New Tackle Opinion, Please Reply

Just got into making bucktails and would like your opinions... Are these to much color or would you use them? I like to make complicated baits but with enough material to make about 150 I can't keep em all and value other Musky fisherman's opinions. Lil ones weigh 2 oz., Med. weigh 3 oz. and the BMF weighs 4.65 oz. Please respond 1 min. of your time would save me hours, I'm ok with bad news too. I'm young and respect elders and criticism.. That's how I learn, Please comment before I go overboard and waste my time and money... Thanks for your time, Jake The first is a mid and the Mallard is the BMF front and back

Every one of those bucktails will catch muskys. I would throw any of those with no greater or less confidence than any store bought bucktail. I also make my own bucktails. Nice work there!

Tenor, don't be so sensative! I wasn't ripping you I was just letting you know about something that most small takle guys don't know about until it's to late. In your first post you said that you could make 150 of them and couldn't keep them all - I took that to mean that you intended to sell them also. I'm just giving you a heads up because, while giving it to MI would probably end us with a better use of the money, the IRS doesn't care - they want their money. Also an FYI the components you are buyig probably already have the excise tax paid on them if they are bought from fishing related vendos. But your time and profit have not been taxed so you would only have to pay the tax on the difference between the cost of the items purchased and the price you sell it for. I only tell you this because I know of one small tackle guy that got in some serious trouble with the IRS and almost lost everything he had because he didn't know the law.

@Ditto i'm not trying to dodge the IRS nor hurt any american tax payers, I have purchased $600 of products, I did not want to start a business till I thought I could make something special for a resionable price! I did not have the knowledge of what excise tax was till I read it on this form ( I HAVE NOT SOLD A SINGLE LURE YET!!! IF I DO I CAN ONLY MAKE UP TO IT BY PUTTING 11% OF MY SALES TO MUSKIES INC., ( THEY WILL USE THIS MONEY FOR GOOD, I GAURANTEE IT) I also did not mention I was selling these lures or wher to buy them , as it is against forum rules! I spend about an hour on each lure, made from heart. I am simply asking opions here I can not change the past!!!! I am fine with negative feedback on my lures but plaese don't disrespect me as an american I'm young but not that young that I have not paid my taxes and respected my dues!!! If you want I can spend hours trying to straighten out what I owe but I have not sold a single lure yet, I am only asking for opinions and have appricaiated everyones feedback negative or not... Thanks for your time, but I can't change the past even though I have not even taken it to place!!!!!!!!!!!

Don't pay attention to the ones who say bright colors aren't good, even in clear water. Not true at all. Number 1 rule in muskie fishing... There are no rules. You can catch a muskie on a blaze org corn cob if you fish it enough. When I and others say what we are saying we are what you call generalizing. If we knew what they wanted on any given day at any given time, we'd be guides - very rich ones. Tanner Wildes stopped making his so you've got a niche there. Yes Tanner did, but he sold the bait company to monsterlures.net and he said they are selling very well for him.

Double post, sorry darn site logged me off for some reason while I was typing. Urgh!!

Everyone is making bucktails now. If you want to market these what is your niche? The market is flooded with many quality bucktails and probably will be because they are easy to make. They appear to be nice baits but I wouldn't buy them. No offense, but I would just make my own or have one of the half a dozen guys I've fished with who make bucktails make them for me. My suggestion is to give them to friends or swap them at bait swaps. See how they fare in the hands of others and build a reputation that way instead of going all in and opening yourself up to getting screwed. A buddy of mine went the "all-in" route. He had a unique bucktail but overextended himself too fast and became miserable because he couldn't keep up with orders. If you come up with something "unique" don't make that mistake. Keep the supply low and the demand high. Look at the Weagle craze from a few years back. Guys were paying big money for what was basically just another bait. They were hard to get because the market wasn't flooded but the guys who had them spouted off on every last fish that they caught on the thing. Voila...it became the "MUST HAVE" bait during that time. Don't worry about color combinations too much. This baby pictured does very, very well under almost all conditions:

Everyone is making bucktails now. If you want to market these what is your niche? The market is flooded with many quality bucktails and probably will be because they are easy to make. They appear to be nice baits but I wouldn't buy them. No offense, but I would just make my own or have one of the half a dozen guys I've fished with who make bucktails make them for me. My suggestion is to give them to friends or swap them at bait swaps. See how they fare in the hands of others and build a reputation that way instead of going all in and opening yourself up to getting screwed. A buddy of mine went the "all-in" route. He had a unique bucktail but overextended himself too fast and became miserable because he couldn't keep up with orders. If you come up with something "unique" don't make that mistake. Keep the supply low and the demand high. Look at the Weagle craze from a few years back. Guys were paying big money for what was basically just another bait. They were hard to get because the market wasn't flooded but the guys who had them spouted off on every last fish that they caught on the thing. Voila...it became the "MUST HAVE" bait during that time. Don't worry about color combinations too much. This baby pictured does very, very well under almost all conditions:

Tenor, One thing I know is that you don't want to make mistakes when it comes to the IRS! These guys want their money and will do anything to get it. A lot of small tackle makers don't understand the excise tax thing and don't pay it. When the IRS shows up it will not be pretty with the taxes, penalties, late fees, etc. You put not only you are risk but also the store that is selling them.

I like them as well, one thing i have always wanted was a big blades (double 10's or 12's) with a smaller skirt. Also thick body wire so it does not bend as easy

Thank you all for your time! Sounds like I'll call her quits after I run out of materials... I have and do make more natural colored ones and pure white I have those at a new muskie shop in my town with #8 colorado blades. I would of liked to started a business but it's not looking like it's going to happen. As for the excise tax I didn't know what that was, nor did I pay it cause of that, now that I know the best I can do will be to give my local Muskies Inc. 11% of my sales (if I do manage to sell a one.. It is the best I can do. I do support protecting waters, fish stocking, ect. I'm young yet and I will make mistakes, thanks for bringing to my attention! If it happens that I succeed I will know to pay this my next order but I don't think I'll make it that far. @AD I didn't know Tanner stopped making rabid squirrels, it's a shame that guy deserved his own lure line!

I like them, I agree and disagree with MM, ditch the fluted blades, keep the marabou and feathers. Don't go too crazy with colors. 1 or 2 colors is plenty. Dadson and Wilde made similar looking baits, (boo dadley and rabid squirrel) Dadson sells his for $30-35, but he's relatively famous. Wildes stopped making his so you've got a niche there. I'd pay low to mid $20's. Sure people can get them for cheaper, but your time is money too. It's not like you go bankrupt if nobody buys them.

I would use the first two bucktails you have shown in a heart beat.....

They look good,but I would also make some with more subtle colors.I have had good results with gold blades and a natural color buck-tail.

Good looking baits. The bright colored ones would be better on dark stained waters and the blue on clear. Here are a few of my "basement" double 10's. I've boated some quality fish on these baits (actually the best one is not posted...a black/smoke combo)

IMHO some of them are a little on the flashy side but not bad and some fishermen like the brighter colors so yes I would say they are fine looking. Now if you're looking at getting into making and selling them be warned that the market is full of bucktails and people making them in their basement so selling them is generally not that easy to do. Also remember that there is a 11% excise tax on all fishing equipment that the maker is responsible for paying to the IRS. This tax goes towards protecting the waters, fish stocking, etc. so if you're not paying it you're not only cheating the government but you are also cheating other fishermen.