May 9, 2005
Article
Feature Article from:
WWW.FISHINGTHEWILDSIDE.COM
Believe in
Bucktails
Looking to catch:
A) Your first muskie?
B) Your biggest muskie?
C) The most muskies you've ever caught in a season?
D) All of the above.
Then there is one thing you
need to do to accomplish one or all of those goals: BELIEVE IN
BUCKTAILS!
After two hours of burning bucktails on a new lake, a mammoth
muskie darted from a tiny weed patch only 15-feet from the bow
of the boat, opened her mouth, slurped hair and got stung. She
walked on her tail like a tarpon, dove deep and then torpedoed
into acrobatics. The fight of this 51” fish was surreal. High
fives all around, a moment to chill while settling the shakes
and then back to casting. We slowly motored back to the location
we boated this behemoth. Not five casts later, on the same tiny
weed bed, another giant came out and gobbled my bucktail. It was
another explosive toe-to-toe battle. The second fish of the day
was a spectacular 51”. Back to back 5-O’s in the boat on the
same day! The next spot sported a scrappy mid-thirty inch muskie
and then, not much more than an hour later, a 50²+ fish came
unbuttoned the fourth time she went airborne. I believe that if
I was not fishing with a bucktail, in my mind the master lure of
efficiency, this day likely never would have had happened.
Believe
it: BUCKTAILS CATCH MUSKIES! Bucktails have caught more muskies
than any other lure. Why? Certainly because they are thrown a
ton, but there is a reason for that. It is mind-boggling how
many times muskies see hair in a season, yet they still eat
them. I have pulled into an area countless times to watch
anglers throwing bucktails, slid in right after they finished,
tossed a bucktail into their “used water” and had a muskie eat
literally the same offering! Throwing a bucktail is the most
efficient use of time when muskie fishing. Bucktails cast
lengthy, retrieve simply and can be worked quickly. Fishing the
WildSide’s Chip Leer says, “There’s no doubt, whether I’m
fishing new water or my favorite waters, my first and foremost
choice is a bucktail. Leer continues, “I am a true believer in
the basic dogma of bucktail mentality, that is, bucktails rein
supreme at: covering water; locating fish; triggering active
muskies and hooking and holding fish. The only way for me to hit
all the hot spots, especially on the big water I fish, is to
keep moving. Bucktails allow me to get through my milk run,
catch active fish and locate fish that I can come back to. It’s
the perfect program”.
What Exactly is a Bucktail?
When referring to bucktails,
most anglers think of the classic in-line spinner: A wire shaft
beginning with a blade, followed by beads, then some deer hair
and ending with a couple of treble hooks. From all the
innovative minds obsessed with these beasts, ballistic versions
of the basics have been spawned: Colorado blades, fluted blades,
French blades, Indiana blades and on and on. We also have rubber
skirts, silicon skirts, marabou skirts, feather skirts and basic
deer hair. In almost any color pattern imaginable! Of the whole
wide array of in-line bucktails out there, one in particular has
produced great numbers for me - THE Llungen Tail. This bucktail
features a silicone skirt that brings life to the bait and a
fluted blade that makes its presence known. The Llungen Tail
produced my biggest MN muskie and is my go-to bucktail.
Not all bucktails are inline.
The term bucktail comes from the hair traditionally used as
dressing on these spinners. Since rubber skirted spinners are
still referred to as bucktails, why separate spinnerbaits from
the class “bucktail”? After all, they are certainly seen
sporting deer hair. Spinnerbaits, in my book, are equally as
effective as in-line spinners; in fact in many cases there is
nothing else that could replace them. Chip Leer says, “When
working dense vegetation, spinnerbaits are the call. Because of
their sleek safety pin design they part the waters, allowing the
blades to keep thumping in even the densest vegetation.
Spinnerbaits are also my favorite bait for working deep edges.
I’ll cast a Northland Bionic Bucktail over the weeds and let it
flutter down for a moment, then with my rod tip low to the water
I’ll slowly retrieve the spinner. As soon as the bait approaches
the boat I rapidly accelerate the speed of the retrieve. This
creates a drastic vertical movement that makes the muskies
massacre the bait”.
When Should a Bucktail Be
Thrown?
Early spring? Mid-summer peak?
