Techniques: Bucktail

[Monty]

I am a terrible Bucktail Fisherman and not much better at fishing Rubber Shad types of artificials.
Any thoughts at when you would use one of these over the other? Advantages at times of one over the other?
Times they are interchangeable?
I have more confidence fishing the rubber shad types of artificials. Have a better feel of them. And have caught more fish on them than bucktails.
The big drawback for me is BLUES and rubber. The rubber shads get taken off first sign of the yellow eyed demons.

[basshunter]

For a shad I just bring it in as slow as possible. No movement from me because the tail has all the action. When they are there they will whump it!With a bucktail I keep the retrieve steady and try not to get hung up on the bottom. They are fun too because bluefish seem to love them. weakfish too.

[nitestrikes]

Basshunter gave good advice. What I would say differently is that when I fish montauk there are boulder fields everywhere.The goal is too keep the bucktail on the bottom but also at the same time keep it moving. Hope that makes sense to you. If you snag something, immediately let some slack in the line. See if the wave action will get you out. If not try to twang it and maybe you will be lucky. The best luck is that you make yourself, keep it moving so it never gets stuck. After a while you will get a feel for it.

[CharlieTuna]

. The best luck is that you make yourself, keep it moving so it never gets stuck. After a while you will get a feel for it.


I agree, and sometimes change it up by adding a little twitch. When the water is dirty or stained my retrieve is slower. Remember the fish have to find what you are throwing. Another little trick if fish are not feeding well is to substitute a gulp swimming mullet for the pork rind. Works well in rivers, breechways, or deep rips.

[robmedina]

While I feel in no way qualified to answer your question as I am just getting started coming from many years of freshwater bass fishing. I just read John Skinners book Fishing the bucktail as well as Doc Mullers book fishing with bucktails. Both authors say that the number one mistake most anglers make is going too heavy with the bucktails. Many applications only require 3/4oz or 1oz and that the 3/4 oz-1 1/4oz being the most common size they use. For color White mostly. Chartreuse for stained water and black or red for night time. Both recommend Uncle Josh pork for trailers (especially around blues) 240s for the 3/4 to 1oz and I believe a #70 for bigger. They recommend the red and white striped pork trailers. John Skinner recommends getting the feel for the bucktail in the surf. It is just a sandy bottom and way more forgiving than bays, inlets, jetties etc. I hope this helps.

[J Barbosa]

I love rubber shads but once the bluefish show up I take them out of the bag to resist the temptation of throwing them.

[jigfreak]

Any thoughts at when you would use one of these over the other? Advantages at times of one over the other?
Times they are interchangeable?
I have more confidence fishing the rubber shad types of artificials. Have a better feel of them. And have caught more fish on them than bucktails.
The big drawback for me is BLUES and rubber.

As JBarbosa said, its a waste of time to fish rubber when bluefish are around unless you buy cheap in the winter flea markets or have another cheap source. Shads are not cheap so I'm the same way I will not use them much when blues are around. The exceptions are near bridges in the summer. There will be times when the blues are closer to the inlets and not all the way in the back. Those times you will have mostly bass and weakfish so it's a good gamble to throw.

I like smaller rubber like the fin-s or bass assassins because without the paddle tails sometimes you can survive the bluefish bites. When there are a lot of bluefish around thats really the time I like to switch over to bucktail and pork. Or bucktail and white or chartreuse grub when the water is a little dirty. The advantages to the bucktail is you can bounce it closer to the bottom. Also rough surf I feel its a better thing to throw than the shads because it creates more disturbance and gives a fish a better chance of finding it. The shads for me are a great thing to fish to find fish when they are all over the water column.

When they are strictly on the bottom a lot of times they are either dormant or eating crabs. For that reason the bucktail is more versatile and is one of the first things out of my bag. Hope that helps, good luck dude.

[storminsteve]

The advantages to the bucktail is you can bounce it closer to the bottom. Also rough surf I feel its a better thing to throw than the shads because it creates more disturbance and gives a fish a better chance of finding it. For that reason the bucktail is more versatile. Hope that helps, good luck dude.

I agree jigfreak. I have seen some guys fishing the bucktail and just reeling it in. I suppose that works good for them. it is a good technique to use when fluking as well. I think there is a chapter in Skinner's or Doc Mueller's book that talks about fishing that way. For me, I would rather bounce it. It's more exciting that way. You toss out, bounce bounce, and then all of a sudden BAM!!!!!!!:bonk: You never know when you will get hit, Alot of the pros say it's on the drop. When that hit does come, its like the fish hooks itself they hit so hard sometimes. It can be pretty addictive.

