Tying Buck tail jigs in eight easy steps

by Jarrod Day on 13 Aug 2011 Making your own lures can be a lot of fun and while some may be complex, others such as buck tail jigs are actually very simple.

Thoughts, processes and techniques are all part of the equation when lure making and when all put together, a handmade lure is produced. While this is satisfying in itself, actually hooking and landing a fish on it is gives the angler more confidence to continue on making lures.

The ongoing effect from landing a fish on a homemade lure lets your mind explore different angles and designs but all in all, just kicking back in the garage tying up a hand full of jigs is just plain old fun.

When it comes down to making your own lures, you don’t have to be a skilled craftsman, many anglers already possess the ability to handle the few necessary tools and if you follow a few simple directions you can make excellent lures.

Handmade lures may not look professionally perfect but you can guarantee they will catch fish, and that's all that counts.

Buck tails jigs have been used by many anglers for years, both right around the country and internationally and while they are a simple lure, continue to catch a wide variety of fish.

Buck tails are mainly used for bouncing along the bottom but with the large variety of jig head weights available these days, buck tails can be tied for nearly every species available on the planet from bream to salmon, snapper and kingfish. The ones you tie all depend on what fish you intend on targeting.

Tying your Bucktail:
To begin tying your buck tail you must insure you have all the right ingredients at your disposal.
While the jigs demonstrated below are being tied for an upcoming fishing trip to Flinders Reef off the coast of Townsville, buck tail jigs can be tied for all styles of fishing and species Australia wide.

Ingredients:
1 pkt of white Buck tail.
1 pkt of red Buck tail.
1 bottle of clear nail polish.
1 pair of pliers.
1 bobbin holder with heavy thread – red (colour optional).
1 pair of scissors.
A selection of collard jig heads.
1 razor blade.
1 tying vice.
1 bottle of powder coat paint (colour optional).

Tying method:
Step one:
Take pliers and hold the appropriate jig head by the hook and heat the lead section with a heat gun or in the oven for 20-30 seconds. Mind you, you don’t have to dip your own jig heads. TT jig head manufacture make pre-coloured fish shape heads called Depth Chargers. These are ideal and fasten up the process of tying your own buck tails.

Step two:
Having the bottle of powder coat at the ready, take the heated jig head and dip the head into the powder, shaking off excess powder when removing. Quickly place the jig head onto a wire basket or similar device and bake in the oven on 200 degrease for 20 minutes. Remove the jig head with pliers and leave to cool.

Step three:
Once cool, place jig head (hook end) into vice taking the thread and wrap the collar a dozen times.

Step four:
Pinch a portion of the buck tail and cut off the desired amount required. For best results a good amount for a 3/8th oz jig is a generous pinch about the same size diameter of the jig head.

Step five:
Get a good grip on the bundle of hair and trim the ends accordingly. Hold the hair in place over the hook and with the hook between two fingers; begin to wrap the thread around the buck tail with enough tension to hold it in place. Continue to wrap the thread around the buck tail until an even amount of thread has covered the collar and buck tail.

Step six:
At this point you can add another colour repeating the wrapping process.

Step seven:
Once finished at the wrapping process, tie six half hitches around the collar of the jig head to secure and cut the thread.

Step eight:
Take the clear nail polish and coat the thread evenly allowing to dry before repeating the process twice. After the nail polish has dried, take another hook and punch a hole in the eyelet of the powder coated hook making sure there are no shark edges.

Though Buck tails are good fun to make and are an exceptional lure for a wide range of fish species Australia wide, many more and different lures can be manufactured at home, it all depends to what level you want to take your lure making skills.