Question About Bucktails

[solopaddler]

I'm a huge fan of oversized inline bucktails for musky and pike and have been for years.

I've got dozens of standard single blade bucktails that I've had forever, most collected when I was heavy into musky fishing.

 

I've noticed that the vast majority of larger inline bucks being sold these days are tandem blades.

 

Why is that? Are they that much more effective?

 

Just wondering

[misfish]

Could it be the same as tandem spinner baits? Resembles a school of bait fish? Well it is said, it gives that effect.

[solopaddler]

Could it be the same as tandem spinner baits? Resembles a school of bait fish? Well it is said, it gives that effect.

 

No, the ones I'm referring to the blades are side by side like this:

 

 

Obviously there'd be more thump and flash, but are they that much better than normal bucktails?

 

I'd love to hear from some musky guys.

[Roy]

Mike, they're a lot harder to pull through the water. Sure they're ok but, IMO the extra Colorado or whatever will not put extra fish in the boat. It WILL however wear your reel gears and arms a lot more quickly. If the two blade ever gets popular, the three blade will be the next "super" invention. I have a couple but they don't impress me. You want an extra blade on there?, tag it on the end of the tail treble......just as much flash, much easier on the gears and arms. Hey, it's just my opinion.

[solopaddler]

Mike, they're a lot harder to pull through the water. Sure they're ok but, IMO the extra Colorado or whatever will not put extra fish in the boat. It WILL however wear your reel gears and arms a lot more quickly. If the two blade ever gets popular, the three blade will be the next "super" invention. I have a couple but they don't impress me. You want an extra blade on there?, tag it on the end of the tail treble......just as much flash, much easier on the gears and arms. Hey, it's just my opinion.

 

 

Roy I'm with you totally. What prompted the question I did a quick search and this type seems to be the most common.

[dada2727]

Not sure about it putting more fish in the boat, but it will put BIGGER fish in the boat. Has worked for me personally, and have seen it work out of the back of my boat as well. Just watch a few episodes of Musky Hunter and you'll see. And I'm pretty sure Musky mahem isn't one of the sponsors either. I forgot the stats on how many fish it's responsible for over 50 inches, but it's mind numbing!

[solopaddler]

Not sure about it putting more fish in the boat, but it will put BIGGER fish in the boat. Has worked for me personally, and have seen it work out of the back of my boat as well. Just watch a few episodes of Musky Hunter and you'll see. And I'm pretty sure Musky mahem isn't one of the sponsors either. I forgot the stats on how many fish it's responsible for over 50 inches, but it's mind numbing!

 

Okay, but why do they catch bigger fish? What's the reasoning behind the 2 blades?

[Pigeontroller]

The "Double 10" Inline Bucktail(most have flashaboo, or tinsel as we've always called it) have definately acounted for alot of big fish in the last 3 years. Particularly on LOTW and Mille Lacs in Wisconsin.

[solopaddler]

The "Double 10" Inline Bucktail(most have flashaboo, or tinsel as we've always called it) have definately acounted for alot of big fish in the last 3 years. Particularly on LOTW and Mille Lacs in Wisconsin.

 

Awesome, but why? LOL!

[Roy]

Awesome, but why? LOL!

 

Must be the flashaboo eh?

[Terry]

are they more productive in dirty water

 

I would think they would hit each other every now and then, making noise

2 blades more flash and more water displacement all should be important for darker water

 

but that's just a guess

[Guest gbfisher]

Looks like a bigger food item. Makes a wake!......Like a big squirrel or a chipmunk or weasel or large rat....lol

Moves more water. Gets more attention. They work but little Pickerel spinners work too.

[kickingfrog]

The tandem blades put out more thump so it sounds/feels different for the fish maybe?

 

Like with other hot/new lure it may just be a case of the fish seeing something different.

[Skud]

I have several doubles and they have yet to catch me fish, even in Beteau Lake. A threw one for hours up there without a sniff.

[solopaddler]

I have several doubles and they have yet to catch me fish, even in Beteau Lake. A threw one for hours up there without a sniff.

 

HAHA! See? There you go.

 

I have to admit my question was mostly rhetorical, but I was still interested in what people thought.

I'll admit they may give off more thump, chatter, flash...whatever. But I think they probably were made to catch fishermen not fish.

[Raf]

stick to your singles then!

[sconceptor]

One of the musky show's on WFN either Musky Hunter or the Esox Angler show did something on tandum inline spinners. More thump in the water.....they even upgrade their gaint double cowgirls to a larger sized blade at times. Double cowgirls seem to be the way to go.

