How to Tie Bucktail Jigs (with lots of pictures)

[smoothlures]

Ever wanted to tie your own bucktails? Well here you go. I decided to put this together for the folks here, if you see this posted somewhere else not by me or without my permission please let me know.

With that out of the way, here's what you'll need:




1 yellow chartreuse bucktail (any color)
head cement (applicator optional)
1 bobbin with heavy thread, red (color optional, but use as heavy thread as you can find, mines 3 stranded nylon)
scissors, regular tying scissors or heavy duty
whip finisher, large size if tying over 5/8th oz. jigs (optional if you can use your hands, I don't reccomend using half hitches to finish)
straight razor blade (not shown, optional but makes a pretty finished product)
X jigheads, collared (not barbed) (painted any color, 3/8th oz. white with red eyes and mouth (standard) is shown)
tying vise, capable of handling 2/0-5/0 saltwater hooks (larger or smaller if for other uses)

Step one:
Start your thread at the collar, stopping a few turns before the head.



Step two:
Pinch a portion of the bucktail, for best results use the top 2/3 of the bucktail. If it flares when tied down go up the tail a little. This is a good amount for a 3/8th oz jig, you should use more as you tie larger heads.



Step three:
Cut off when you have the amount needed, practice will show you how much to use. Sparse jigs have more action, but try for 1 solid layer of hair.



Step four:
Get a good grip on the bundle of hair, then trim off the ends evenly. It doesn't have to be perfect.



Step five:
Hold the hair in place over the hook as shown, with the hook between the two fingers.



Step six:
Make 3 loose wraps around the hair but with enough tension to hold them in still, you can let go now.



Step seven:
Push the hair all around the hook, going in one direction, usually away from you. If your vise rotates, feel free to spin it around to make sure you get it even.



Step eight:
Back off one wrap, then pull as tight as you can without breaking your thread, wrap it back now as tightly as possible. Not wrapping very tight from now until the jig is finished will let the hair fall out, and the inital wraps over the hair are the ones that count! I usually hold the jig in the vise near the collar and wrap to prevent the hook from moving up and down (not slipping, just the hook giving). If your hook slips, tighten it down or you may need a new one...



Step nine:
Now make one wrap right over the top of the last one, keeping the thread tight, then wrap forward until you just touch the head with the thread. Unwrap once, then take your straight razor blade and trim the hair straight against the head. Notice how neat the wraps are, this makes a much better looking and more durable jig.



Step ten:
Wrap forward to cover the hair, then back until 3 wraps will have you at the end of the jig again. Whip finish here pulling down tight, apply head cement and allow to dry for a second (blowing on it helps dry, if it turns white looking you used too much).



Step eleven:
Wrap forward to the head, stopping 3 wraps short again. Whip finish, pull tight, apply head cement.



Step twelve:
Cut the thread close to the wraps, you can use the razor blade to get it very close if you wish, just be careful not to cut any other threads. Scissors work fine. Your bucktail will probably look something like this with the hair on one side.

Click below, I was over the allowed number of pictures in a post.
http://www.smoothlures.com/images/up...bucktail13.jpg

Step thirteen:
Lift up on the hair and let drop evenly over the hook. Your finished jig should look something like this.

Click below, I was over the allowed number of pictures in a post.
http://www.smoothlures.com/images/up...bucktail14.jpg


Notes and tips:
Make sure to keep your thread as tight as possible after you do the loose wraps (and tighten them down, too), if you don't the hair will fall out after a few fish, or even if you pull on it.

Avoid unnessicary wrapping. I used to do this, to "make it look good" but tie very tight and keep it neat and you will have a good looking jig that won't fall apart. Those first wraps are the ones that hold it, extra wraps on top don't hold it down, I promise, I know from experience.

So you're worried about bluefish biting through the thread? Well, that's why I did the two whip finishes. If one fails, the other should hold it. If you still have problems, a little 5 minute epoxy may solve them. Personally I haven't needed it.