[J Barbosa]

Shads are my goto if I want to know if the fish are there...especially bluefish. :viking:

Caught my first 2014 bass on a 4" rubber shad rigged on one of my ball jigs.

[J Barbosa]

Let's hear it guys and gals...spill all your secrets.

:learn: :learn: :learn: :learn:

[buckethead]

the search feature is your friend JB
http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/showthread.php?9063-Techniques-Bucktail-or-Rubber-Shad (http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/showthread.php?9063-Techniques-Bucktail-or-Rubber-Shad&highlight=fishing+bucktails)

http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/showthread.php?8511-Surfcasting-201-The-Surfcasters-Bible-Artificial-Only-thread

[J Barbosa]

I searched and went through those threads, there is very little information in there on bucktails.

I thought they are worthy of their own thread :HappyWave:

Ill add to this thread as we go...

[DarkSkies]

Sorry John, buckethead pointed out just a few of the good threads here on bucktails.....
there are several more if you do a search using that term.....

As I mentioned in the fishing reports thread, my goal is to make things easy to find here.....and more organized than a site where you have 25 threads on one subject, and not much being said....so I'm gonna merge this with Monty's thread.......

I'm also gonna post some of my own bucktail advice here....
I try not to do that too much lately as I feel maybe folks are tired of my one page posts.....:rolleyes:


There is some stuff in here, that might be helpful.....If you go into the surf forum and search "bucktails" in quotes you will find the rest of the threads....
Anyone has anything to add......this is the thread to do it in.......hope you all understand the reasons behind my actions and there are no hard feelings...:thumbsup:...and thanks for reading....:HappyWave:

[DarkSkies]

(previously posted....)


There is nothing more satisfying to me, than the take of a fish on a plug....I can play those tapes over and over in my head all winter when the noreasters are blowing outside...

But a bucktail can produce fish more consistently than other artificials......at both ends of the season as well, when the fish are very sluggish and most people think they only will take bait.....

...a lot of Jersey guys do not fish bucktails...some do, and those who fish bucktails the right way, and when conditions call for it, are the guys who consistently catch bass.

I think I mentioned I have gotten legal bass every month this year (2012), so far....

but the thing that saved me in the hot summer months., were the smallest plugs, and the bucktail, to mimic the smaller forage that the bass were feeding on during this time.
Rubber also fills in, as mentioned in other threads it's the perfect choice when forage is small.

During July and August, for me, there really were very few bass in the NJ surf, and I covered a lot of ground trying to find them.

My last keeper in August, barely 28", I got from pitching a bucktail and grub, for over 2 hours, no signs of fish or any life anywhere.

[DarkSkies]

(previously posted)
http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/showthread.php?8471-Your-Best-Artificials-from-the-Surf-this-Year-and-Why


Presentation and where the fish are....

1. At different times of the season, day, or moon phase, fish will be sitting in different levels of the water column.
2. Your job as a fisherman is to figure out where that is.
3. If you don't present to them where there are sitting you will never know that they are there.
4. In general, (my experience) colder weather, or a cold front, tends to put fish down, where they will sit closer to the bottom.
5. In my experience, this will hold, in general, unless they are feeding actively on bait, at which point they may rise to the surface.
6. There are so many variations for this, that the best thing I can say, is you need to understand the water you are fishing in front of you, and think about moon stage, time of day, current flow (during strong current flow fish at times tend to stay on the bottom or sides where current is less strong), water clarity, water temperature, day vs night time fishing, and some other ones I probably forgot to mention.
7. If you can figure this out, for the place and time you are fishing, it will allow you to work your casts more efficiently.
8. You will only be working on the part of the water column where the fish are most highly concentrated.
9. If you really try to keep disciplined about this, you will see that it will result in more hookups, and more fish.

[DarkSkies]

(previously posted)
Winter fishing thread...

Confidence in what you are throwing....
For the new guys - finding a "Go To" Profile and presentation that works for you....


I thought I would offer this to any other new fisherman/woman out there who is learning to fish with artificials...one who is still primarily fishing bait....because of lack of confidence and success, with artificials.....

