How to Work a Bucktail Jig

Many smallmouth bass anglers use bucktail jigs.

Lead-head jigs that have deer hair -- or a synthetic version of it -- attached to them are known as bucktail jigs. When fishermen attach a live, plastic or pork trailer to the jigs, they become especially effective for catching smallmouth bass and, to a lesser extent, largemouth bass. The key feature of bucktail jigs is the hair, which undulates in the water and creates a tantalizing motion. Bucktail jigs are effective for catching bass in water of any depth.

Things You'll Need

• Fishing rod and reel
• Line

Instructions

1. Load a spinning reel with 8-pound test monofilament fishing line, and attach it to a 6- to 7-foot medium-action rod. Tie the bucktail jig directly to the end of the fishing line with a Palomar knot.

2. Slide a trailer onto the jig hook. Hook a leech jig below its sucker, or a minnow through its lips. If you choose a pork or plastic chunk, slide the hook into the middle of the flat side of the chunk and push it out the other side so the chunk rests in the bend of the hook. If you use a plastic grub trailer, thread it onto the hook so it rides straight.

3. Cast the bucktail jig into the water and swim it back to the boat or shore. To do so, reel in the jig at varying speeds. Some days, fish hit best when the jig swims just above the bottom. Other days, they want it moving at a steady clip through the middle of the water column. Another method for causing the jig to move erratically is to sweep your rod tip and make the lure jump forward, then let it fall on slack line.

4. Work the bucktail jig along the bottom, especially if you are fishing around weed edges and drop-offs. Cast the jig and let it sink to the bottom. Bring the jig forward by raising the rod tip to the 11 or 12 o'clock position, then lower it to 9 o'clock. Take in the slack line before repeating the retrieve.

5. Set the hook whenever you feel a strike. Sometimes, the fish hit the jig hard. Other times, they strike and the only sensation you will feel is extra weight. Either way, set the hook by bringing the rod upward with a firm, steady motion.

References

• Bass Fishing and Catching: Bucktail Jigs, Also Known As Hair Jigs, Are Smallmouth Fisherman's Secret Weapons

Resources

• Animated Knots: The Palomar Knot