Best Brands of Paddle Tails?

[dsaavedra]

When I read that someone has a tandem paddletail setup, does that mean they are trolling two paddletails on the same rod?

That's how I do it. It's a technique I learned in Outer Banks NC, they use it for speckled trout down there. It's rigged similar to this picture except I like to use a heavier jig (1/4 or 3/8) on the short leader and a lighter jig (1/8) on the longer leader. I also like to use a 3 way swivel instead of a loop knot to connect my main line. I would frequently get tangles when using a loop knot.

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[UnkleRob2020]

That looks similar to a technique I learned in the Outer Banks also. When I was a child in the late 70's, my aunt and uncle would take me to Nags Head and we would fish off the piers. We used tandem bucktail rigs for bluefish. When they were in a feeding frenzy it was very exciting. I do not remember exactly how we rigged them ... I suspect that they did it for me back then.

I recall one moment where I was excited as I had two bluefish on my tandem rig and I turned around and accidently smacked my uncle in the head with two bluefish. He wasn't pleased. May have been the only time I heard him curse. :--)

[bassguy84]

Kietech are one of my favorites and very easy and forgiving to rig. They seem to last pretty long, gave great action and the different bodies seem to hold procure well. Some cheaper baits don't seem to have the kick that done of the nicer brands have. I don't think there is really are right or wrong kind. What ever seems to work.

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[Mark]

Just curious...what happens to spent plastic baits?

Do they degrade or is the bottom of the Bay littered with them so that thousands of years from now archaeologists will be digging them up along with plastic water bottles and 6-pack holders?

I don't purposely litter. But sometimes fish strip them from hooks and/or toothy fish will bite off portions of them.

I save the remnants onboard for the trash. The aftermath of a pickerel outing:

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[ronaultmtd]

Good question, Mark...like I posted...I am still using last years plastics i rigged over a year ago...added three new colors this year so I rigged up three jigheads with them and so far have not lost a single piece of plastic...

[nhunter344]

Just curious...what happens to spent plastic baits?

Do they degrade or is the bottom of the Bay littered with them so that thousands of years from now archaeologists will be digging them up along with plastic water bottles and 6-pack holders?

I don't purposely litter. But sometimes fish strip them from hooks and/or toothy fish will bite off portions of them.

I save the remnants onboard for the trash.

Im not sure either but the uncertainty led me to quit using Gulp. Im seem to have a knack for finding spots where there is a steady rhythm of put Gulp on hook, cast, fish bites off tail, take of remaining portion off hook, put new one one, lather, rinse, repeat. Made me wonder how many pounds of plastic Gulp tails Ive left floating in the bay. Its also why I prefer zman plastics even though they are a pain to rig, but like Ron mentioned, I have rods that have zmans on them from a year or two ago. Im not out hugging trees with all my might, but if if I can lessen my footprint a little and still catch fish, why not?

My naive self would like to believe that companies selling outdoor products would be cognizant of all the plastic waste, but the realist in me realizes its probably lining the bottom of the bay as cheap non-degradable Chinese plastic means larger profit margin.

[Big Mike]

Gulp is actually 100% biodegradable as it’s made from natural products. Have you ever had plastic shrivel on a hook the way Gulp will if you leave it out overnight? I too save my spent Plastic bodies to throw in the trash but I’m not worried about Gulp (although I save those bodies as well)

[nhunter344]

Gulp is actually 100% biodegradable as it’s made from natural products. Have you ever had plastic shrivel on a hook the way Gulp will if you leave it out overnight? I too save my spent Plastic bodies to throw in the trash but I’m not worried about Gulp (although I save those bodies as well)

Thats awesome.... although I still reserve the right to curse every time something tears the tail off my swimming mullets!

[Red_Beard]

Sadly, any plastic baits we leave behind are going to remain in the environment for a very LONG time. Aside from biodegradable baits like Gulp, they do not breakdown much. Fish will swallow them as well, and I have heard of fish that were filleted only to find a dozen or more plastic baits clogging up their stomachs. Never throw your spent soft plastic baits overboard!