Again,, with the disclaimer that what works for me, may not always work for you folks....so this suggestion is intended to help you find something that works exactly for you....

You will see a lot of discussion on "Go To" lures, plugs, etc etc.,....
For me, that doesn't work because of my obsessiveness. I feel that different conditions can be such that a slightly different plug or presentation can give me an edge sometimes....

other times this does not hold true. As long as you can get your offering to within a foot or so of feeding fish and can mimic the forage/bait movement, you should get action.....











Then why is a Go-To lure or plug so important for the new guys????
One word....Confidence.....

My suggestions....
1. Find a lure or profile (could be metal, wood, plastic, rubber, bucktail, etc) that works for you and you seem to be successful on.

2. When you are out there, and the conditions permit it, throw your "Go to" as your first offering. If that is the right profile for the forage that is there, you will catch....

3. But sometimes it will not be...and some people would say you would be stupid for throwing it....ex throwing metal when it's purely a plug bite and they won't touch anything else, not even rubber....so there is some thinking required on your part here, to implement these suggestions...



4. By throwing something you have extreme confidence in, you will telegraph that confidence through your entire retrieve,.... be more alert, and paying more attention, so there is less likelihood you will lose a fish by being unprepared for the strike......


5. If there is no activity on that after 5 or 10 minutes, try something else.

Ex - when I was a child, my Dad taught me how to bowl, by "following through" - he explained that no matter how well I thought my throw would be, it would never optimal unless I saw my hand following through, and continuing in a perfect swing, to mimic what "should" get me a strike or at least 9 pins in the first frame....

so, in essence, he taught me to pay attention to form, visualize myself being successful, and that visualization WOULD make me successful.....it did work, and when I did poorly he would always point out how I failed to "follow through"....
Looking back on that early advice, I remember that he was absolutely right....










** John...I had a really good in-depth post on when and where and how to fish bucktails....will post it when I get a chance......
Anyone else wants to add to this thread...feel free....thanks.....:HappyWave:

[DarkSkies]

^ (Previously posted)

Bucktails......

Last year (2012) it was a goal to get keeper bass every month of the year from land and do it without leaving NJ....I did,, but July and August were extremely tough for me....managed a few keepers in July but very difficult as most fish were gone. I was picking away at needle in a haystack fish...

August... have to check my logs for exact number but I think I managed to scratch only one or two legal bass. One of them took hours of casting and moving from spot to spot.... I remember spending about 12 hours of fishing over a 2 night period. Even with the time and tide in my favor I could not find one....

The one thing that finally saved me was a 1/2 oz bucktail with grub....white......

.,my experience with bucktails is you have to tailor them to the
1.depth of the water
2.the current
3. Stage of tide

Where you are fishing -
There are times when you defiinitely need 2 oz in deeper water, rough surf, or the fast current of a full or new moon.,...but that also depends on tide stages...
There will be times during a new moon tide, which I feel can be stronger at certain times of the year, when I am throwing a 2 oz, but then at the end of the tide I will be throwing 1/2 oz....

When I fish inlets, rivers. or strong rips - at minimum I have 3 different sizes with me to adjust for changes in current flow.
You should get in the habit of doing that too....with bucktails the best place for me to be is bouncing just off the bottom. When fish are stacked up it is less critical but there aren't a lot of weeks when you have that.

The best bites I find on bucktails in NJ generally last from 1-2 hours at a time and are definitely stage of tide dependent.
Migrating forage will sometimes extend that bite to a little longer, but as you fish more you will see a definite feeding window.











** Important points -
A If the tide lessens and you are dragging on the bottom because your bucktail or jig is too heavy you're not presenting effectively.
B. If the jig or bucktail is too light, and you are not bouncing the bottom or close to it, you could be missing all the fish that are sitting on the bottom half and never know it....
C. Even with all our advice, the only thing that will make it work for you is to buy cheap, practice, don't be afraid to lose a few. You need to undertsand what it takes to get hung up and lose rigs, before you can learn the gentle finesse of keeping them just off the bottom

D. Bucktails and bouncing bottom, IMO are not as popular in NJ as they are in LI, RI and MA. I have friends who bucktail or jig from land and consistently outcatch everyone else in cold water. or when the water is so hot it feels like bathwater (bass are sluggish at both these extreme temps)



Learning to use them will bring you rewards as one night you will find the fish you didn't think was there, you will land that fish, being the only one on the beach, and let out a Caveman yell of triumph.... :cool: ...it will be sweet....but you have to lose some rigs to get to that point...JMO

Hope that helps.....

