Bucktail Analysis

[azslabber]

I'm back to bucktail after a long deal with kiptail.Sooo,different tying wise.Using some bigger baits for the big mouths around here.Do you think this 3/8 oz. spinnerbait has enough hair on it?I usually use to much hair on everything,so,tried to do it right for these.This forum has made my larger baits look so much better then before I found it.Thanks everyone.

[PBUG2009]

myself i like a puffer tail with bucktail

[Fatman]

Looks good!!!!!!! Nice tight and neat wrapped collar. On the bucktail it's how much you want to use and how well you can tie it to the spinnerbait, so it stays on.

Not much I would change.

Fatman

[STUMP HUNTER]

They look good. I like to work with bucktail, I have some calf tail but I don't care for it.

[psilvers]

You don't want to put too much bucktail on, but I do like a fair amount of bucktail on my jigs. The one on the left has a bit much for my taste but the one on the right looks to be about the way I tie them.

Pete

[dpiscator]

I've been a commercial fly tyer for 15 years and for the last 4 have been tying mostly jigs. I've seen my share of bucktail... and the myriad of uses for it. You have a nice bucktail there. Congrats.

Just a few FYI tips: When dealing with bucktail you want the tails from a Northern Whitetail. If you do not want it to flare out (like in your pic) stick with working with the tail fibers from the middle to the tips. When you wrap tight the butt ends they will flare since they are thicker. If you want the tail to "streamline effect" tie in at the middle fibers and use pencil size stacks of hair. You may have to layer stacks of multiple clumps of hair clump instead of cutting out one big clump. Definitely comb out the underfur (with a flea comb) and when you tie the hair in use a loose wrap around all of the hair to "tighten" the clump before you overwrap for strength. When you whip finish coat about a 1/2 inch of the thread with zap-a-gap. It will soak into the thread fibers and you won't be able to pull out any of the hairs and keep your wraps from moving ontop of one another. Another great improvement I've found is when you really need to cinch down a BIG clump of bucktail try kevlar thread! It rocks and is virtually unbreakable. I use it a lot when working on jigs that will be thrown around rocky structure. My jigs body materials/thread seem to take the abuse a bit better when using kevlar.

[azslabber]

Very good info there "dpiscator".I'm getting ready to tie a couple more heavier spinnerbaits right now.Will try what you say.Thanks.

[snake River]

I'm back to bucktail after a long deal with kiptail.Sooo,different tying wise.Using some bigger baits for the big mouths around here.Do you think this 3/8 oz. spinnerbait has enough hair on it?I usually use to much hair on everything,so,tried to do it right for these.This forum has made my larger baits look so much better then before I found it.Thanks everyone.

it looks pretty close to a what they called the Shannon but it was double wire.

[ScottV]

Good looking spinnerbaits. I like bucktail on baits that will be moving in the water. Being stiff, it doesn't have the motion of marabou on a jig that is stationary, but I love it on roadrunners and such. Good job!
Scott

[SteveJ]

it looks pretty close to a what they called the Shannon but it was double wire.

Man has it been a long time since I heard that name, wasn't it called a Shannon Twin Spin. Can't remember the last time I even saw one. Way back in my bassing days.