Your favorite weights for buck tail jigs

Just curious to what everyone prefers and uses for weights for buck tails for any fishing condition on which you fish

All relative to how you plan to fish them

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All relative to how you plan to fish them

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Yeah, at the end of the day we’re not buying tackle to stock our tackle boxes. We’re buying it to donate it to old man river

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Lets say vertical with a fathead. just looking to place a order with Dean to tie some and woundering what sizes to order in bulk im thinking 3/16 and 5/16 but want to see what everyones thoughts are

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If your buying to tie then I would buy the 3/32 to 5/16 oz. Those all have there place and time on the river.

If you only choose 2 sizes then stick with 3/16 and 5/16oz

JMHO Jeff

I don’t really care to fish in the current, I like side currents and calm areas. I usually fish 1/8 oz. If I’m in the current its usually 1/4oz.

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Lets say vertical with a fathead. just looking to place a order with Dean to tie some and woundering what sizes to order in bulk im thinking 3/16 and 5/16 but want to see what everyones thoughts are

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Never tried vertical jigging with meat on hair… I throw just plain hair all the time…vertical jig with plastics.
The weight would depend on the current speed and depth you are fishing. I do know you need to stay vertical and I would highly recommend mono or fluoro for lighter weights than 5/16 in deeper water. JMO

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Does a 16th really matter that much 3/16 to 1/4

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It can make all the difference in the world between many bites and few or none.

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Does a 16th really matter that much 3/16 to 1/4

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It can make all the difference in the world between many bites and few or none.

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Bingo. Seen many times where if you are 1/16 heavy you are skunked. Drop down 1 size lighter and you start getting hits.

Just going from 1/16th to 3/32nds makes all the diffrence in the world, especially if thier finicky, especially in the shallower rivers are here.

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I have become a suffix 832 guy myself unless it’s too cold and ice becomes a factor on my guides. And I do the exact opposite I pitch plastic and put meat on hair and jig but whatever works

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I would love to use Sufix more…but try pitching braid on P-4 with a 30 mph cross wind or vert jigging a 1/8oz jig/plastic in 18 fow with a 2 mph current…The braid bows in the current/wind too much for me.
I don’t fish there when its warm…but in March when the run is on mono rules the day for me…
BTW…hair/minnow is a very effective technique…like I said I just love the challenge of artificials.

The big rivers have a great deal of mood swings and are always changuing. Its isn’t just current that controls your jig weight baut as Mr Gursky has suggested the wind and different lines can mess with things too. I don’t suggest just a couple jig weights, I suggest going to the water with several weights of jigs right up to 5/8 ounce. You’ll likely not have to use the true heavyweights all that often but if you don’t have them and need them…well.

Something else that will determine jig weight is each persons’ level of expertise in using them.And it seems that every individual has his/her own preferences on HOW to use them. More to the point I’d say go to the water well stocked and let the fish tell you what weight will work best using your own technique but keep your options open so you can learn new techniques.

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… I throw just plain hair all the time…vertical jig with plastics.
The weight would depend on the current speed and depth you are fishing. I do know you need to stay vertical and I would highly recommend mono or fluoro for lighter weights than 5/16 in deeper water….

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This is my approach as well. There are times when some meat can bump up the productivity of a hair jig but for the most part I fish them plain jane.

Nobody has mentioned slipping a a shortened plastic on the hair jig and this technique seems to stick a few fish each year.

1/4, 5/16, and 3/8 oz. are all my dad and I have used for years. Mainly because that’s what size jig molds he has. We run them vertical, pitch them, and drag them. A majority of the time we use 1/4 in 25 ft of water or less on most lakes. We use 1/4 on the river shallow in low curent areas, 5/16 on the slower side of current seams, and 3/8 on the faster side of current seams and the deeper channel edges. Looks like I may need to add some 3/16 to the arsenal!

In my mind hair adds flotation and a slower fall rate so I mostly use 1/4 for hair thinking it acts like a lighter jig.

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Lets say vertical with a fathead. just looking to place a order with Dean to tie some and woundering what sizes to order in bulk im thinking 3/16 and 5/16 but want to see what everyones thoughts are

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Those are good sizes. Most of mine are 1/4. A quick bump up or down in size from there covers most of what I want. Do have some 1/8ths but they dont seem to cast very well. Think they are to light and to much wind resistance to get any distance. Good chance that could be fixed by adjusting the rod combo used to cast the lighter jigs but not worth it to me for just casting that light jig.

Larson3….

I just re-read your initial post and you indicated “river and lakes”. You need to keep in mind that there can be a huge difference in the two, mainly the lake’s lack of current. The exception to this would be if the “lake” is actually a reservoir where current is common. Jigs for lake use are going to be much lighter than those used in a river setting. If you are anchored or using electrics to stay in a relatively fixed spot on a lake you can get by with smaller heads. I f you do some shopping you’ll be able to find some custom casters who cast smaller heads with larger hooks so you don’t have to give up the hooking capabilities of the larger heads when using lighter weights.

Lakes and rivers are different animals.

WOW Tom your a trooper… Pitchin P4 in 30 mph crosswinds. If it is windy I normally find something else to do to catch fish When it blows 30 out there I am usually not fishing anymore