Anatomy of a bucktail / jighead. Not understanding something.
 

Hey guys.

Question about the shank of a bucktail. Apologize if this seems like a noob question.

I have attached a photo of a jighead but these are also present in the bucktail. Up the shank of a hook is this additional component i have circled in blue. What is it called?

What purpose do they serve? I find they are an impede my from being able to shift by gulp higher up along the shaft. So i bend them up so that i have shift my gulp higher up. Do you guys do that as well? Are you guys able to cut this off?

I find if i dont bend these up, my gulp hangs down too low and i will miss a hook up from a short strike.

So does anyone know what their purpose is for and how to remove them?

Re: Anatomy of a bucktail / jighead. Not understanding something.
 

That's known as a bait keeper (a wire keeper in this case), the purpose is to keep your gulp or other soft plastics against the head of the jig and not slide down after every fish strike.

Slide the gulp over the barb and push it snugly against the head of the jig.

Re: Anatomy of a bucktail / jighead. Not understanding something.
 

So I am supposed to push my gulp past this bait keeper directly to the bucktail head?

I'm unable to push through that on the bucktail. So i just need to push harder?

I don't see how it is possible for my gulp to go through that. (So I watched some specific youtube videos ... and i think i just haven't been pushing hard enough to get past that bait keeper).

Re: Anatomy of a bucktail / jighead. Not understanding something.
 

You push the gulp over that all the way to the head .
That is there to help hold the grub from sliding back .