Musky America Magazine May 2024 Edition

Are All Bucktails Created Equal? By: John Myhre © 2011 There have been many times when I have heard anglers say, "Bucktails are all the same. When they're after spinners any bucktail will produce as well as another." While it is true that there are times when muskies are so active they'll hit almost anything, these occasions are actually few and far between. The rest of the time little differences in a bucktail's components, make a big difference in how many muskies you interest in them! Blade type and color are often the basis for selecting which bucktail to use. However, several other things should influence your choice, as well. Bucktail style, size, weight, amount of hair, and hook placement should also be considered. Any one of these seemingly insignificant details can sometimes make all the difference in how many muskies you boat. Here is a little story about how I came to learn the importance of one item, hook placement, when fishing shallow weed cover. Shortly after opening day a few years back, I was fishing just out side a major spawning area on one of my favorite early season lakes. The new weed growth on this spot was well developed already with some clumps being surprisingly thick. This prompted me to choose a light weight bucktail with a large colorado blade. This combination works exceptionally well over shallow weed tops. The light weight along with the extra lift created by the big blade make it run high. My second cast to the

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