Fluke Bucktail Tips

[Gerry Zagorski]

This thread started out as a Blackfish Seminar notification but quickly turned into a really good Bucktail Fluke discussion so moved it here and renamed it.

[Gerry Zagorski]

Some questions I had for Captain Dan after sitting in on his Fluke Seminar


A few things things I had some questions on.

Why do you think the longer 36 inch leader on the teaser hook works better than a shorter one?

Your hook up ratio on the Bucktail vs the teaser hook is the total opposite of mine since 95% of my hook ups are on the teaser, not the Bucktail.. I'm thinking that unlike you, I'm bouncing the Bucktail right on bottom rather than up off the bottom... Would you agree?

Thanks!

[hammer4reel]

A few things things I had some questions on.

Why do you think the longer 36 inch leader on the teaser hook works better than a shorter one?

Your hook up ratio on the Bucktail vs the teaser hook is the total opposite of mine since 95% of my hook ups are on the teaser, not the Bucktail.. I'm thinking that unlike you, I'm bouncing the Bucktail right on bottom rather than up off the bottom... Would you agree?

Thanks!

I would say 30” is about max on teaser leader , many times it’s 20-24”.

Teaser being further back gives presentation of one being chased , or one lagging back .

As far as bucktail ratio , it’s more than likely height off the bottom .
Try swimming the bucktsil 12-18” off the bottom , and just occasionally touch bottom dropping your rod tip to check your still close .

Will be more natural presentation as well as a few less snags in the ruff stuff .

[Gerry Zagorski]

I would say 30” is about max on teaser leader , many times it’s 20-24”.

Teaser being further back gives presentation of one being chased , or one lagging back .

As far as bucktail ratio , it’s more than likely height off the bottom .
Try swimming the bucktsil 12-18” off the bottom , and just occasionally touch bottom dropping your rod tip to check your still close .

Will be more natural presentation as well as a few less snags in the ruff stuff .

Makes sense, thanks Dan!

[Duffman]

I would say 30” is about max on teaser leader , many times it’s 20-24”. .

So your tying a 20 to 24” leader to the teaser?

Interesting. All I’ve ever done is a basic dropper loop 12-18” above the bucktail. Do you change leader length according to water depth or just a experiment to see what works that particular day?

Any specific knot for the dropper? Something to keep it stand off the main line like a Grand Banks knot?

[hammer4reel]

So your tying a 20 to 24” leader to the teaser?

Interesting. All I’ve ever done is a basic dropper loop 12-18” above the bucktail. Do you change leader length according to water depth or just a experiment to see what works that particular day?

Any specific knot for the dropper? Something to keep it stand off the main line like a Grand Banks knot?

I tie a three turn dropper 12-14” above my bucktail .
Teaser is a snelled 8/0 on approx 20” of leader with a surgeons loop on the opposite end .
Run dropper through surgeons knot and drop hook through dropper so they look like a hand shake knot (figure 8)
.
Leader length can change depending on drift speed .

You can feel the bucktail better because of the way the teaser comes off the main line .
It also gives you more action on the teaser
.

[Gerry Zagorski]

I tie a three turn dropper 12-14” above my bucktail .
Teaser is a snelled 8/0 on approx 20” of leader with a surgeons loop on the opposite end .
Run dropper through surgeons knot and drop hook through dropper so they look like a hand shake knot (figure 8)
.
Leader length can change depending on drift speed .

You can feel the bucktail better because of the way the teaser comes off the main line .
It also gives you more action on the teaser
.

This makes a lot of sense to me... Look out Flukes, I got some new tricks up my sleave this year. Thanks Dan!!

[Gerry Zagorski]

This makes a lot of sense to me... Look out Flukes, I got some new tricks up my sleeve this year. Thanks Dan!!

And what pound test are you using for main and teaser hook leader

[hammer4reel]

And what pound test are you using for main and teaser hook leader

I use 20 pound braid tied to 12’ of 50# with a Pr knot .
Same 50# for the teaser .
It doesn’t helicopter as easily if a bait gets twisted , and hold up better to nicks around the ruff stuff

[RU fan]

Good stuff....thanks guys

[Duffman]

I tie a three turn dropper 12-14” above my bucktail .
Teaser is a snelled 8/0 on approx 20” of leader with a surgeons loop on the opposite end .
Run dropper through surgeons knot and drop hook through dropper so they look like a hand shake knot (figure 8)
.
Leader length can change depending on drift speed .

You can feel the bucktail better because of the way the teaser comes off the main line .
It also gives you more action on the teaser
.
Good stuff Cap. Always learning new $hit. Time to start tying.

