Bucktail technique

[justinb]

This season i plan on focusing on bucktail jigs. Just curious how people like to work them. i plan on slow slow slow drifting but the actual rod action is where im lost. i seem to be a little trigger happy with a buck tail too. big hits and get excited and swing and miss.. any pointers would be great thanks!

[zar2754]

I like to hop it on the bottom lifting it only an inch or two. Let the current do most of the work for you.

And load the rod tip with the weight of the fish before u go swinging for the fences

[FGS III]

If your referring to bucktailing for flounder, I am constantly working the jig. There are times when I let it hang with out jigging, but that's usually when I 'm taking a break or eating lunch.

- Drop the jig down and as soon as it hits bottom get the line tight so the jig doesn't roll on its side and snag any grass or stuff on the bottom.

- After the initial drop I like short (6" - 12"), fairly quick jigging action in case there some flounder very close by. I always keep a tight line on the drop and watch for hits like a hawk.

- If nothing hits right away I play around with the jigging distance off the bottom. I'll still let it get close to the bottom and hit bottom on the drop, but on the lift I'll raise it 3ft or more and let it go back down on a tight line. Then I'll do more short fast jigging action. Don't be surprised if you get a smack as soon as the jig hits the apex and starts on the drop during one of the higher jigging actions.

As far as setting the hook, I don't wait too long like I would with bait. If the jig is near the bottom and I lift up and feel weight, I reel down quickly to get any extra line on the reel, then I cross their eyes. A keeper flounder can get a pretty big bait in its mouth if it wants to. A stinger hook can definitely help if you like to use longer strip baits. I haven't done that yet, but after watching the TV show with adambomb on it, I will definitely be adding stinger hooks to my jigs.

Hope this helps!! I'm sure there others with more experience than me that can delve into the finer points.

Frank

[RyanF]

I'm with Josh, I always start off hopping it in 1-2 inch lifts. Few exaggeration or pauses here and there. Nothing happening, switch it up.

What I do and what I want to do are often very different, but what I try to do is have the bucktail floating a few inches off the bottom with a nice up and down hop. Comes down to having the right sized bucktail, a fast action rod, and constantly pulling her up and quartering her back up drift.

Also - if you use a bucktail/gulp combination they seem to inhale it. No need to drop back like a bucktail and meat combo. Something about artificials and fluke. If you want serious strikes and you don't like dropping back to a fish then do not use bait.

RyanF

[insomniac]

I like to hop it on the bottom lifting it only an inch or two. Let the current do most of the work for you.

And load the rod tip with the weight of the fish before u go swinging for the fences

YUP.

[apalmer]

This season i plan on focusing on bucktail jigs. Just curious how people like to work them. i plan on slow slow slow drifting but the actual rod action is where im lost. i seem to be a little trigger happy with a buck tail too. big hits and get excited and swing and miss.. any pointers would be great thanks!

As a guy who makes and uses bucktail jigs i guess first and foremost is where are you fishing. The area and depth really do affect and change the style. In deep water a higher pull is best and in heavy current the action is differant in 30-65foot the action is again differant. Is the ir structure, lumps, rocks, wrecks, etc....the area does change the jigging action.

[justinb]

Thanks for all the replies I guess I should of specified I will be fishing backwaters. I just added a trolling motor and have intentions of overcoming my fear of possibly hitting bottom and making my way up the creeks away from the traffic

[apalmer]

i like to cast away from the boat and tap the jig along the bottom. Small but erratic twitches seem to work best for me.
I also favor casting opposite from current and working the jig back to the boat.
The key is to find what the fish are looking for as far as presentation.
Slower in the spring early season. If they are hitting aggressively faster action may be necessary.
Fluke also will strike out of anger/predatory behavior. So erratic action bounced on their heads or in front of their face will often illicit a strike, even when they may not be feeding.
My early season go to colors are chartruese/white, all white/glow head
as the water tends to be muddy
good luck

[dano1801]

early season, i fish bucktails somewhat slow with subtle twitches. usually using meat early on, so giving them an extra second before the hook set helps.

in the summer time, i fish them much more agressively. consistently twitching as i lift the jog off the bottom, then let it fall. tap the bottom for a half second and repeat. i am almost exclusively using gulp when bucktailing in the summer and the strikes are almost always aggressive, dont need to feed em. if you find they arent striking hard one particular day, and feeding them a bit is what you gotta do, then you need to adapt, but generally summer time, agressive twitching, agressive strikes, quick hooksets.

i always use as light a jig as possible to tap the bottom on a vertical presentation, keeping the boat with the tide.

the xfactor especially in the summer time is add a teaser by dropper loop 12 to 18 inches above the bucktail. i use a straight shank hook and thread a gulp jerk shad or sand eel. the teaser is a killer!

this method has been very productive for me and anyone fishing my boat with me, even first timers.

my 0.02. good luck, its almost time!

[jettyghost]

depends on what you're after, and what they're looking for. Sometimes i'll be touching bottom, but more often than not, i'll be "swimming" the jig in the strike zone that presents, whether it be 2" off the bottom and i'm frequently pounding the sand, or 2 feet up (sometimes quite a bit more)
Don't be afraid to change it up until the fish show you a response. It can change day to day, even hour to hour.