To test if your jig will hold up, hook the hook around a stationary object/pole/whatever and pull on the hair hard. Your fingers should slip off without any hair coming out. If a few come out that were tied down (some may have been short and didn't get tied down) it will start a domino effect, giving them more and more space to let the others come out.

If you mess up, no worries, just take the razor blade to the thread (be careful please). Jigheads are worth a lot more to me than a little hair and thread.

Your head cement is only there to hold the threads in place so they don't unwrap, not to hold the hair. The tight wraps do that.

How do you paint the heads? Well the best thing to use is powder paint and then bake them so the paint won't chip off. For a quick fix, tape the hooks with masking tape and hit them with a coat or two of spray paint. To paint the eyes and mouth just dab it on. It doesn't have to be perfect.

What other colors can you do? Well I do a lot of white with colored feathers in them, but these are simple and effective. You can do any colorw you want. Here's a few I have in my box.

Click below, I was over the allowed number of pictures in a post.
http://www.smoothlures.com/images/up...bucktail15.jpg


I hope this helped some, if you need any help or have any comments please feel to post. If there's any interest I may show how to do feathers and multicolored jigs.

[shipahoy41]

Smoothlures,

This was a great post by you with lots of pictures. I am sure that you helped a few beginners today. Nice job. Thank you for sharing and for taking all those pictures. I like the still photos because others can actually look at each step carefully.
Now do one for............................

Marabou jigs with multicolor tails

Variegated Chenille jigs with Krystal flash

Wooly Buggers

Quiver jigs


Bluegill wax worms (latex glove type)


Those are the VERY BASIC jigs individuals should learn to tie. Those jigs will catch you some fish. There are also some GREAT VIDEOS in the ARCHIVES. http://www.crappie.com/gr8vb3/showthread.php?t=41861

[Crappie Kid]

Great post.......... But looks like you are using rope to tie them..... I use a litle thinner thread... Looks like you have about 6x on there... But that is the same way i do it.. Keep up the good work..

[smoothlures]

Thanks for the feedback Ship. But what's a quiver jig? Can't say I've heard of that...
I might try to do a few other how tos, but it took a long time, and having to upload them with dial up sure didn't speed it up any.

Crappie Kid, lol well I tie up to 1 oz. bucktails so I do use large thread. It helps you from needing so much too. It's probably a little thicker than kite string.

[shipahoy41]

Thanks for the feedback Ship. But what's a quiver jig? Can't say I've heard of that...

This article is in Walleye Central....
"
When fishing winter crappies I prefer to use a 1/64 or 1/32-oz. jig like the Lindy Quiver jig. The reason that I prefer the Quiver jig to others is that it has a feathered body, which slows down the rate of fall. This is important, because many times crappies suspend off a log or over a drop off in the winter months. The added propeller on the jig head gives it a flash and vibration that crappies in stained water seem to love. As far as color is concerned, crappie jigs come in a zillion colors, but the basic colors will usually suffice. The colors that work the best for me are white, yellow, pink and chartreuse. "

The Quiver Jig is to crappies what the Fuzz-E-Grub is to walleyes and bass!

They call it a quiver jig because it uses the stiffer feather just like the arrows in a quiver full of them a bowhunter carries.

Here is another article about quiver jigs for big Bluegills
http://www.lindylittlejoe.com/fishin...ll_Gills.shtml

[smoothlures]

Hmm that's neat. Might try to tie one sometime.

[radtexan]

Nice presentation Smooth !!! thanks for the info.

[Baxter1]

Nice pics,thanks for sharing.Before I had a vise I would just hold the jig and wrap some thread and hair around the hook.I used Mom's sewing thread.I knew an old timer,he gave me a bunch of 1/2 oz. heads with heavy hooks.That was 25 yeas ago when I was in school.I probably have some somewhere.I don't use them anymore.We caught quite a few Walleyes and some Muskies on them from the river in the winter.

[smoothlures]

Thanks for the comments guys. Thinking about doing another one today or tomorrow for chenille jigs or something that Ship suggested.

[crappiekid24]

Very nice step by step! Great work.