[baitstealer]

Great advice guys thank you very much!

[J Barbosa]

In the past when I purchased bucktails the first thing I would look at is the hook.

I want a good strong hook that won't break on me and I want to be able to sharpen it once it dulls. I also want a reasonable hook size and thickness.

To me this means a Mustad 34185 forged jig hook.

[jigfreak]

^^^^^ That mustad is a bare hook. Are you pouring your own bucktails? I keep jumping back and forth to favorite hooks. One week I like owner, another week it's dai-ichi. I was using kalins for a while, but they can straighten out when the bass are over 30 lbs. I think you're on the right track if you're targeting bigger bass on bucktails.
You don't want a whimpy hook, It also depends on how you play the fish. Too many internet surf jockeys post a pic of straightened hooks. It wasn't the fish it was that they had their drag locked down too tight.

[J Barbosa]

^^^^^ That mustad is a bare hook. Are you pouring your own bucktails? I keep jumping back and forth to favorite hooks. One week I like owner, another week it's dai-ichi. I was using kalins for a while, but they can straighten out when the bass are over 30 lbs. I think you're on the right track if you're targeting bigger bass on bucktails.
You don't want a whimpy hook, It also depends on how you play the fish. Too many internet surf jockeys post a pic of straightened hooks. It wasn't the fish it was that they had their drag locked down too tight.

You're absolutely correct jigfreak, the Mustad 34185 is a bare hook. Its also the hook that you will find on most of the better commercially tied bucktails out there.

The Mustad 34185 is not offset however it does have a 60 degree bend in the hook shank. You will find most jig hooks have either a 60 or 90 degree bend in them depending on the mold and jig head style. A 60 degree bend is usually used for jigs that have the eye towards the front of the jig while a 90 degree bend is towards the middle of the jig.

I have started pouring and tying my own bucktails; I needed something to do with the hollow hair found at the bottom 1/3 of the bucktails. It has very little use in fly or teaser tying as it is very bulky but it turns out those hairs make great bucktails.

I agree with you on the Kalins, they are fine if you are targeting weakfish but anything other than that and you risk loosing nice sized fish.

[J Barbosa]

18223

Mustad 34185 on Smiling Bill style jig heads...just add bucktail.

I have the range to go up or down a size but the ones above are my preferences.

[jigfreak]

Dont be afraid to change it up if what your doing isnt working. A good retrieve is a slow steady one bouncing off the bottom, Some times it doesn't work and they want something different. Bucktails make you do the thinking and work. The reward could be a fat bass.

[porgy75]

don't know if this was posted but it was pretty awesome. by john skinner

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWJsfYKY87I

[J Barbosa]

Are you a Henry Ford type of bucktailer?

Henry Ford once said "You can have any color you want as long as its..."

[nitestrikes]

^^^^ Black.
Yessiir Henry was a great innovator except when it came to color.
I have fished black bucktails during a new moon, they can be very effective.
I like bucktails because one size or style does not fit all. The weight and even the shape can be chosen that best fits the situation. Upperrman when you want it to sink a little more slowly. Smiling bill seems to be the bucktail of choice when fishing rocky beaches like montauk. The presentation even differs depending on the bottom. You want to catch fish consistently on bucktails you have to make note of that. Rocks require much more concentration and finesse.

[DarkSkies]

How do you like that Kuzia style bucktail jig?

Someone who pays attention.
Yes I like the Stan Kuzia style bucktails very much. IMO they have a nice sink rate when fishing deeper water and a nice roll to them.
Since John mentioned them, I thought now would be a good time to talk about the Stan Kuzia type bucktail jigs. Stan was a friend of Stan Gibbs. He's known for the style of bucktail jigs he created which was copied by several makers.





