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.