[Marc Thorpe]

the only reason a particular bait produces more fish is because more people use em

Its the new bait craze

Just like PT said it was a western bait craze

Now the fish run for their lives when they hear the clanging of the 2 blades

 

I used single # 10 for years,doubles just like Roy said wears anglers and gears down

I think I even caught 1 when fishing with Roy on a single # 10 I made

do they put up more flash and vibration,sure

does it matter to the fish???? nope

Does it make the angler happy and build self confidence ???? Yup

 

I used single #8 blades all season this year,no # 10,I did not see a difference in my capture rate or size

Caught just as many on # 8 as I did when we threw # 10

I will say this,a single # 10 does offer more lift when fishing thick weeds

 

if it moves,its food

Edited September 17, 2009 by marc thorpe

[solopaddler]

stick to your singles then!

 

I think I will.

 

Thanks for the insightful comment.

 

 

the only reason a particular bait produces more fish is because more people use em

Its the new bait craze

Just like PT said it was a western bait craze

Now the fish run for their lives when they hear the clanging of the 2 blades

 

I used single # 10 for years,doubles just like Roy said wears anglers and gears down

I think I even caught 1 when fishing with Roy on a single # 10 I made

do they put up more flash and vibration,sure

does it matter to the fish???? nope

Does it make the angler happy and build self confidence ???? Yup

 

I used single #8 blades all season this year,no # 10,I did not see a difference in my capture rate or size

Caught just as many on # 8 as I did when we threw # 10

I will say this,a single # 10 does offer more lift when fishing thick weeds

 

if it moves,its food

 

Thank you for your input Marc, your confirming exactly what I thought.

[Guest gbfisher]

Thank you for your input Marc, your confirming exactly what I thought.

 

You're funny you already knew that.........

[solopaddler]

You're funny you already knew that.........

 

Hey I'm not a musky guy. Just because I think I'm right doesn't make it so.

I made the thread to solicit responses from anglers more experienced with these baits than myself, in the hopes that my thoughts would be confirmed.

 

For all I knew these tandem spinners are like musky and pike kryptonite. Deadly destroyers of giant fish LOL!

[Raf]

they're just another tool - no doubt their catch rate is high because people are using them & internet lore has spawned 'confidence'. the two giant blades generate a lot of lift which makes them a great very shallow/bulging bait. they move a lot of water, their large profile and 'thump' make them a great lure in the dark too. i use all kinds of different inlines, from giant willowleaf bladed singles to indianas to double 13 colorados depending on the situation.

 

is it a 'fad' bait? sure. is it meant to catch fishermen? aren't they all? is it the same bait as a single bladed? no.

Edited September 17, 2009 by Raf

[solopaddler]

they're just another tool - no doubt their catch rate is high because people are using them & internet lore has spawned 'confidence'. the two giant blades generate a lot of lift which makes them a great very shallow/bulging bait. they move a lot of water, their large profile and 'thump' make them a great lure in the dark too. i use all kinds of different inlines, from giant willowleaf bladed singles to indianas to double 13 colorados depending on the situation.

 

is it a 'fad' bait? sure. is it meant to catch fishermen? aren't they all? is it the same bait as a single bladed? no.

 

Some excellent thoughts.

 

Although I'd argue the point that all baits are meant to catch fishermen.

[capt bruce]

When I choose a bucktail , its size and running depth that are my major concerns, (color To me is not so important but I may be wrong there as some will swear by colors). So if the weeds top out at 4 feet or less I go with a double for the more lift I get , 4 feet or more I go with a single. I can get more lift with a single by speeding up my retrieve BUT than I will tire out me and my reel faster . I have also gone with a double in stained water (like lotw) for the more noise they create even when fishing deaper but generally If IM fishing shallow its allways with a double , deep is with a single . But what do I know . I bet if we all just went back to a hook and worm fish will still be caught , dam there are just fish , this is not rocket science lol ... let the flames begin

[solopaddler]

When I choose a bucktail , its size and running depth that are my major concerns, (color To me is not so important but I may be wrong there as some will swear by colors). So if the weeds top out at 4 feet or less I go with a double for the more lift I get , 4 feet or more I go with a single. I can get more lift with a single by speeding up my retrieve BUT than I will tire out me and my reel faster . I have also gone with a double in stained water (like lotw) for the more noise they create even when fishing deaper but generally If IM fishing shallow its allways with a double , deep is with a single . But what do I know . I bet if we all just went back to a hook and worm fish will still be caught , dam there are just fish , this is not rocket science lol ... let the flames begin

 

 

More good input.

Myself if the weeds are higher and I don't want to burn a single buck in, I've always just used a lighter spinner with a larger blade.