Homemade bucktails 101
by Jeremy Liebig
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 finished product With the prices of gas, muskie lures, and fishing in general going through the roof I figured it's a good time for a simple how to on creating your own muskie/pike bucktails. Not only will it save you $$$$$$, it will also reward you with the satisfaction of catching a fish on a lure of your own creation! In this article I will demonstrate how to create your own bucktail for a fraction of the cost of store bought lures. The coolest thing is if you do it yourself the possibilities are endless. All of the supplies listed can be bought for discount prices from such online component suppliers as Stamina, Moores Lures, Etc.
 troop loop Let's get this party started! Here's a list of what you will need:
1) Knipex or other round nose pliers
2) Hook or wire cutter
3) Wire shaft (.51 -.62 preferred for big baits)
4) Spinner Blades
5) Clevises
6) Skirting material ( I make my own, although there are many options for pre-made)
7) Egg sinkers
8) Beads
9) Hooks and split rings (DUH!)
 photo2 Take your round nose pliers, place the wire between the splines, and wrap the wire until it forms an " I support my Troops" ribbon shape (photo1). The more excess wire the better for step 4, I usaully leave about 2-3 inches on the end.Next, reinsert the pliers into the loop and the crease directly below and clamp down until the wire forms an almost right angle (photo 2). The next step can be a little tricky as far as getting a perfect loop! With the pliers still inserted in the actual loop, bend it back upon itself on the shaft side until it forms a semi- circle, then bend the short end of exposed wire to 90 degrees or so in order to twist like a clinch knot ( photo 3). Following this step I place the loop in a vise and twist the wire around usually 3 times or so ( photo 4)...If the wire is long enough it's easily doable with your hands, shorter wire might require a needle nose pliers for the twist. Once twisted cut off with a hook or wire cutter ( photo5). Now you have the loop for the hook end of your bait!
 photo3 Next step:
Add an egg sinker or two, as many as you see fit to appropriately weight your bait ( photo9) to the bottom of the shaft.. Follow this up with your skirting material of your choice ( photo 6) as there are many options. Flashabou, rubber, and hair are popular options (photo 7). Add a little more, followed by beads, clevises, and blades of your choice (photo8). Once this process is complete, return to steps 1-5 to create the same loop on the top end of the bait. Add a treble hook connected by a triple split ring and you're good to go ( finished product). Make some baits, catch some fish, and most importantly have some fun! Good luck in the open water season!
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Jeremy Liebig
IDA Field Staff
Reged: 12/23/04
Posts: 916
Fish Bucks: $12.16
Loc: mpls
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Photos 4-9!
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Musky-Girl
Member
Reged: 01/11/04
Posts: 1521
Fish Bucks: $30.42
Loc: Milwaukee, Wisconsin
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Nice job - very nice indeed 
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If you have tried everything in the book - get a new book!
The man who goes fishing gets something more than the fish he catches. - Mary Astor
\"When I stop to think about it, there\'s always so much more going on out there than the \"catching\", most of the time the \"fishing\" is the gift, and when, or if, we catch something it\'s a bonus. \"
DISCLAIMER: ANY NEWS ITEMS I POST DOESN\'T REFLECT THE VIEWS OF THE POSTER! THANKS
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Jeff Jensen
IDA Field Staff
Reged: 12/28/06
Posts: 1391
Fish Bucks: $20.74
Loc: cassville ,wis
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Very cool Jeremy 
Thanks for mentioning the Stamina site,A guy could get lost with the options they have.
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56twister
Member
Reged: 02/19/08
Posts: 204
Fish Bucks: $4.08
Loc: Osawatomie, Kansas
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Wow this site amazes me all the time. I have had an interest to do some pike fishing but the cost really had me holding back on actually trying. This shows me just how affordable it can be. Thanks a lot Jeremy. 
Richard
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Richard
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eye-full
Member
Reged: 03/13/03
Posts: 234
Fish Bucks: $4.68
Loc: Waterloo,Ia,USA
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Just plain awesome. Thanks for the walk through I was just thinking about how I could do it myself.
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carphumper
Member
Reged: 03/20/08
Posts: 66
Fish Bucks: $2.32
Loc: MN,Lakeland
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thank you for the post i am going to have to try this. where do you go about getting the shaft wire
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Jeremy Liebig
IDA Field Staff
Reged: 12/23/04
Posts: 916
Fish Bucks: $12.16
Loc: mpls
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You can get .51 and .62 at Thorne Bros. It's either 30 cents-50 cents each. You can also buy it in rolls but it's pretty hard to straighten. The lighter gauge for smaller baits is no problem to straighten. Total cost for my example is about 6 bucks for a lure that would cost 20 in the store. Smaller and simple versions usually run 3-5 dollars a pop. If you have any further questions just ask.
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carphumper
Member
Reged: 03/20/08
Posts: 66
Fish Bucks: $2.32
Loc: MN,Lakeland
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Your lure looks just like them cowgirls and there are like 25$
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plungepool
Member
Reged: 12/13/03
Posts: 569
Fish Bucks: $11.58
Loc: Hudson, WI
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Jeremy
This is a cool little Blurb
I've been looking to do this for a while so I'm gonna give it a shot 
Thanks alot 
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Jeff Jensen
IDA Field Staff
Reged: 12/28/06
Posts: 1391
Fish Bucks: $20.74
Loc: cassville ,wis
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Jeremy,just got it today!
Props my man,the quality is excellent!I could tell this was built by a Musky junkie 
Thanks again......Jeff.
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Jeremy Liebig
IDA Field Staff
Reged: 12/23/04
Posts: 916
Fish Bucks: $12.16
Loc: mpls
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You're welcome. Glad to make your creation come to life.
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Haney
Member
Reged: 02/20/08
Posts: 63
Fish Bucks: $0.26
Loc: North Liberty, Iowa
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These bucktails look very similiar to a guy's in Fredicksburg, Iowa. They were called smud smackers. We used to pound pike on those things on the wapsi river. How much is one running??
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Re: Homemade bucktails 101
