Bucktail Jigs… Oldies but Goodies!

Recently, at the Frank Sargeant Outdoor Expo, a fan walked up and asked me what my “Top 5” confidence baits would be for fishing inshore.  I thoughtfully considered his question for a moment… then confidently replied “A top water plug, 3” soft plastic paddle tail, ¼ ounce gold spoon, Mirro-dine twitch bait, and probably a small bucktail jig… I’d have to say are definitely my “go-to” baits.”  He remarked, “I’m very surprised that you included a bucktail jig in that group… why a bucktail?”  I closed with “Bucktail jigs are oldies but goodies… they have caught more fish for me personally then almost any other lure, particularly snook.”  We shared a few more fishing tales from our past then bid good-bye and shook hands.  But he left me with the impression that his next tackle purchase just might include the reliable bucktail jig.

Bucktail jigs catch fish because they are so versatile… I fish them on grass flats, in creek mouths, around docks, along channel edges, and for probing under bridges.  Anglers can swim, drag, jig, slow hop, and even troll bucktail jigs… mimicking whatever food source gamefish are tuned into at the time.  Bucktail jigs also look very life-like to gamefish… the buck hair breathes when the jig is swimming or when it’s totally at rest.  The bucktail jig’s realistic profile and action provides anglers with an all-around bait whether they’re sight fishing the shallows or trying to locate fish in deeper water.

Colors that I favor are white, black, tan, olive green, and brown/orange… because these color tones are very natural and consistently fool snook, redfish, tarpon, and bigger trout.  More vibrant colors like pink, chartreuse, and canary yellow catch plenty of school trout, mackerel, ladyfish, pompano, and jacks… when fished in the proper scenarios.  Every region though will have colors that work a little better in my experience, for instance, in Louisiana… a purple bucktail with a chartreuse trailer is often the ticket for marsh redfish.  Whereas down in Flamingo… a black bucktail presented in the chalky colored water, created by mullet & stingray muds, will produce an instant hook up as well. 

Head style selection really depends on what action you desire or the environment you’re working the bucktail in and around.  A bean or cannonball head works well for swimming or trolling bucktails while a skimmer or boxing glove head works better for grassy terrain and jigging.  Experiment with head shapes in a pool to find what head style creates the best action for your fishing situation (dragging, hopping, or swimming).

 Modifying bucktail jigs can make them even more effective especially when trying to control sink rate or jig speed.  For example, I like to thin the buck hair out of my bucktail jig with scissors sometimes so that I can gain more lure speed when burning the jig through dock lights for snook  or targeting mackerel & bonito around fast moving bait schools.  Another easy adjustment is to add a small plastic trailer to bulk up the bucktail jig and slow down the rate of decent… this is also a nice method to add a combo color to your bucktail jig and a bit more action.

If you want a little advice on how to fish bucktail jigs, here it is… cast it out and reel it back, that’s it 75% of the time.  There are times around channel drop-offs and around bridges where I impart a very slow “lift and fall” technique with the flow of current to catch deeper fish.  And even a dragging technique when fishing deeper potholes in a flat or around muddy creek mouths for redfish and flounder… but that’s it really.   

Often retro baits of the past get overlooked as tackle companies strive to introduce new lures that catch the angler’s eye.  But take it from me, a lot of the “old school” baits like the bucktail jig work just fine on today’s wary gamefish even in highly pressured waters.  At least now you know… why grandpa had so many of those damn bucktail jigs lying around in the bottom of his tackle box!

Keep’em Bent!