Deep Water Hair Jig aka Bucktail

[smalljaw]

Well after Bass Fest was over it didn't take but a day for a few friends to ask me to tie some large buck tail jigs for deep water and so I did. I made these in my favorite patterns for these kind of jigs on my one of my favorite heads, the Snootie. The jigs are 1/2oz with a 5/0 hook, they are gray with a bit of brown and they work great in 10' 15' of water, I think they have the right speed with a 4" single tail grub in a smoke color. The reason I like the Snootie for this type of jig is because it comes through cover better than any other head design and it is right at home swimming or bottom bouncing.

[Muskygary]

Are you using anything to hold the grub on? (like a wire keeper), also I notice that your not using a weedguard on these. Is that because of the depth that your fishing them at?

[smalljaw]

Are you using anything to hold the grub on? (like a wire keeper), also I notice that your not using a weedguard on these. Is that because of the depth that your fishing them at?

Muskygary, there is a hole for a weed guard and I did put a clear weed guard on after I took the picture however I do keep a few without the weed guard as some of the points and humps I'll be fishing are barren and lack cover.

[Muskygary]

I have a jig I tie up for deep water. I start with a football jig; 1/4 oz. I tie on a wire keeper just behind the lead neck. I use marabou for my lead neck (usually black) then I like a four inch ribbon tail worm for the trailer.  Been thinking that four inch Mo Magic would be a good trailer for this. I fish it slowly, just dragging it on the bottom outside the weedline.

[ctom]

I have fished bucktail for what seems a hundred years and have always fished it solo unless I add a fathead for meat and that doesn't happen often. Over the last handful of years more and more people chasing cold water walleyes are adding plastic to bucktails instead of live bait and doing real well with that combination and a couple times last year I had a chance to fish it and had pretty fair luck. I can see where the addition of the keeper wire would aid in holding plastic on a bucktail....that has always been a problem when I added plastic to a bucktail. I'll have to try this trick.

[TommySkarlis]

Those are simply beautiful - Nice work smalljaw!!!! 

Wire keepers definitely help with bucktail and especially with marabou - since it "bulks" up the material - sometimes we use just a small chunk of plastic or Gulp!.  If you tied jigs without the wire keeper - you can always superglue a shape onto the shank.

[ctom]

"If you tied jigs without the wire keeper - you can always superglue a shape onto the shank." T Skarlis

That has been my solution if the plastic wants to slip on the shank.

Super Glue.....the angler's best friend. I have some in each of my tackle pails, I have it in closets on both levels of the house' I have it in my junk drawer where I work in front of the tv. I have it on my casting/shooting bench....and yes I will use a pin-prick of it when toying with the plastics molds, even inside the cavities.

[smalljaw]

Thanks guys, yeah, super glue is the way to go with these for now but I'm working my nerve up to break out the Dremel and add a wire keeper to the old Snootie mold. The problem is I use that jig so much that I'm afraid I'll ruin it but for now super glue will suffice.

[Muskygary]

Smalljaw, Don't alter your mold. Where the lead neck ends; tie on a plastic keeper wire and then continual with your bucktail pattern.

[TommySkarlis]

Smalljaw, Don't alter your mold. Where the lead neck ends; tie on a plastic keeper wire and then continual with your bucktail pattern.

I will agree as well - since you are tying, it will almost be just as fast as manually placing it in the mold before pouring.

[andrewlamberson]

Here's a link to how I have been tieing them on. I've been doing it for about a year and no issues so far.

http://custombaits.com/index.php?topic=3977.msg27676#msg27676

[Muskygary]

Same way here Andy, which I learned from you. I like this way because you still have the lead neck to tie onto and the plastic is on good. It really works out nice.

[smalljaw]

Thanks guys!!!!! I just did that in a black and chartreuse hair jig, I got some 18 gauge stainless wire and made my own keeper. I made it a little long so I could fold the top over to lock it in place and then used some brush-on super glue to make sure it don't move and so far so good, thanks again for the idea, it beats the Dremel by a mile!!!