Fall? Yes to all three because bucktails produce through all
seasons! Throwing small bucktails with a slower retrieve is
generally how I will begin the season. Go to mid-sized bucktails
and fire up the after burners as the water temperatures rise.
Bucktails with big blades, that inherently slow the retrieve,
are sensational as summer turns to fall. Again, these are only
rules of thumb that have proven themselves over the years for
me. Experiment for your own good and don't be afraid to go
against the grain.
Triggers
A straight retrieve will
undoubtedly catch fish but getting funky with it ups your odds
immensely. Most strikes will come within the first couple cranks
of the retrieve or as you turn the bait at the boat. Why?
Because in the first instance, the fish saw something it
instinctively struck. Fish strike at the boat because the lures
speed and direction changes as the angler finishes the retrieve
or executes a figure-8. (A figure-8 refers to the practice of
making a large eight or oval shapes in the water at the boats
side, with the lure close to the rod tip.)
Mid-retrieve changes, such as
quick bursts of speed and/or directional changes, can also
trigger strikes and produce poundage. To change direction
mid-retrieve requires making major sweeps of the rod from side
to side. Changing the speed in your retrieve is as simple as
turning the reel handle faster than the current rate of
retrieve. Another triggering trick is to change direction on a
vertical plane. Spinnerbaits with big thump, such as an M&G
Muskie Tandem, work tremendously well for vertical triggers.
M&G’s unique design allows the bait to work more efficiently
than most in deeper water. As you approach the end of the
retrieve quickly crank the reel faster and the spinnerbait will
accelerate towards the surface, invariably triggering additional
strikes.
Potency
Bucktails are not only
efficient at seducing fish into striking; they are also the best
bait for hooking and holding fish. Bucktails are a little bit of
hair and a whole lot of hooks; No hard wood or plastic for fish
to bury their teeth into, no soft plastic to hold onto and then
spit out Naturally so, when muskies eat bucktails they’ll get
hooked on them the majority of the time. Bucktails also have a
stellar boat side performance; they are supreme in the figure-8.
Not only do they turn to trigger but also they cling ‘til
closure.
What Color to Use?
This is an often-asked and
legitimate question, especially considering the righteous
rainbow of colors available. A good rule or thumb when it comes
to color selection is Dark days = Dark colors, Bright days =
Bright colors It's basic and it works! There is nothing set in
stone in the pursuit of these magnificent fish so don't live and
die by this, change colors often and let the fish indicate what
will turn them on. If faced with the classic hypothetical
question “If you only had one lure to fish muskies with, what
would you use?” That’s a no brainer! a bucktail! Believe in the
bucktail this coming season, pitch it religiously, and you will
find a newfound belief in the bucktail.
Here are some equipment and
triggering tips to help you put more fish in the boat.
- Always make an L turn with
your lure as it approaches the boat; if a fish is following
keep the bait moving in a large enough 8 or oval shape so
that the muskie can turn with it. Never slow your retrieve
down for the fish to catch it. It is impossible to reel so
fast that a muskie can't catch it and speed kills!
- Remember muskie fishing is
not overly complicated. The path to getting started is as
simple as purchasing a good all around fishing combo like an
Abu Garcia 6500 C3 and a 7'0" Berkley Lightning Rod. Load up
your box with a handful of Llungen Tails, M&G Muskie Tandems
and some Northland Bionic Bucktails and you'll have
everything you need to begin buckin.
- Each time you cast, make
certain to start your retrieve and set the bait into motion
the instant it hits the water. This is where you will
experience many of your strikes, so be ready to battle.
- Use the appropriate bait
for the depth you are fishing. Because they ride so high in
the water column, Llungen Tails are awesome at covering
shallow structure. Northland Bionic Bucktail Spinners have a
willow blade that provides the perfect lift and altitude for
probing mid-range depths effectively. Spinnerbaits, like an
M&G Muskie Tandem, are excellent for slow rolling deep
edges.
- Remember to mix it up.
Quick cranks of the reel handle and sweeping your rod side
to side will add action to the bucktail and in turn put more
fish in your boat.
Feature Article from:
WWW.FISHINGTHEWILDSIDE.COM
Lindy Legendary Fishing Tackle
218-829-1714
Llungen Lures 847-302-7558
Northland Fishing Tackle 218-751-6723
