bucktail help.......

[shrimpman steve]

Thinkin of buying jigheads from sam, how hard is it to finish them off? anyone willing to show me how to make them if I order from sam? The spros are just to damn expensive. Lookin to cut costs.

Helpful info would be:

Where do you buy the powder coat paint (if powder coat is the way to go)?

where do you get the dyed bucktail

what kind of vise

and is it worth it

[birddog]

They are not real hard to make, You don't need to invest in an expensive vise. Netcraft should have all the supplies you need. Like anything else, the more you do it the more proficient you will become. You can really do a nice job with painting them by investing in a an air brush.

[frugalfisherman]

If you want to come to South Brunswick I'd be glad to show you how to do it my way.

[tropics]

Steve any time you want to see what it takes to tie them let me know, you know were I live.

[Sharkyispy]

Steve, would be happy to help but in PA if you want to trek over. Jann's Netcraft or TackleCraft.com have all the basics you would need to get started. Ebay has some good buys for bucktail hair now and then if you want to purchase a bulk qty. You can get white powder paint cheap at a Harbor Freight store for @ $4.00 for a pint container that will make a lot of jigs. Good luck!

[DaveM252]

Here's a link to a video i posted on how too tie your own bucktails. Hope it helps.
http://www.njfishing.com/forums/showthread.php?t=44700
Dave

[shrimpman steve]

great replies! Thanks.

checked out netcraft, which bobbers and vises are reccomended?

gonna call sam and get some heads, this is the year im gonna give it a shot. I will be in touch with those who offered help! I figure I should get the vise and bobbers first, so let me know which models to get.

thanks!!!!!!!

[njfish4life]

Hey Shrimpman Steve-

Thanks for the post- my brother and I are trying to figure out how to tie bucktails he got from Sam as well. Looks like it could be a lot of fun and I think it would be great to reel in a nice fluke on a jig I painted and tied. Maybe we can share some novice do's and don'ts once we get the materials and supplies. Thanks for the info so far posted by other members. Good luck!

[fishingmortgageman]

This is going to be ugly. Your jigs might put the fluke off the bite for the rest of us. :p

[HDMarc]

Steve, I've fished those jigs bare with a green rubber skirt and a Gulp swimming mullet teaser tied 18" above the jig with great results.

[Ismellfishy]

Powder paint is definitely the way to go and is pretty easy as well. there are a lot of videos as well that shows all how it is done.

You can also try inverted marking paint. its the stuff they use to mark roads when doing construction, fixing gas and water lines, etc. not as durable but quick and easy.

I just ordered some BIG tubes, 7-8", made for musky. gonna try slippin the jighead in that and fish it like I do smallies. figure it could look like a squid, baitfish, baby lobster, idk who the heck cares if it catches fish right!

[LeftyReeler]

This is going to be ugly. Your jigs might put the fluke off the bite for the rest of us. :p

Eric we can fish on either side of him.. be like taking candy from a baby
I can see it now...

Fluke #1- "Wow look at those amateur bucktails, I would never eat that hook, the nerve on some people not teasing me with a $8 spro"

Fluke #2- "Your right those things look terrible, must be that Shrimpman guy again on that yellow banana boat.."

Fluke #1 - "Hey but these two buctails over here, they look delicious they must be Lefty and Mrtgemans, I would def chomp on that"

pssssssssssssst


Hey good luck Steve let me know when your done so I can pick up my free Jig heads...

[Sharkyispy]

great replies! Thanks.

checked out netcraft, which bobbers and vises are reccomended?

gonna call sam and get some heads, this is the year im gonna give it a shot. I will be in touch with those who offered help! I figure I should get the vise and bobbers first, so let me know which models to get.

thanks!!!!!!!


Steve, sent you a PM with some thoughts. Don't know about Lefty but maybe I can give you a shot at Eric....:D

[fishingmortgageman]

Eric we can fish on either side of him.. be like taking candy from a baby
I can see it now...

Fluke #1- "Wow look at those amateur bucktails, I would never eat that hook, the nerve on some people not teasing me with a $8 spro"

Fluke #2- "Your right those things look terrible, must be that Shrimpman guy again on that yellow banana boat.."

Fluke #1 - "Hey but these two buctails over here, they look delicious they must be Lefty and Mrtgemans, I would def chomp on that"

pssssssssssssst

I can see it now. We would get the fish and also get to hear him WHINE?

PRICELESS

Hey good luck Steve let me know when your done so I can pick up my free Jig heads...

I can see it now. We would get the fish and also get to hear him WHINE?

PRICELESS

[shrimpman steve]

I can see it now. We would get the fish and also get to hear him WHINE?

PRICELESS


That hurts me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Just found out a friend has a vice, bobbins, bucktails and thread. He is going to loan them to me along with some naked BT's too see if it is for me. Can't ask for anything more!

Thanks for all of the input!

PS: that "banana boat" is gonna kill a lot of fluke this season!

