The bucktail jig is one of the simplest, yet most effective lures you can fish. For this reason alone, it is included in all military survival kits. Bucktail jigs have caught countless bass for me from the beach, from the rocks, from the banks of the Cape Cod Canal, and from the boat.
A bucktail is a bait that looks like nothing, yet mimics everything. It will catch fish that are feeding on 14in river herring, squid, bay anchovies or rain bait, or whatever the bait du jour is in your area.
With all the flashy lures on the market, the bucktail jig doesn’t receive the attention it deserves. Very rarely will you read a report that mentions a 1 oz Andrus Jetty Caster as the culprit for great bass fishing. Rather, you hear reports of epic action on SP Minnows, Sebile Magic Swimmers, Shimano Waxwings, or the whatever the hot new $30 plug is that week.
Truthfully, I’m ok with the lack of hype that bucktails receive. I don’t need to read about them in a report to know they catch fish. However, I do urge that an angler try fishing bucktails if they never have. The versatility of this lure is unbelievable. The ability to fish them shallow over boulder fields, deep in the rips from a boat, or from any other fishing stage makes the bucktail jig a true winner.
More on fishing bucktails to come. But for now, here are a few bass taken on bucktails. (I really need a fishing partner because the crappy cell phone pics I take aren’t cutting it)
