It's as true today as it was 100 years ago: bucktails catch fish.
The bucktail is as old as the wheel (maybe older) and is about as low-tech a fishing lure as you can find. Yet it’s also shockingly effective. Bucktails work just as well today as they did in the days of cotton fishing line and bamboo rods, and whether you’re a lure lover or a believer in bait you should have a full selection of bucktails in your tacklebox. Use these bucktailing tactics, and you cooler will overflow.
It’s as true today as it was 100 years ago: bucktails catch fish.
You can certainly cast or troll a bare bucktail, but these lures are most effective when dressed. Plastic paddle or twister tails are an excellent option, replacing the old-school pork rinds that were once used to give bucktails some added action.
Bucktails are one of the few artificial lures which can be combined with bait, without sacrificing action. Cut fish or squid strips are prime for this task, since they wave and ripple while moving through the water. Another often overlooked option is to sweeten a bucktails with a chunk of soft or peeler crab, and work it slowly on bottom. You’ll have to tone down the vigor and speed of your jigging actions (crab rips off the hook too easily when you get aggressive) but these sorts of bait choices also give you the ability to stop, let the lure sink, and sit on bottom yet still appear attractive to the fish.
The can also be fished with livies attached. This is particularly effective when live shrimp are the bait of the day, because the lead-head gives you plenty of weight to cast with and then you can either let the lure settle to bottom, or keep it moving back towards the boat.
Switching to a bucktail when you want to jig vertically over structure is an excellent decision. While many lures take on a rather dull action from simple up-and-down motions, the pulsing hairs on a bucktail keep it looking lively even with this repetitive action.
When light-tackle trolling, again, bucktails are a super option. They add both weight and a bulky profile, and those hairs look great even with a steady boat speed and no additional action.