Fish-Hawk.Net

Hi all

I'm moving up in the world. I had bought some bucktail spinners for the fish for the cure event and I want to start making my own, both musky styles 2 ounce and basss tyle 1/2 ounce.

I have been making spinnerbaits for a few years and the one thing that continues to be a thorn in my side is the skirts. It is hard to get good ones and just as tough to get good colors.

I'm posting this to see if I can get some help from my fellow halk-talkers. I'm looking for tips and tricks as well as links to any sites with great information. I am assuming there are 3 parts to making bucktails so please jump in with anything I have missed.

1, Curing the bucktails (yes I will be looking for real bucktails, so all you deer hunters I'll be looking for some, maybe trade for some finished product?)

2, Coloring the bucktails

3, Adding the bucktails to the spinner bodies, hoping I can make this work with 1/2 ounce spinners.

Thanks in advance

hey mr.j,
For bucktails, you cure them using borax and theres another step which icant exactly remember. Unless you really have your heart set on doing all the work in curing in dying them, I would reccomend buying them. They are a common fly-tying material, and any flyshop would have them, in tonnes of colours. If you don't feel like driving to ottawa or lebaron you can order them from //www.orvis.com.
For spinnerbait skirts, get a bungee cord and you will have a lifetime supply of white or black rubber legs. They also sell them at green drake, but at the moment they are closed.....and its also way more expensive,
good luck,
mike

The place where I get most of my components from has colored bucktails at $4.00 each.

If I can only make 1 spinner out of each bucktail then it might be worth the extra effort.....no? But hey thenaks for the heads up, I had not thought about buying pre dyed (died?) they've got great colors.

I still would like to read about the whole process and I have a couple of bucktails coming my way soon that I can see if I have the knack for it.

The concept of borax for curing will work well.

Dying them takes on some extra work, I've never dyed them, BUT I would find some flytying sites and look there for dying secrets for bucktails.

By the time you get all the stuff and time and effort, purchasing appears to be a viable alternative.

Mr J

You should be able to make multiple spinners from one Bucktail. I retied new bucktail for three of my Muskie baits and had plenty left off one tail. I would think you could do at least 5/tail.

Mr J. I have a large hide I have been using for haystack cadis. I doubt I will use it up in this lifetime. You are more then welcome to a couple sq feet. Look at warm water colour dyes. I am in Kitchener/Waterloo. Let me know if you are interested

The only bucktail that will take dye properly is the white hair.....Veniard dye is one, if not the best dye for bucktail and feathers. Again, you must start with white. The dye must be added to water and warmed....not boiling, or you will ruin the dye. Soak the tail in the mixture....and let sit until you reach the desired color. Remember, when the tail or feather is rinsed afterwards with cold water to set it. It will always be a shade paler, so gauge your color preference accordingly before removing it from the dye mixture.....I dyed quite alot of bucktail...( for inline spinners and streamers...) feathers for Atlantic salmon, trout and bass flies....and the white belly hair from the deer that is used for Bass frogs and poppers.....when I tied professionally...hope this helps.

Mikey

P.S. I love the new sig Mr.J

I have been thinking of making my own muskie spinners for a while now, but I think I shall go with shop bought pre-dyed bucktails. I have also been thinking of using some sort of collar to put the bucktail on. If you have to cut a hook for a good release, I would like to be able to transfer the bucktail to a new hook and have the lure back in the water soonest. I have been meaning to look in Ottawa fastener to see if they have some sort of tubing that I could use - preferably metal (aluminum) which could conceivably add a "rattle" to the bait. Have you thought of this??

If you have been making spinner baits for a while, what tools do you need to bend the wire??

I love your signature Mr. J!!! Too bad its the wrong coloured flag though.

Muskiemagnet wrote:Mr J

You should be able to make multiple spinners from one Bucktail. I retied new bucktail for three of my Muskie baits and had plenty left off one tail. I would think you could do at least 5/tail.

MM

In the pictures of the pre-died bucktails they appear to be still attached to the hyde (hide?), do you shave the hair off or just cut it? There's the 1st question I have to be answered.

ady

We'll have to meet in the lunch room one day and I can go over everything with you then and since I am a designer maybe we can come up with a solution for your excellent idea?

Mikey

Thanks for giving me my new signature and I'm going to put your expertise to use once I get into it, I'll probably be hitting you up for tying tricks.

Dobbie

I already have 2 or 3 bucktails coming my way, so for now I don't need any but I am very optomistic that I might just need more in the future so I might be taking up your offer later, thanks.

Here's what is available to me thru the place I buy my stuff on-line



Looks good to me.

Comments?

SnagThis wrote:I love your signature Mr. J!!! Too bad its the wrong coloured flag though.

Does this mean I can't see your crest again?

SnagThis wrote:I love your signature Mr. J!!! Too bad its the wrong coloured flag though.

Snag,Them's fighting words even if it is the Sens .Hopefully we are not talking leafs .


Jay I need 4 large bucktails for Muskie.Cheap Quebec beer will be sent in exchange .


Ron

Scumking wrote: Jay I need 4 large bucktails for Muskie.Cheap Quebec beer will be sent in exchange .
Ron

Carefull, I grew up on Quebec beer, but not the cheap stuff.

Remember those triple bladed spinners I had at Charlston?

Now you know what I am thinking about.

In the pictures of the pre-died bucktails they appear to be still attached to the hyde (hide?), do you shave the hair off or just cut it? There's the 1st question I have to be answered.

Cut it.....