Jump to content
saltyross

Saltwater Bucktails and Plastic Skirts

Recommended Posts

I don't think anything beats real hair for that subtle "alive" movement in water. One calf's tail will tie a bunch of bucktail jigs and it's much more durable than synthetic materials. It isn't hard to tie. If I can do it, anyone can! The only advantage of synthetics or plastics is the wider color array.

Edited by BobP
Link to comment
Share on other sites

What do you mean by "plastic skirt material"? If you mean the nylon fiber material such as "ocean hair" or "supreme hair" that many fly tiers use as a 'synthetic bucktail', then yes, that stuff works great. Far easier and quicker to tie than real bucktail, far more durable, and consistent from batch to batch. The skirts stay on and don't get pulled-out and the fibers don't break or rot like bucktail. Good stuff.

Supreme hair has very good action in the water, actually has more wiggle action in the water than real bucktail. Bucktail fibers are stiffer-- which is good for some things too. Since the nylon fibers compact down very tightly, you can actually tie a very dense skirt with the synthetic bucktail-- too thick if you're not careful. I still tie a few real bucktail skirts on saltwater jigs, just to be traditional I guess. However, the advantages of the synthetic stuff are such that most of my jigs are straight synthetic now. Rockfish and halibut chew up real bucktail too quickly.

Here's one reason I use synthetic bucktail: TU Forum Home - Luremakers Photo Gallery - lingcod- the sharp end

Hope this helps, good luck!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have been painting my own lead bucktails and have been thinking about using plastic skirt material instead of real bucktail.

Anybody have any experience?

Better or worse action then hair?

Thanks

Ross

Here's something I've been making for over 40 years. I've caught Tarpon, Stripers, Snook, Blues, Cod, Pollock, Grouper and Weakfish on them.

It's surgical tubing that I dye.

They are virtually indistructable and even Bluefish can't harm them!

JigModels.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ross;

I'm starting to do it. There was a post on Tidalfish . com last winter ...... Nov or Dec I think with a guy that was using a 1-3 oz jig head with a rubber shirt that he swore by for jigging for stripers.

I have made some with skirts from fishing skirts . com and they look great. CAn't wait to see if they will catch. Also, check out the parachute rigs they troll with here on the Chesapeake bay ....... they are made with synthetic hair .

I am also toying with the idea of making tubes and cutting the tails within 1/2 " from the head and rurning them inside out as a thick strand skirt.

THe synthetic thinner strands will flow more than the thicker strands. Real Bucktail hair is hollow and traps air so it flows differently.

Point is that the different materials do different things ...... you just have to experiment to see what each does and the effect you can give it ...... then pack your tackle for each type and change till you find what excites the fish.

I like making a lure that noone else has and catching the ----- of the fist with something no one else has and noone else can get ...........

Biggest so far this year is a 37 lb Striper in the Sussky Flats 2 weeks ago.

Keep in touch and we'll compare notes

Rick

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...


×
×
  • Create New...
Top