More Bucktailing Tips

[MartyS]

Originally Posted by BottomBouncer13

Ive bucktailed the last two years with a set up very similar to Mike's, and Ive been very successful...This year I have been using a completely different method with alot of sucess...First off I primarily fish the raritan bay and inshore areas of sandy hook...My set up consists of 10 lb braid on what some would call a beefed up trout rod or flounder rod...I use very light bucktails (no more than an ounce) with a teaser tied about a foot or two up from the bucktail and i always tip it with gulp swimming mullet...I let my jig hit the bottom and instead of engaging my reel, I simply hold the line...I jig the bucktail with a range of hops... (anywhere from 3" to 2')... as i jig i feel for the jig to hit the bottom...once it does (every 10 or so hops) i release the line for a few seconds to make sure to keep the bait in the strike zone and repeat the process until i get hit...most of my hits are pretty far off the bottom as the jig rarely touches the bottom...and for some reason (probably just luck) my keeper ratio has deffiently improved this season on my boat and on party boats...i always use white, glow, chartrouse, and pink (in the ocean)...this method is effective in 4 ft to upwards of 40ft of water...
Whats really cool about this method is how hard the fluke hit the bucktail and teaser...They come flying off the bottom and crush it...there really are only a few missed fish...I love bucktailing and i know if i have one bad day im going back to the old fashion way... but right now it is working for me...

I use a similar rig, but heavier bucktail jig, and I'm probably staying closer to the bottom than you. The majority of my hits are on the teaser.

I'd be curious to know if your fish hit the teaser or bucktail primarily, since you are higher off the bottom.

[BottomBouncer13]

Bucktail 60% teaser 40%...almost all keepers on the bucktail...

[Gerry Zagorski]

Great to see a post like this.. VERY INFORMATIVE and thanks to all who contributed to it.

Funny thing is, just Monday I was telling a friend about how some sharpies on the site were Bucktailing big Fluke and that I had attempted it several times with no luck. This will really help a hack like me out. Now I just have to resist the temptation to continue my lazy dead stick fishing with bait.

Once this thread plays out I will move it over to Best Of.

[howarda780]

I would say 90% of my fluke are taken on the top jig.

I use a 1-2 oz on the bottom and a 1/2-3/4 oz. on top (15-18" apart). Varying between squid/fluke belly strip with spearing on the bottom and squid/fluke belly stip with a gulp 4" swimming mullet chartruese, on the teaser.

I fish right on the bottom just continually bouncing and try to drive the fluke nuts by pissing him off and trying to make him hit it. Its been pretty successful so far this year.

[MartyS]

Originally Posted by howarda780

I would say 90% of my fluke are taken on the top jig.

I use a 1-2 oz on the bottom and a 1/2-3/4 oz. on top (15-18" apart). Varying between squid/fluke belly strip with spearing on the bottom and squid/fluke belly stip with a gulp 4" swimming mullet chartruese, on the teaser.

I fish right on the bottom just continually bouncing and try to drive the fluke nuts by pissing him off and trying to make him hit it. Its been pretty successful so far this year.

Same as me, and I have about an 80% hit rate on the teaser. With us keeping the bucktail close to the bottom, the teaser may be in the strike zone most of the time. Bottombouncer, fishing up higher, probably has his bucktail in the right spot.

[BottomBouncer13]

All I use for a teaser is a feathered 3/0 hook with gulp...I'm gonna try next week without the teaser...

[bigfishtale]

I hate dragging bait for fluke and try to bucktail all the time, sometimes it's just not in the cards.

For the bay/shallows/no current/shore I like to go as light as possible:

Anywhere from a 3/8oz jighead to an ounce Spro bucktail is my favorite. Generally use a light graphite spinning rod akin to a trout/bass stick. 10# Fireline attached to 15# mono leader, anywhere from 3' to 10'. Don't really need a shock leader length of line but never had any problems with such a long leader on the spinning reel. Connection knot can be whatever you are comfortable with tying. lately I've been going with the doubled slim-beauty knot but in a rush I'll just tie a uni-to-uni.

Bucktail goes on the end of the leader via a no-slip loop knot. I feel that gives the bucktail/jig alot more action with less effort.

Teasers? I've sworn by them in the past and have done quite well with them at times. Generally just tie a drooper loop about a foot above the bucktail and slip on a feathered/bucktailed hook(fly) or even a pre-rigged soft plactic like the Tsunami 3" splittails. Can bait up hooks with whatever you choose whether it be a Gulp product, spearing, other bait, etc.

Last few seasons I've gone with just the bucktail and still put fish in the boat. IMHO, fluke do swim above the surface but generally it's about a foot up. Unless fishing really irregular rough bottom, the teaser should be 10-14" above the jig. I would suggest fishing without a teaser and just the bucktail to begin with until you have working the jig correctly down.

I like to see what way the boat is drifting before casting. need to know how the lines will be running especially when on a crowded party boat. Of course the pulpit and stern corners are the easiest to work as it gives you room to cast and work the bucktail longer.

If the boat is drifting say left to right, your baits will be dragging behind the boat to the left. I will cast out and to the right, ahead of the drift, so that when it hits the bottom you have more area to cover first and be ale to work it along until it catches up with the drift and then continue to work it letting out some line if necessary. With light bucktails sometimes you really can't feel it hit bottom and need to pay attention to your line as it'll "tell" you when you hit botton though it just might be a slight pause in line coming off the reel/sinking. I like short, quick snaps of the rod and will reel in the slack created from the lifts and the drift. Once it's fully into the drift, you should be able to just bounce it along. Shouldn't be dragging it along the bottom, just bouncing and atleast coming into contact with the bottom occassionally. If you're catching skates frequently, you're fishing to heavy and dragging it.

Color of bucktail does matter IMHO. I've fished one color successfully and switched to another that does not get nearly the amount of bites with all other things being identical, ie weight, size, and what it's tipped with.
That being said, 90% of the time I start off with a Spro chartreuse bucktail.

Tried the Spro mudkicker and did very poor with it. The Live/open mouth/smiling bill types I also have done less than stellar with. personally like the regular Spro bts or a bannana head-type ones my buddy builds. The bannana heads one are what I usually use from shore or for under 1/2oz conditions. Coin head types too but have meager supply of them.

What to tip them with? Anything from fish strips(fluke belly, bluefish, bunker, dogfish) squid, snappers, smelt, pork rind, soft plastics, Gulp product, etc.
I personally love the 4" Gulp swim mullet grub and usually start off with the pearl white color. The 6" is good on bigger bucktails larger than 2ozs.
I caught my personal best on the Gulp sandeel on a 3oz bucktail. Not alot of "meat" on it but did the job.


Obviously deeper waters, snag filled spots, fast currents, etc will need a bit heavier line and gear. I use a conventional setup for heavier bucktails and 15-20# Fireline with 20-30# mono leaders. With heavier jgs I will tend to sway back to using a teaser and larger baits. Tried stinger-hooks and never really had much success with them, then again, 98% of my fluking is in the bay.

This is what works for me so your mileage may vary

[AviD]

Originally Posted by bigfishtale

IMHO, fluke do swim above the surface

Say what? The new flying fish?

Surface, bottom...same difference

[bigfishtale]

Surface of the bottom...an oxymoron.

[stripedbass]

Does any one use fin-s for a teasers above your bucktail and if you do what color.