2 Cool Fishing Forum banner

Question - Bucktail Jigs

1.6K views 8 replies 8 participants last post by  jig  
#1 ·
Anyone use big bucktail jigs off shore? My wifes boss gave me a dozen or so that he won't use. They have big lead heads, probably three oz. or more, and are painted either red, white, or yellow. They have either white or yellow buckhair skirts. What are these used for offshore? I haven't really heard much talk about them being used. Thanks.
 
#3 ·
jigs

I had a great time last summer sight casting to ling with jigs, we also caught spanish and king mackerel till they would chop off all the bucktail hair on the jigs, a few mahi and a couple ufo's we assume were large jack crevalle, never saw them but fought 45 min or so with multiple hookups on boat and had hooks break,and got spooled twice in same day trying to chase two at a time. Yup keep the jigs they work!:cheers:
 
#4 ·
These sound like they could be standard cobia jigs from how you've described them. They can be sight casted to cobia or large redfish. Snappers, jacks, and grouper will eat a jig, but I wouldn't say it's the best way to fish for any of those 3 kinds of fish. For them, you'd fish it vertically.
 
#5 ·
Excellent for sight-casting such as for ling and dorado. They can throw a mile and I guess I'm more confident throwing bucktails or lead-lead jigs with plastic skirts.

By the way, the ling run is in the last week of April down by Mississippi and Louisiana. You'll see crazy stuff like big Jon boats with a second story on it so they can sight cast Mr. or Mrs. Ling, a flippin' ******* tuna tower! You'll see Bertrams with a tuna tower hunting them right off the beaches, trying to read the water so they don't get grounded (it's very tricky and shifty). Have fun with 'em - and if the hooks are bending or breaking on them, well, save your old bucktails for inland striper fishing.
 
#7 ·
" Ding a Ling " Put a 10 to 12 inch black worm on it and it drives the ling crazy. Like above, have used them off shore tipped with dead bait for grouper. Actually will catch a lot of different fish.

You may have seen my post on 1943 surf rod. I caught my first ling, casting a Ding a Ling from the beach at a school of ling. ( Pensacola - very clear water )
 
#9 ·
Great for snapper....put a whole cigar minnow or sardine on it with the hook in the head and try from half way down to the bottom around rigs. Snapper tend to feed anywhere from the bottom of the column to the top.
Thats what I do. I can cast better, it is easy to rig, and gives me a handle to unhook the fish. I use a 3oz custom tied bucktail with a heavy hook. Got them bulk from a guy in Arkansas for about $1.25 each. 3oz is just right for a slow sink that the bigger snapper like. Color does not matter. Straight tied to 40# mono mainline. Retie after each fish.

More than once on a party boat day trip I have caught the only ling by casting this around a platform.