Techniques: Bucktail

[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!!!!!!! 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.

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