The Bucktail
Craig Sandell © 2006

There are so many bucktails on the market today that it is hard to know how best to provide some useful information for selecting bucktails. Bucktails too fall into that category. I will touch upon a few varieties of Bucktail to give you some perspective. Bucktails range in price from $5.50 to $12.00. If you are paying more, you are paying for the name associated with the lure and, of course, lures, NOT names, catch fish.

The Skimmer

The skimmer is a well balanced lure with very good casting characteristics. It has a mid-body treble hook as well as a trailing treble hook. The lure is a good hooking lure. Its only real short coming is its propensity to have the shaft bend during a battle. Once bent, the shaft has been stressed and is not as reliable as before the bend. The skimmer is not alone in this. Most all Bucktails have the same problem.  Average price is around $8.50

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The Ghost Tail

The Ghost Tail is also a good bucktail. It has a little weight to it for good castability and it also has blade and dress colors & patterns that are very good in clear water. The Ghost Tail has a bit of a problem associated with the dress. Some of the dress used is feathers. The feathers provide a unique look in the water but they are also short lived with heavy use. Also, the wrap used to secure the dress may come loose with with heavy use. For most Musky anglers, this is a one or two season bucktail. Average price is around $8.50

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The Feather Tail

The Feather Tail is a light weight buck tail that is well suited to early season fishing using 30 lb. micron line. The lighter line is needed because the lure is lightly weighted. The lure uses a body hook that is in-line with the shaft. The feather dress is also secured to the hook shaft using standard tying material and generous amounts of epoxy varnish. The trailing hook is attached in the standard fashion. The main problem with the lure is that body hook. If it get bent or dulled beyond sharpening, you can not replace it without replacing the dress as well. Most Musky anglers would rather not bother. Average price is $7.75.

It's  a brand new throw back bait from Brook DiCristina of Brooktails of Chicago, called "The Reactor."

Have you ever had a big ol’ muskie follow your lure up to the boat, and no matter how hard you work that figure-eight, it turns up its nose and swims back to where it came from? That’s the time to lay down your rod and pick up your second rod with "The Reactor" on it.

Cast it back to where that finicky lunker headed, and start cranking. The flash of the #10 Colorado blade, and the tantalizing twisting motion of the 7" grub, will definitely grab the attention of that stubborn ol’ esox and initiate an explosive reaction. The Reactor is fitted with a single #8 Mustad hook for ease of presentation in weedy spots. 

This 10" lure is available in Yellow, Black, White and Chartreuse, and will provide you with that "little something extra" in your arsenal of Muskie lures.

A good price for this lure is around $9.25.

Check out Jackson Lures