Some more info on that here.....
http://canalbaitandtackle.wordpress.com/2011/12/10/buck-tail-secrets-from-stan-kuzia/

Buck Tail Secrets from Stan Kuzia (http://canalbaitandtackle.wordpress.com/2011/12/10/buck-tail-secrets-from-stan-kuzia/)

Posted on December 10, 2011 (http://canalbaitandtackle.wordpress.com/2011/12/10/buck-tail-secrets-from-stan-kuzia/) by Canal Bait and Tackle (http://canalbaitandtackle.wordpress.com/author/canalbaitandtackle/)

I am a very fortunate person because I have had the privilege of growing up and fishing with men and women that are now considered to be legends. These fishermen have taught me a lot of helpful tricks. But, the man that has helped me out the most is Stan Kuzia. Stan comes in the store every day and just schools me on how to fish. He is 88 years old and still is down the Canal every day casting wooden plugs. He doesn’t jig anymore because his shoulders are too weak. But, let me tell you Kuzia has the best casting technique of all time, it is just so smooth and effortless. Conventional or spinning, it doesn’t matter his technique is pristine. Stan might look like much but he is no joke, whatever he has forgotten about fishing in his old age, is more then I will ever know. Kuzia was best friends with the late Stan Gibbs and use to help Gibbs test and design all the custom wooden plugs for the ever popular Gibbs Lures company. As Stan Gibbs was a master at top water fishing, Stan Kuzia is the all-time ranging champ of bottom fishing.

Stan Kuzia is known for creating the Ku-Jig Company. The Ku-jig is the most popular buck tail jig in the Canal area. Sure, Stan hasn’t poured a single jig to sell in 20 years, but every single lure company that makes Buck Tails has the Ku-jig mold. You see the names in most tackle stores; Cape Cod Canal Jig, Canal Special Jig, etc… This man created the fascination of the Buck Tail Jig. Everyone in the Canal area uses these lures, so this article is made to give some insight on all the lessons Kuzia has told me.

(One little word of advice) If you don’t lose any Buck Tail Jigs, then you are not jigging the correct way. You need to pay homage to the Canal God’s to catch a river monster, it’s just that simple. Give to receive, fishing is all about karma.

These fishermen have been skunked hundreds of times down the Canal. But, they did what every great fisherman does, they asked questions, learned from their mistakes, and used patience to evolve and adapt their fishing game. Fishing is an art form; everyone can learn it and perfect it, but to be perfect you first need to be patient. Kuzia was patient and now the guy is a legend.








** If any one else has comments about this bucktail or any other style or technique...feel free........

[J Barbosa]

The original Kuzia (ku-jig) with the eyes molded from lead and usually painted over with a marker (not painted on this one).

18669

A modified Kuzia style jig with a recessed cavity for 3D eyes and hook eyelet placed more towards the front.
18670

[buckethead]

Those are great to use on a new moon night JB.

[nitestrikes]

I am a terrible Bucktail Fisherman and not much better at fishing Rubber Shad types of artificials.
Any thoughts at when you would use one of these over the other? Advantages at times of one over the other?
Times they are interchangeable?
I have more confidence fishing the rubber shad types of artificials. Have a better feel of them. And have caught more fish on them than bucktails.
The big drawback for me is BLUES and rubber. The rubber shads get taken off first sign of the yellow eyed demons.


I probably use bucktails three times more frequently than rubber. Like to throw rubber early spring when the fish are sluggish. Also late fall when the blues have thinned out. IWO - the bucktail and pork is one of the things out there that takes the least amount of $$ out of your pocket and will catch fish in the most diverse conditions. Many folks don't want to take the time to learn the techniques that will be successful.
Have you read John Skinner's book on bucktails? He does a great job of explaining different weights and techniques. Here is part of it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sw2tuR_xqhM

[surfstix1963]

That was the best book I've read on bucktailing good read.I picked up a lot of info.

[Monty]

Any preferences for choosing sizes of the pork? Guidelines? Size 50 or 70?

[buckethead]

I like the size 50 for the surf, the 70 and bigger when fishing the inlets and rivers. Just my preference, others may feel different.

[J Barbosa]

Any preferences for choosing sizes of the pork? Guidelines? Size 50 or 70?

The 50 is much thinner than the 70.

Very basic look at it:

the 50 gives you a smaller profile and faster sink rate.
the 70 gives you a slightly larger profile and slower sink rate

You can play around with different weight bucktails and pork.

Montauk regulars prefer bucktails with extra hair for buoyancy and the #70 rind.

If I have time tonight I will take a picture of both sizes side by side.

FYI - the containers will leak if you don't keep them upright and the pork will dry out if you don't keep it in the liquid.

[J Barbosa]

Andrus Jetty Caster: Andrus Lure Company Millville, NJ


When Rich Andrus started fishing Montauk at the tip of Long Island, most of the local surfcasters were market fishermen, selling their catches to supplement their income. None of the other fishermen wanted anything to do with me, Andrus said, until they saw me catching fish on the Jetty Caster. Then I had a lot of friends.