[hammer4reel]

Good stuff Cap. Always learning new $hit. Time to start tying.

See attached pics . First 2 show how it should look like a figure 8 when pulling it down .

I normally tie the dropper and surgeon only about 1/2” loop looks way bigger because I cropped picture so much


Last picture shows it wrong when pulled down through the surgeons loop. If done that way it doesn’t lock down and will twist

[Gerry Zagorski]

See attached pics . First 2 show how it should look like a figure 8 when pulling it down .

I normally tie the dropper and surgeon only about 1/2” loop looks way bigger because I cropped picture so much


Last picture shows it wrong when pulled down through the surgeons loop. If done that way it doesn’t lock down and will twist

How did you form the figure 8?

[hammer4reel]

How did you form the figure 8?


Put dropper loop through the surgeons loop, so surgeons goes against dropper knot
Then drop hook through dropper loop and pull down .

[hammer4reel]

How did you form the figure 8?

Works just like doing a loop to loop on fly line as shown .

https://youtu.be/ni4V-kN0LMI?si=wVbEIctYtdQXKLGI

[Gerry Zagorski]

Works just like doing a loop to loop on fly line as shown .

https://youtu.be/ni4V-kN0LMI?si=wVbEIctYtdQXKLGI

Got it thanks!

[Duffman]

Yup exactly how I pictured it. Looking forward to fishing this side by side with the rigs I’ve normally tied and see how it shakes out.

[Gerry Zagorski]

Yup exactly how I pictured it. Looking forward to fishing this side by side with the rigs I’ve normally tied and see how it shakes out.

Me too Duff a few things I do are totally different then Dan that I'm going to give a shot...

- I fish my Bucktail by constantly bouncing it on the bottom and since these fish look up for for it, they never see it.. Dan said he hooks 90% of his fish on the bucktail and I hook 90% on the teaser and this explains that...

- I've have been tying a dropper loop 12 -18 inches above the bucktail with a 3 inch loop in it and thread the hook eye through the loop. After an hour or so of fishing, I notice my hook loop gets all twisted up like a cork screw and is constantly wrapping around the main line because there's not enough distance between them..... This should solve that issue and since there is more distance between the bucktail and teaser, I think you get a more spread out and natural presentation..

- Fishing too light a jig.. I asked Dan at the seminar what he typically fishes and it's 5 to 6 ounces or more if needed. I'm usually fishing 3 or 4 and often times I have to let out too much scope to stay in contact with the bottom. Two things here 1) Dan mentioned he likes to fish straight up and down which likely gives the bucktail better action and 2) You loose a lot of jigs constantly trying to feel the bottom with all that scope out.

Does that sound about right Dan?

[hammer4reel]

Me too Duff a few things I do are totally different then Dan that I'm going to give a shot...

- I fish my Bucktail by constantly bouncing it on the bottom and since these fish look up for for it, they never see it.. Dan said he hooks 90% of his fish on the bucktail and I hook 90% on the teaser and this explains that...

- I've have been tying a dropper loop 12 -18 inches above the bucktail with a 3 inch loop in it and thread the hook eye through the loop. After an hour or so of fishing, I notice my hook loop gets all twisted up like a cork screw and is constantly wrapping around the main line because there's not enough distance between them..... This should solve that issue and since there is more distance between the bucktail and teaser, I think you get a more spread out and natural presentation..



- Fishing too light a jig.. I asked Dan at the seminar what he typically fishes and it's 5 to 6 ounces or more if needed. I'm usually fishing 3 or 4 and often times I have to let out too much scope to stay in contact with the bottom. Two things here 1) Dan mentioned he likes to fish straight up and down which likely gives the bucktail better action and 2) You loose a lot of jigs constantly trying to feel the bottom with all that scope out.

Does that sound about right Dan?


Better presentation , better hook up ratio.
Less snags , and just dip of the rod to find bottom , and then a lift to get it back in the strike zone .
.

[dales529]

Some great stuff here. Thanks Capt Dan for sharing. I get the teaser length and knots that wont let yours spin / tangle but question:
If fishing on a 10 -12 man charter or worse a PB would the extra length teasers cause tangles with others using or worse not using it while fishing next to each other?

[hammer4reel]

Some great stuff here. Thanks Capt Dan for sharing. I get the teaser length and knots that wont let yours spin / tangle but question:
If fishing on a 10 -12 man charter or worse a PB would the extra length teasers cause tangles with others using or worse not using it while fishing next to each other?

Drifting on a charter boat or party boat has zero issues .
Would think as long as there is current would be fine on the hover craft also .
But need drag on the teaser .
.