The Eppinger Osprey Notangle Spinner (top) and Lowe's Star Bait are two icons in the world of bucktail lures.
July 09, 2026
By Steve Ryan
Certain age-old questions persist in fishing. For example, if you could only use one lure for a specific species of fish, what would it be? The jig often ranks number one when discussing walleyes, bluegills, crappies, and perch. The jig also has honorable-mention status among the smallmouth bass crowd. When it comes to pike and muskies, however, the bucktail stands atop the list and for good reason.
Bucktails have been around forever. While evolving with the times, they’ve not strayed far from their roots. Most Esox anglers grew up catching fish on bucktails. A high confidence level exists with these baits. They’re versatile and catch both numbers and trophy-caliber...
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