[bulletbob]

I dunno about all this hi tech powder coat stuff.. I started bucktailing fluke back in the early 70's when NO one else was doing it.. They hit plain old painted Upperman bucktails or even cheap imitations... Same with unpainted heads... Sweetwater SMB, Walleyes, Lake Trout etc, must be at least as discerning as your average 18" fluke right?... I catch hundreds of fish each year with jigs that are unpainted.. Personally, I think the key is finding the action the fish are interested that particular day, and the right sweetener, ...In my opinion color of the head matters very little.. I would use plain old Rustoleum.. Its cheap, and very hard and tough when dry... My personal best Brown Trout was caught on a wheel weight off a car... I use them for Laker jigging, and they are killer at times... I paint them white with $1 a can Wal mart enamel, add hooks and split rings, and catch tons of fish of all kinds on them... Those $8 Spros look great, but it is debateable if they catch fish because they are fancy and powder coated... they catch fish because they are being fished by VERY good fisherman that would catch just as many fish on unpainted heads w cheap rubber skirts and some gulp... bob

[TDaly25]

Steve,
I make a few hundred bucktails a year up to eight ounces, and yes, making your own is extremely "worth it"

Buying a decent vise is important if you are truly going to tie the tail, but it's not vital if you are going to finish with a tube. I personally prepare both types.

Powder coating is absolutely the way to go when finishing, and doing so with a fluid bed makes a ton of difference in finishing quality and in amount of powder paint used. I used to make BTs in a wide assortment of colors but now focus almost exclusively on making them in ProTek SuperGlow white, which I can get on the internet for about $30/pound.

I also tried the cheap stuff from harbor freight but it is a lot heavier and denser than the expensive stuff and doesnt work as well in the fluid bed. More importantly the Glow effect on the Pro Tek makes a HUGE difference.

To get the finish to hold up well on the tails you are going to want to cure them in a toaster oven for about 45 minutes at 400 degrees. Do yourself a favor and get yourself a dedicated toaster oven at Walmart so your wife doesnt throw you out of the house for screwing up hers lol.

For eyes, it's not absolutely necessary to use the 3d ones, the flat foil eyes will also do just fine. Using the right adhesive, though, is critical. By trial and error I have come to using either Bohning or Billy Goat Tuff archery glue, which is used for cementing nocks and inserts onto arrow shafts.

A GREAT place to purchase stuff if you are impulsive and cant wait for internet mail order is Mac's Bait and Tackle in Belmar on the Northbound lane of Rt 35, just over the bridge from the Marina. They are the only local shop that stocks EVERYTHING and their prices are terrific.

I do my own from start to finish and BT's cost me on average about $0.50, an obvious huge savings over the Spros. At that cost, you dont mind fishing the extreme sticky stuff where the Bog Boys love to hang. Good Luck!

[joeya78]

I use SAMs jigs unpainted with an 8" grub tail. My best day last year with the monger I had a 9 an 9.5 and two more fish over 8 lbs all on a non Painted Sam 5 ounce head with a black grub.....that's four fish over 8 lbs myself. Chartruce, pink, white all work too. You can't beat them for the price

[Dirty]

Sam sent me my order of jig heads last week. They look FANTASTIC. Top notch quality.
I picked up a few of my supplies from efingers ( can I say their name if not please MOD edit it). Bucktail hair, bobbin, thread.
Powder coating them is simple, JUST do not over heat the lead. I use a torch. Some people use heat guns. My powder paint I bought online a year ago, when I started powder coating freshwater jigheads. After you PC the jig you can cure them in an oven or toaster over on 350 for 20 minutes.
I made a vise. Needle nose vise grips, with a 8 inch rod tack welded to it. Then that is all attached to a base. Like mentioned, no need to spend big bucks on a vise. Home made, cheap and simple works just fine. Especially if you're tying a few here and there.

I watched a few videos on youtube and then copied the technique that was most common. It's easy and it will help pass time. Good luck

[makokeith]

My experience is,,,,,,,,,Spro's are not powder coated and suck, paint only last a few drops. Harbor freight PC sucks, it chips and flakes after it is cured and its too heavy for fluid beds. Protec is all I have used so far (besides HF) and it is easy to use and dents instead of chipping. The protec super glow white needs multiple drops in the fluid bed to get a good coat. I like to warm up my jigs in the oven for 15 minutes at 375 and then dip them. I also like to PC them asap after pouring so the lead does not oxidise. I just feel that adhesion will be best this way.

Tying sucks and I am still learning myself but you really need to pick through the tails to get good quality. I am close to you and get tails from ramsey outdoor, Fairfield tackle, and tight lines.

If you want I can send you some pics of my fluid beds. they only cost a few bucks to make and my kid goes to Lakeland so I can drop you off some filter material that works well for me.

Last thing I can tell you is be very careful, it is so addicting and fun that you could find yourself building a tackle shop in your garage and never spending time with the family...LOL And it is very rewarding catching fish on your jigs.

[Sharkyispy]

Keith, I'm not having issues as you call out with the HF powder paint. Flows very well in my fluid beds ( I also have made my own now) with a quick stir at the beginning to get the air/paint flowing. Are you baking your jigs after applying the paint? Do you coat them? I use the ProTec for all my colors over the white and have few issues.

[LUCKY RIG'R]

Prismatic powders offers very good deals($4/lb) on short lots
and discontinued colors that you can use for base color.
The Eastwood Company is for white. I tried one of their
chrome powders and it looked great but it got funky
in the baking process.!!

[makokeith]

Keith, I'm not having issues as you call out with the HF powder paint. Flows very well in my fluid beds ( I also have made my own now) with a quick stir at the beginning to get the air/paint flowing. Are you baking your jigs after applying the paint? Do you coat them? I use the ProTec for all my colors over the white and have few issues.
Yes I bake as per instructions. No need to coat them, they are rock hard. Why go over the HF white? With the PC you do not need a base coat. Or am I reading your post wrong?
I started out using the HF white in a 3 inch fluid bed and did not like the way it flowed. I also don't think it tough at all. Maybe top coating it with protec it does not matter?