Bucktail Tying Questions

[gagnonale]

I have never tied any bucktails before but I'm gonna give it a go before the season rolls around. Looking for recommendations on actual tying gear. Vise, thread, epoxy and whatever else you need to get started. Already have the molds, hooks and lead. 

[CLFish5]

11 mins ago, gagnonale said:

I have never tied any bucktails before but I'm gonna give it a go before the season rolls around. Looking for recommendations on actual tying gear. Vise, thread, epoxy and whatever else you need to get started. Already have the molds, hooks and lead. 

Vice - Perfect Hatch Crown Vise C Clamp

 

It’s affordable and does the job. Holds up perfectly fine

 

Thread - Danville 210 Denier Flat Waxed Nylon Thread

 

Epoxy - UV Resin Crystal Clear Hard and a  UV flashlight for 30 seconds on the thread

 

Bucktail Hair - a fishing show for the best price or maybe post in the WTB forum. If not there’s plenty of sites and stores, just a little pricey

 

White and green are the only colors you’ll ever need. Your thumb is your best friend. Use it to spread the hair. Don’t put too much hair on at once.

 

if you have any questions feel free to PM me

Edited February 8 by CLFish5

[gagnonale]

5 mins ago, CLFish5 said:

Vice - Perfect Hatch Crown Vise C Clamp

 

It’s affordable and does the job. Holds up perfectly fine

 

Thread - Danville 210 Denier Flat Waxed Nylon Thread

 

Epoxy - UV Resin Crystal Clear Hard and a  UV flashlight for 30 seconds on the thread

 

Bucktail Hair - a fishing show for the best price or maybe post in the WTB forum. If not there’s plenty of sites and stores, just a little pricey

 

White and green are the only colors you’ll ever need. Your thumb is your best friend. Use it to spread the hair. Don’t put too much hair on at once.

 

if you have any questions feel free to PM me

Much appreciated. Will definitely send a pm once I get everything and if I have any questions. 

[valentine]

Make sure you get yourself a Bobbin to hold the spools of thread while you wrap the thread on your hook.

It is possible to tie jigs without a bobbin but using one will  help you enormously.

It doesn’t have to be an expensive bobbin but I do recommend you get a magnum sized one which has a long tube.

 

[gagnonale]

4 mins ago, valentine said:

Make sure you get yourself a Bobbin to hold the spools of thread while you wrap the thread on your hook.

It is possible to tie jigs without a bobbin but using one will  help you enormously.

It doesn’t have to be an expensive bobbin but I do recommend you get a magnum sized one which has a long tube.

 

Thanks. Forgot about a bobbin. 

[summms]

I go through a lot of bucktails, so I dont take the time to make them picture quality. I dont even use a vise, only a bobbin. Biggest thing is less is more when it comes to attaching the fur. 5-6 little clumps wrapped is better than 2-3 wraps. I feel I get better uniformity around the whole lure. No thready epoxy either, just a thin coat of super glue, dip in regular white paint and hang to dry. I actually use red sewing thread, not even tying thread. Besides my first batch I ever tied, I have virtually no slippage of hair. 

 

If you don't want to pour your own jigs, ebay seems to have the best deals for bulk naked jigs. $25-30 for 25 1oz jigs and hooks. Can't make them cheaper myself I reckon. 

 

Besides the deer I shoot, best bucktail prices seem to come at fishing shows. Beware they leave a residue on your fingers, almost like a sap. 

[drumfish213]

Tinman Dan was just interviewed on this: 

 

[changed]

A bobbin and whip finisher make your life easier. UV resin and a light is nice, but some Sally Hansons is probably good enough. 210 or bigger thread to save yourself time on wraps. And a pair of fine scissors to trim the heads flush.

[gagnonale]

14 mins ago, changed said:

A bobbin and whip finisher make your life easier. UV resin and a light is nice, but some Sally Hansons is probably good enough. 210 or bigger thread to save yourself time on wraps. And a pair of fine scissors to trim the heads flush.

Thanks. Had no idea what a whip finisher was. Assume the bigger thread would also be more durable?

[changed]

17 mins ago, gagnonale said:

Thanks. Had no idea what a whip finisher was. Assume the bigger thread would also be more durable?

Depends. Gel spun thread will be stronger at lesser denier than regular nylon thread. But if you’re anything like me, you’ll be losing your bucktails long before you have issues with thread breaking.

[HugeDinghy]

Buddy made me a better one but for years I used a cheapo vise from lowes and it works just fine. 

[EliasA]

3 hours ago, gagnonale said:

I have never tied any bucktails before but I'm gonna give it a go before the season rolls around. Looking for recommendations on actual tying gear. Vise, thread, epoxy and whatever else you need to get started. Already have the molds, hooks and lead. 

Tying bucktails is rewarding and easy to get in to.

you can make is a cheap or expensive as you want to.

 

when I started trying bucktails I was around 12, I would buy painted heads and get deer tails from the local butcher. I’d dry the tails and use sewing thread pinched from my grandmothers sewing kit, then top it off with my sister’s clear nail polish. For a vice I used a 4” desk vice.

 

now I use a Peak Jurassic rotary vice, UTC gsp thread, uv cure resin. I also powdercoat my jigheads, it holds up well to banging into rocks better than paint

 

that being said, the bucktails I tie now don’t catch any more fish than the bucktails I tied than. Any decent rotary vice that is large enough to hold saltwater hooks will do, and materials like thread, bucktails, and feathers are all in large part personal preference. I like to buy my bucktail material in person so I can see and feel the length, density, and quality of the hair

[no name]

Dan of Tinman tackle will be doing bucktail tying at Surf Day Feb 18 at Brookdale college in Lincroft NJ. 

[saltfisherman]

1 hour ago, gagnonale said:

Thanks. Had no idea what a whip finisher was. Assume the bigger thread would also be more durable?

Whip finisher basically makes a long winded half hitch. A series of half hitches that you do yourself will work fine too. Like others have said, use an adhesive to finish the head off. 
 

The trick to tying the hair on is to first layer the hook shank with thread down its length. This helps the hair from spinning around the hook. The next key item is not a lot of hair all at once, that too will just make the hair spin and not be firm against the hook shank. You can add more as needed to build up the body. 
 

Adding flash, a little goes a long way. You don’t need to make this thing like a beacon of overkill. 
 

When it comes to a thread. Pull on the thread and see what it feels like, the breaking that it takes. Hitting the hook point will also break the thread. If you break the thread in mid tie, just start that thread over, there is no reason to tear it all out. 

[markdufault]

I just started myself and a few things ive found helpful, i started with a normal bobbin but found myself breaking the thread often. I bought a ceramic bobbin and it seems much easier to use as it wont fray the thread as easily making it much less frustrating. I tie smaller jigs but finding a starter vice that does not have alot of play/wobble when you screw it down will also reduce frustration when getting started. ive also found it easier and faster to whip finish by hand rather than use the tool.