Doll Flies

[nitro929]

I have heard a lot of guys talking about fishing doll flies at Lake Cumberland during the Winter for stripers. As I have never done this, does anyone have any good info or links on the subject?
Lots of Thanks.

[stripernut1]

locate the fish and chunk n wind, its a lot like slow rolling a spinnerbait. mornings are so so, evenings are much better, but if you can stand it night time is best. it can be frustrating though, they can move in a minute. 3 of the last 4 nights weve fished we have boated 13 keepers, 13 keepers, 19 keepers....and last night ? ZERO, not a single hit....who knows??
its really that simple, don't overcomplicate it....find the bait....look for the fish....chunk n wind.

p.s. color doesn't matter as long as its white/white, or occasionally white/chart trailer.

[JUSTINHALL]

For me the doll fly is the all time most consistent bait. I prefer top water but that dang doll fly almost always works so if I can't get them to hit a top water I throw the doll fly. There are years that swim baits work good, and there's years top water works good and there are years they won't touch either. But consistently they hit the doll fly every year, sometimes you have to change your presentation though. What works most of the time is to cast it and pop it, reel, pop it and reel all the way back to the boat. When you pop it, the bait will jump up then fall and when you go to reel they are there, they hit it on the fall. When I say pop it I mean snatch it real quick about a foot and half of your rod but snatch it quick then reel about 4-5 cranks and snatch it again.
Other times they like a slow roll where you just reel it in smooth relatively slow. 10% of the time this is the only way they will hit a doll fly so if you are in a feeding school and they don't hit the pop and reel mode try the slow roll.

3/4 oz typically works better but I mostly use a 1 oz just because I can cast it farther. I prefer white/chart with chart trailer sometimes peal trailer but mostly chartreuse. I do better with just the doll fly and trailer no spinner on it but some people will swear otherwise.
Different people use different color, model and weight and bling bling but this is what works for me time after time.
Why does it work?? I don't know it just does, they eat it so I throw it.

[Duayne]

Ten people that throw a buck tail will all have different details but all 10 will swear by it. I sure do. I always throw 1/2 oz and I like some color on the back. I rarely throw one without a spinner but this probably works for me due to the difference in the lead head style and the trailer I use. I almost always go with a slow roll when in really shallow water. I will sometimes let it settle on the bottom and pop it off.

[stripernut1]

see, like I said...."don't overcomplicate it", you have 3 different presentations, 3 different colors, 3 different weights etc etc from 3 different people (3 different people that consistently catch fish). this just goes to show, its hard to fish the bucktail WRONG....stripers eat what they want and turn a very snobby nose up to what they don't want. the 3 presentations given to you will work under most conditions, most of the year....find the bait, look for the fish....start fishing....adapt until they hit.

[apb]

I use a similar approach as mentioned by others. Find fish, or a bank that I have consistantely had luck on and throw the bucktail (dollfly). Winter time through early spring, this means red clay banks in the creeks. I prefer a bank that has deep water close by. Weight of the bucktail to match the water depth I am fishing. Typically night fishing I am throwing a 3/8 oz. I rarely throw one that does not have a spinner on it. Probably 99% of the time I have a blue over white bucktail with a chartreuse trailer. The trailer depends on how active the bait is. Colder water (low 50's), a split tail spinnerbait trailer. Upper 50's, typically a swimbait type trailer (boot tail). Cast and start reeling slowly (like you would slow roll a spinnerbait). You can also let the jig sink some and then start the retrieve. At times I will let the jig hit bottom, twitch, hit bottom, twitch, start the retrieve. The twitch thing is typcially a late afternoon/early evening before dark thing. Note that night time, the bite can often be real subtle. More like what you would expect from a crappie. If the striper is coming off the bank and hitting the jig, you may just loose feel of the jig. Anytime something feels different, set the hook, hard!

Now, if I am thinking I might see a day time jump, I'll often have a 1/2 - 1 oz bucktail ready to go. Difference here is that I am expecting to be fishing over deeper water and I want the weight for casting. Cast to the edge of the jump, let it sink on a tight line (they'll sometimes hit it on the drop) for a 5-10 count, start the retrieve. In this case I have a twister tail or boot tail trailer and I'll work it a little faster. Match the jig/trailer to the bait size.

Downrigging, typically ran with a 1/2 oz buctail and twister tail trailer. Vary the color of the jig/trailer. Again, match the jig/trailer to the bait size. Running a jig off a planer board, 1 oz.

Bottom bouncing a jig in a tailwater area, 1/4 to 2 oz. Usually just a lead head (rarely bother to paint it) and a soft plastic trailer (sassy shad style most of the time). Pearl or chartreuse trailer.

Think that covers all seasons and a variety of ways to work a bucktail for stripers. As they other guys indicated, the bucktail is extremely versatile and can catch stripers in so many different situations. Definitely worth the while to learn how to use them.

[JUSTINHALL]

Duayne, says spinner attached. This is what's crazy to me even though a good friend of mine prefers it also and it works for him.
I had some friends come down from OH to fish for 3 days and one of them is quite mouthy all the time as to how many more he caught, so as a joke I gave him a doll fly with a spinner on it. First thing in the morning we go out and we are all catching fish every jump one each then another jump one each except the mouthy guy with a spinner on his. So after 4 sets of jumps and we all catch 4 each I go over to mouthy boy as we roll up to a set of jumps and cut his spinner off with a leatherman. He casts out and bam gets a fish on the first two strokes. Of course he looks at me and says you son of blah blah blah. Hey what else are friends for???
But none the less it don't work on my boat but as you can see it works just fine on other boats. If you find something that works throw it.

[nitro929]

How are the Cumberland pro doll flies ? Found their website last night.

[stripernut1]

How are the Cumberland pro doll flies ? Found their website last night.

check pm

[Duayne]

Justin, I concede that I don't get a lot of jump fish on the bucktail rig I and Andrew use. Doesn't mean it won't work but it's not the first bait I throw. If I throw it for jumps I just let it fall.

It's easy to see that Andrew and I are almost identical in our concepts of fishing the bucktail. The key reason is we both use the same jig.
It's the jig he designed....
Andrew made the absolute best jigs ever. I have the pattern and mine work but his were the best in the big three categories. They caught fish, were durable and caught fish. Andrew, PLEASE, get back in the jig business or I will have to make more well below sub par quality jigs.

[PRO V LE]

Justin, I concede that I don't get a lot of jump fish on the bucktail rig I and Andrew use. Doesn't mean it won't work but it's not the first bait I throw. If I throw it for jumps I just let it fall.

It's easy to see that Andrew and I are almost identical in our concepts of fishing the bucktail. The key reason is we both use the same jig.
It's the jig he designed....
Andrew made the absolute best jigs ever. I have the pattern and mine work but his were the best in the big three categories. They caught fish, were durable and caught fish. Andrew, PLEASE, get back in the jig business or I will have to make more well below sub par quality jigs.

I will rent you a Andrew made Bucktail jig for $50 a hour and a $100 deposit. You must also show proof of new Heavy-Duty tackle and line.

[fishincreek]

I couldn't catch a striper on a jig (or Lil Mac) if my life depended on it, yet I have netted many jig caught fish for Andrew sitting 10 feet away. Confidence seems to be a big key in throwing them along with the feel of the bait and the bite. I have neither.