Bucktailing info
 

When bucktailing from a party boat. I see message board info saying used 2oz. spro. My problem is trying to hold bottom with a light bucktail. Only way I can do this is to cast ahead of current and bounce back. Another problem is 1/2 the time your drifting under the boat. What would help to use light bucktails when drift seems to fast. Info appreciated.

Re: Bucktailing info
 

Got to get on deck early and claim a good spot.

Re: Bucktailing info
 

Don't try to fish a light bucktail as the drift increases. As conditions change just increase the size of the bucktail you are fishing to hold bottom. Its not about the style, its about catching.

Re: Bucktailing info
 

Get the front bow spots or stern corner spots. Then you can always fish out instead of going under. It is more easy to hold bottom going out then going under. Cast up drift and work your way down. If there isnt a lot of people on the boat your can bounce from side to side fishing only out. You want to keep that jig as vertical as possibly. So going up in weight as the drift increases is a must. For me i stay with 4-6oz if the drift is fast. But sometimes that isnt even enough. If thats the case you can just keep letting line out till you scope out and u will hold bottom. Most frown about this method but i have picked up fish doing it.

Re: Bucktailing info
 

All good info shared here. Also consider some weight from a jig in a teaser which helps put you down quicker and holds your line down. You don't say if you are using braid or mono. Hopefully braid as it will get you to bottom quicker and also help you feel hits a bit better. I pick up many fish as the line heads under the boat. As Salt says , give it a little extra line to hold the bottom for those couple extra "bounces" and see what it produces for you. To get a bow spot in peak season, plan to get up early. I mean very early. When I fish the OE, there by 4 ish to claim the turf I want which does allow for easier casting and line control......my .02

Re: Bucktailing info
 

I learned the hard way that 2 oz is totally inadequate except in calm water without ripping currents.. i went on the Angler in june this year when fishing was red hot.. I got 1 18 inch keeper all day when several of the guys right next to me were catching keeper after keeper.. they must have caught 25 each over 18 inches. they were using HUGE 8 oz lead heads/ w huge Pink shine Gulp with braid line.. One guy was doing very well with 2 4 oz jig heads in tandem ... I was badly outgunned with a max of 2 1/2 oz, and mono line.
no matter how hard I tried to keep the jig down it simply wasn't on bottom enough.. the fish wanted that jig tight to bottom, and i simply wasn't getting hit, but the guys with massive jig weight and braid were KILLING big fluke all day.. it was VERY frustrating

Re: Bucktailing info
 

Fishing that light of weight in the ocean you need to always cast out and then when it's going away you'll have a few good hops before you gotta reel up and do it again. (Usually those few good slow hops going away is when you get a big one.) It can be frustrating and takes a while to learn but once you get this down you won't fish another way. In certain conditions such as a fast drift or a lot of current don't bother with light weights, it's not worth it then. You won't be on the bottom long enough to do well with keepers, and you'll be casting out too much.

Another good way to fish light when the drift is going away is to just cast up from the bow a little bit.... Like, 6-10 feet right under/in front of the pulpit. For whatever reasons you get good hops right under the bow with the current and I've caught a lot of big fish this way, but this is only when the drift is going away for your side of the boat.

Re: Bucktailing info
 

Most times if I'm bucktailing in any more then 20 feet and a moving tide, I'm using 3 or 4 ounce bucktails. Sometimes you'll need a 6 to hold and if that's not enough, I usually switch over to bait and sinkers.

As mentioned above, it's best to keep the bucktail as straight up and down as possible to impart the best action... Braided line is a big plus as well since the smaller line diameter allows you to hold bottom with less weight then you would with mono.