The Jetty Caster is a style of bucktail made by Rich for his company, Andrus Lures. Based in Millville, New Jersey, Rich has travelled throughout the Northeast sampling the fishing and looking for inspiration for new lures. It might surprise some surfcasters to learn that this favorite bucktail style for the surf originated as a lure for trolling on wire line.

The inspiration for the Jetty Caster came before a trip with Frank Sabatowski, captain of the charter boat, Junebug. Those well-versed in striper fishing lore will recognize this as the very same vessel aboard which Charlie Cinto landed a 73-pound state-record striped bass on Sow and Pigs Reef off Cuttyhunk Island in Massachusetts.

I was fishing out of Sakonnet Point with a captain, and we weren't catching anything, but I could see the boat Junebug catching fish after fish.

After that Rich began to charter the Junebug. One year, Frank asked me to bring some bucktail jigs because he ran out. So I made them, trying to make them close to the ones he'd been using on his boat. Those were the first of the Jetty Casters. Tipped with green pork rind and trolled on wire line, that style of jig that was how Frank caught a lot of his big fish. But he was secretive about it. When he pulled the lure over the side, he cupped it in his hand so the other boats wouldn?t be able to see what he was using.

The lure did eventually migrate to the surf. It took a while to catch on, Rich said. Surf guys would constantly hang it in the boulders under the light at Montauk. But then, we started fishing it the same way we fished them on wire line, keeping them moving. You had to start retrieving them as soon as they hit the water.

The extra hair tied into the Jetty Caster helped keep the lure over the rocks and off the bottom on retrieves slow enough to entice stripers. The hair also gave the lure more action as it pulsed through the water during the retrieve. In addition to the extra hair, the Jetty Caster has a rounded head and a strong Mustad hook.

The Jetty Caster has become the best seller in the Andrus line, displacing bluefish-specific lures like the Ponytail that previously held the top spot. The Ponytail is a very productive bluefish trolling lure, and thanks to the chain used to attach the hook, is resistant to the blues sharp teeth. Rich also makes other styles of bucktails, including another productive surfcasting style, the Rip Splitter. The Andrus Fluke Dart, an oversized shad dart with a bucktail skirt, is downright deadly on shallow-water flatfish when tipped with a strip of bait or scented artificial. Andrus also offers trolling lures like the Parachute Jig and Jigit Eel.

Rich went full time into selling lures on April 15, 1974. The first shop to carry Andrus Lures was Johnny's Tackle Shop on Main Street in Montauk. Johnny Kronuch, whose son now runs the shop, gave Rich some helpful, albeit gruff, advice. I went in there and handed Johnny one of my jigs, and he grabbed the hook, twisted it in his fingers and said, Need bigger hooks. This won't work here.

The hooks available on the Jetty Caster now are about as tough as they come. One of the most popular sizes, the 1-1/2 ounce model, has an 8/0 Mustad.

For colors, the Jetty Caster comes in white, black, yellow, chartreuse, and now, due to increasing demand, a maroon red. A lot of guys seem to want red jigs these days, Rich explained. Rich also offers the lures in two-color combos like orange/black and black/purple.

Though Montauk Point was the proving ground for the Jetty Caster, it works anywhere stripers swim. Jetty Casters are available in 1/2, 3/4, 1 1/4, 1/2, 2, 2 1/2 and 3-ounce sizes. The 1/2-ounce size is popular in backwater areas, while the other end of the spectrum, the 3-ounce is used in deeper water, heavy surf, or high winds. For an all around size, 1 1/2 ounces seems to be the sweet spot. For a relatively small lure, compared to some of the giant plugs and out-sized soft-plastic baits on the market, the Jetty Caster has accounted for an unbelievable number of large striped bass.

While trolling the Jetty Caster on wire line may have faded from the repertoire of most striper anglers, the jig's extra hair and action underwater has made it popular for three-way-rigging and fishing the deep, strong currents of eastern Long Island Sound.

In the surf, Rich has found the most success by keeping the jigs moving. One of the most popular and effective techniques for fishing the Jetty Caster is to swim the jig, retrieving the jig at a steady pace, breaking it up with the occasional twitch of the rod tip. With the extra hair slowing the rate of descent of the jig, anglers can fish them anywhere from just under the surface to just above the bottom just by varying how long they allow the jig to sink.

