time… If the fish are there of course…. On some rare occasions i've found they wouldn't touch the bucktail and wanted a plug… But again i've observed this to be a rare event…. It happens though… But in all the bucktail is the most effective lure if fished right… I've caught thousands of fish on the buck tail….. Maybe a 100 or so on plugs…...

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1000and this is the buctail j44 spoke so eloquently about..only thing he got wrong was it was new out of the package that session..had about 6 blues on it that tore it up..was using curly tails and got tired of sacrificing them..so i threw it just as you see it...then BAM....my first 40...

 

Congrats on the 40.

 

I've noticed over the years the best CATCHING bucktails I have used were the ones that got beat up and had less hair.

 

Honestly, outside of a few specialty locations and applications I don't see why guys feel the need to use 3oz bucktails with a whole deer tail on the back where a sparse 1.5oz would work just fine and cast better.

 

I make mine regular & sparse but rarely ever load on the hair.

(*member formerly known as 'JohnB.')

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I have probably caught more fish on bucktails than anything else in the bag. I have often heard bucktailing called an art. I never saw it that way. I think of as a tool, and the more you use the tool and the better you know the water that you are fishing, the more fish you will catch with it. From no current to heavy, from the flats to deep water, from rocks to sand it is effective. The weights and retrieve I use are dependent on the water I fish. In Montauk for example I am using anything from one half ounce to three ounces. I have even used four ounces at times. Night is certainly different than day. It is pretty much endless as to how, where, and why. It ain't rocket science. You just have to use it alot.

Bill Wetzel
NYS Licensed Guide
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Lol. Its this stupid phone. Puts a period in when I hit space

 

 

I thought it was the ghost of William Shatner :D

 

Bucktails are one of those lures that take a while to develop a feel for but are so worth the effort in doing so.

If anyone may require dialysis or a kidney transplant, feel free to contact me via this site. I'll be happy to help you through whatever questions you have! :wave:

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You forgot to mention that Jay tied that bucktail with feathers from his pet pigeon!!! :D Congrats on that 40lbr. Dan.

 

 

Carlos

 

 

Congrats on the 40.

 

I've noticed over the years the best CATCHING bucktails I have used were the ones that got beat up and had less hair.

 

Honestly, outside of a few specialty locations and applications I don't see why guys feel the need to use 3oz bucktails with a whole deer tail on the back where a sparse 1.5oz would work just fine and cast better.

 

I make mine regular & sparse but rarely ever load on the hair.

thanks Carlos and J Barosa! Learned alot that day..How you can do everything wrong and some how things turn out right..that BT sank right to the bottom past all the blues..right in front of a cow picking up scraps..sureit all makes sense now but if i saw that BT in my truck like that i wouldn't have given it a second look...lesson learned
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Quote:

Originally Posted by demodan View Post

1000and this is the buctail j44 spoke so eloquently about..only thing he got wrong was it was new out of the package that session..had about 6 blues on it that tore it up..was using curly tails and got tired of sacrificing them..so i threw it just as you see it...then BAM....my first 40...



     Last time I waste my hard earned money on Curly tails...:D


     Congratulations:hi5:



     Lou


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