Bucktail Jigs

[WdyCrankbait]

Hey everyone,

   I have a quick question or two.  I wanted to ask if anyone uses Bucktail jigs for bass and if they do how often do they use them with success.  I'm thinking about starting to make my own, but wanted to question you guys/gals and see if there was "weight," in pursuing it.

 

Thank you,

Wdy

[Team9nine]

I use hair jigs a lot, both bucktail as well as other material such as craft fur. They probably account for between 20%-40% or more of my total bass in any given year, depending. While they will catch fish at any time, I tend to use them most during periods of cooler water, say October through April around here.

 

-T9

[everythingthatswims]

Lots of guys use them for pressured bass on ledges

[Choporoz]

I think of them as a cold water lure, but I recall a scorching July day two years ago when nothing was working and I got a wild hair and threw on a blue and white bucktail and immediately picked off a half dozen deep suspenders by vertically jigging it.

[tholmes]

I've been using my homemade bucktails for years, especially for smallmouth. I've also caught Largemouth, stripers, white bass and walleye on them I make them in sizes from 1/8 oz. to 1 oz. I pour my own jigheads, but you could buy jigheads to get started and see if jig tying is something you want to pursue. You can get everything you'll need from Jann's Netcraft, Cabela's and other places.

 

Besides jigheads, you'll need  a fly tying vise,  bucktails, thread, ( I use size D rod wrapping thread), a bobbin, head cement, etc.You can tie up a hundred bucks in pretty short order, but it's an enjoyable way to spend time when you can't be out fishing.

 

Have fun!

 

Tom

[Jig Man]

I've been using them off and on for years.  I've used them at night 2 times this year.  The first night we caught 25 bass and 11 walleye.  The second night we caught 17 bass and 6 walleye.  We were swimming them.  The best color was a combination purple and orange, but other colors worked as well.

[WdyCrankbait]

guys, 

    Thanks for the time in your responses.

 

 

Tholmes,   I'm tying flies now while I recover from surgery so, I was just thinking a natural carry over once I saw them.  I'll probably PM you later to make sure I am using the correct jig head.  I found a great web page that sells unpainted jig heads so, I guess it is trial and error time.  

 

Thanks again everyone,

Wdy

[papajoe222]

I make and use them in both cold water and finess situations. I tie them on a stout hook as many of the waters I fish contain pike and they can straighten a light wire hook.

One of my most productive presentations is to suspend one under a slip bobber moving it frequently. Most hits occur as the jig falls back under the bobber.

[kLuo]

Hair jigs are my #1 lure for ice out. A light weight jig crawled along rocks has gotten me bites when nothing else has.

[OntarioFishingGuy]

Bucktail jigs are a great lure to use all season long, for many different species, and tying your own is fun and rewarding. Adding a few strands of crystal flash can really improve the look of your jigs as well.

[WRB]

Anyone who knows me knows I fish hair jigs a lot!

Big mistake thinking hair jigs are for cold water only, they are good year around.

Bassmaster June issue has a hair jig article, mostly talking up Shad colors for early summer, worth reading.

Tom

[OkobojiEagle]

Over the years I find myself tying fewer and fewer patterns/colors, but catching more fish...

 

 

 

oe

[Will Wetline]

 

[SirSnookalot]

I use bucktails for anything with fins.  I tie my own mainly use marabou in freshwater now.  Before I tied I used a bonefish flats jig for both bass and peacocks.

[smalljaw67]

I'm guilty of using them during the cold water period for the most part. Like others, I make my own and 1 thing I can tell you about the hair jig is that different water types require different jigs. I saw a lot of people interested in large 1/2oz hair jigs after the pros were catching them, on my water, which is basically smaller flood control and natural lakes, a large hair jig doesn't fair well and while I have caught some fish slow swimming a bucktail during the summer, I found there are much better presentations that work better. My success comes from cold water smallmouths, there are 2 things that work really well in cold water, small soft plastic swim baits and hair jigs, I like the hair jig as I do better when the water is very cold but I use them up until the mid 40s.