Where ever you fish them, tip the jigs with some manner of trailer. A Jetty Caster paired with a strip of Uncle Josh number 70 pork rind is tough to beat, but curly-tail grubs will work as well.

Andrus, now 72, surfcasts on Block Island for a week each fall, but does most of his fishing closer to his Millville, New Jersey home, including the Cape May Point jetties, where the smaller-size Jetty Casters are deadly on the local stripers.

Today, under the Montauk Light, you're likely to find a lot of friends tossing an Andrus Jetty Caster bucktail, because this simple, yet superb lure was, is and will continue to be one of the best striped bass catchers ever made.

Article Published in: On The Water, May 29 2012.

[Monty]

The 50 is much thinner than the 70.

Very basic look at it:

the 50 gives you a smaller profile and faster sink rate.
the 70 gives you a slightly larger profile and slower sink rate

You can play around with different weight bucktails and pork.

Montauk regulars prefer bucktails with extra hair for buoyancy and the #70 rind.

If I have time tonight I will take a picture of both sizes side by side.

FYI - the containers will leak if you don't keep them upright and the pork will dry out if you don't keep it in the liquid.

Thanks JB, I was going to take some pics the other night, to much going on lately. Will get around to it.

Great article on the Andrus Bucktails.

[Dreaminofishin]

I found a lot of good information in this thread. Do most of you tie direct to the bucktail? I've heard of some using small snaps to make changing lures easy, especially at night. Not sure if that makes a bucktail less effective. How about teasers?

[jigfreak]

^^^^^ I dont know about others but I use a relatively cheap snap unless big fish are around then I use one of crazy albertos.
If you are always fishing the rocks I suppose direct tie is ok because its easier to break off if you get hung up. As for the action or making it less effective I don't think so. The thing about bucktails and fish is that YOU are the fish catcher not what you are throwing. To me it depends on how you work it. Hope that helps, good luck.

[surfrob]

how long are the 50 UJ pork strips? the 70s?

[Monty]

how long are the 50 UJ pork strips? the 70s?

70S is 5 1/4" X 5/8"

50 is 4" x 3/8"

Did not fish them much this year, should have in some of the water I fished.
Only caught one bass on a bucktail 3:00 am late October, 70 S pork.
Next year will fish them much more in certain areas where current is relatively strong.

http://rocksimpson.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/2014_10_26_SB_BT.jpg

[surfrob]

Thanks, Monty.

BT with PR is #1 on my list this year. Other than for flundies, I've never given BT's a fair shake.

[Dreaminofishin]

^^^^^The thing about bucktails and fish is that YOU are the fish catcher not what you are throwing. To me it depends on how you work it. Hope that helps, good luck.

After watching Skinner's video I realized I've been fishing them wrong. I've tried to bounce them off the bottom with short jerks of the rod tip while I retrieved. Have some adjustments to make. Thanks for the reply.

[Monty]

Well have fished the Bucktail more each year, started this thread in June of 2013 and have caught more fish on them each year.
I am better at catching in stronger current (2 and 3 oz bucktails), just a few bass in the open surf (less than 2 oz and inlet slack, but working on it).
This fall picked up my PB Bass on a 3 oz Bucktail and Fat Cow Jig Strip. Was awesome fun, great to see swim away.
No way I would have caught that bass without fishing that 3 oz bucktail, it was deep and in strong current.
I will never underestimate the usefulness of the bucktail, at times (conditions) likely the only artificial that will catch.

http://i0.wp.com/rocksimpson.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/2016_10_24_43_Inch_Bass.jpg

[Rip-Plugger]

Well have fished the Bucktail more each year, started this thread in June of 2013 and have caught more fish on them each year.
I am better at catching in stronger current (2 and 3 oz bucktails), just a few bass in the open surf (less than 2 oz and inlet slack, but working on it).
This fall picked up my PB Bass on a 3 oz Bucktail and Fat Cow Jig Strip. Was awesome fun, great to see swim away.
No way I would have caught that bass without fishing that 3 oz bucktail, it was deep and in strong current.
I will never underestimate the usefulness of the bucktail, at times (conditions) likely the only artificial that will catch.

http://i0.wp.com/rocksimpson.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/2016_10_24_43_Inch_Bass.jpg
when the fish are laying low,the BT is the only way to go,,,keep it low & slow.