# Bucktail jigs



## nitsud

Just started tying bucktail jigs recently. Have been using BPS big bite stinger jig heads, chartreuse and white bucktail, and a little bit of flash. I've been trying to replicate some of the features I see in the fly fishing world, so my jigs have some profile to them, and mostly have white on the bottom and the color up top.

I'm looking for advice on how to make them better and what colors may be effective for various species. If anyone has their own ties to show off, all the better. Another question I have is if craft hair is preferred to bucktail or not.


----------



## nitsud

Tested today, didn't do too bad. Caught white bass on both tipped (Gulp twistertail) and untipped jigs. Lost a few, but not too many. 

Cold out there, lube up them guides!


----------



## TClark

Smallies love bear hair jigs!


----------



## theyounggun

That is looking nice! I have some of that craft hair and it looks real good in the water. Try both types. You cant go wrong with bucktail but the craft hair has an almost marabou look in the water. It pulsates alot. If you have any trouble with the bucktail slipping put some superglue on the thread before you tie it on. On another note you should try some rabbit strip jigs. they have the best action of craft hair and bucktail.


----------



## AtticaFish

That is a good looking jig you have! Crappie and bass should eat it up.

In the past, i have used alot of bucktail jigs for river smallmouth, they are an excellent bait. I made up a tutorial for another site, this is how i do them, but there are some slightly different ways to do it - Buck Tail Jig

Here is my favorite color bucktail pattern for smallmouth...









I as well fly fish and am always trying to put fly patterns on a jig. Attempt at a clouser jig....










I agree with theyounggun - After trying rabbit strips (zonkers) i must say they are awsome! Every material has it's qualities, but i use zonkers in the majority of what i make now.

These have a combo of bucktail and rabbit and are intended for crappie...









Big 1/4oz jigs made for largemouth...









A finess largemouth bait, 1/16 football with an EWG hook...










As for the craftfur, i have to say it is the hardest for me to work with. It does make excellent jigs and has great action though.

These were made for smallmouth (left) and walleye (right)










nitsud - Show off some more of your work, like seeing other peoples tied jigs and not a whole lot of them are posted on this site!


----------



## nitsud

That's a great site over there, and those are some killer ties! The bucketmouth baits in particular are interesting.

I had a chance to pick up some new materials at TCO Fly Shop over in Pennsylvania, and tied up this little bug. My first shot with feathers, and while it's not perfectly symmetric, or perfectly tied, I think the fish might get the idea. This one is really minimal, and I intend it mostly for tipping with a short twistertail trying to get early season tailwater eyes and/or sauger. One thing I've noticed is that since you're not putting the twistertail all the way up on the lead collar, the jig can end up longer than expected.

Attica, what do you like for thread? I've been using whatever I can find at the fabric store and haven't had any fall apart yet, but a little more strength wouldn't hurt.

I will be buying some rabbit strips next!


----------



## fallen513

...................


----------



## AtticaFish

nitsud - That jig looks good to me, all the materials will slim down once wet and have a good minnow profile.

I use alot of items found in craft shops, including thread, lots of colors to choose from. But for bucktail and kiptail jigs that require more tension when tying, i use some thread i get at Netcrafters - Jig Tying Thread - it is pretty thin thread so it doesn't build up the neck too fast but is also strong enough to make very tight wraps. Whenever i make a thread neck like the bucktails, i use a coat (or 2) of 'Sally Hansons Hard as Nails' fingernail polish over the thread. The Loons Hard Head that fallen513 mentioned is also good and i know some saltwater tyers who use epoxy to keep toothy fish from ripping the thread off. ALL my jig painting is done with nailpolish for now, but hope to get into powder painting at some point. The nailpolish colors will hold up decent if you top coat them with hard as nails also, but powder paint is near in-destructable.

You can also save yourself some $$ if you look for the craftfur at a regular craft store, but make sure the hair is long... i think it is called 'long pile' maybe. Same stuff tying shops sell at half the price. On the other hand, feathers from craft shops are often not dyed well and will loose their color when wet. - Russ


----------



## papaperch

Don't know if Russ ( Atticafish ) gave you this advice or not. So bear with me in case he already told you this.

Get into a JIg Swap on that site he sent you to. Your jig tying acumen will grow with leap and bounds. Seeing what others can do will open your mind to new materials and new ideas. I tied two basic jigs way back when. Marabou and bucktail then I got involved with jig swaps.

Right now rabbit ( zonker and loose hair ) are my go to material. But I am constantly using it in different patterns. I just hosted a jig swap about 2 months ago. I made the specifics of using rabbit or duck feathers or both in the tyers pattern. Several of the participants had never tied that combo. They were pleasantly surprised at their own creativity.

Which is just one of the benefits. It makes you try something new that you might have avoided. That site oozes talent and ingenuity but no ego. Help is just one post away over there.


----------



## nitsud

Just signed up over at Jigcraft. Some really cool stuff over there, and I'll be on the lookout for the next jig swap (excellent idea, by the way). I was hoping to find some jig tying ninjas when I posted this, and it's clear that most of them hang out over at jigcraft!

I need to get some new heads... and some rabbit... and some marabou... maybe some peacock... By the time spring gets here, I'll be ready to go (and broke)!


----------

