Bucktails

[Eagle 1]

Hi everybody, I'm using a medium sized bucktail and the blade doesn't spin immediately. Sometimes it does and sometimes it doesn't. What can I do to help this? Thanks for the help!! Oh ya what can you guys tell me about Pioneer Lake. Thanks again. Brad

[Musky_John]

Let me guess... It has to be a willow leaf bucktail... It has to be a Buchertail Willowbuck? Anyway I had the same problem... The way I improved this was the following.... I noticed that there was a lot of slack space between the clevis of the blade and the first bead on the shaft. Take a split shot weight and crimp it on the shaft to reduce the amount of slack space between the clevis and the first bead on the shaft. This will help... However, in some instances it still may not spin. It is the proverbial some lures work and others do not... Therefore, when you get one that works and catches fish... It is worth its weight in gold. At the Musky show I even asked the Buchertail rep about the same issue... He really didn't have any advice. I think due to the slack between the clevis and the bead the blade slides down the shaft and there is not enough drag from the water to start the blade spinning.

[Eagle 1]

Hay musky John, Well the bucktail is a pete mania bucktail and its a colorado blade and its fluted. Its about the size of a mepps muskykiller. I'll try the split shot. thanks for the help. Brad

[Mark Benson]

eagle1:

I have seen that happen with many different b.tails... About all you can do if you really want to throw it is to pull hard at the beginning of each retrieve to get it started and reel from there...

Mark

[Eagle 1]

Thanks Mark!!!

[Ifishskis]

Make sure the legs on the u-shaped clevis are both perfectly parallel and perpendicular to the shaft. Bend the leg(s) with a needlenose pliers. Start reeling an instant BEFORE the bucktail hits the water. Most times that'll get the blade turning right away. If I can't get a blade to to no matter what, I cut the treble off for a spare and the lure goes into the garbage. A bucktail whose blade doesn't turn 99 out of 100 times is a worthless bait IMO. A Mepps has never let me down but others have.