A lethal new weapon in the hunt for hard hitting Stripers,
the SPRO Prime Bucktail Jig

Date: |
5/1/02 |
Tackle type: |
Lure |
Manufacturer: |
SPRO |
Reviewer: |
Zander |
Total Score: 8.75
Introduction: SPRO advances the design of a traditional bucktail with details that include a truly realistic head, new action,
colors, and ultra-sharp Gamakatsu hooks. A new design that is good news for
anglers, bad news for Stripers.
SPRO Prime
Bucktail Jig Specifications |
Type |
Re-designed bucktail jig |
Depth |
variable depending on style |
Weights |
1/4,
3/8/, 1/2, 3/4, 1, 1 1/2, 2, 3 oz. |
Colors/Patterns |
white, green shad, chartreuse, blue shad. magic bus, bunker, pink, dark shad |
Hooks |
Gamakatsu |
MSRP |
$2.99-$3.79 (depends on size) |
Impressions: SPRO uses some of the best materials in its unique creations,
and the attention to detail continues to be a major reason SPRO continues to
catch the attention of fish and anglers alike. Some of you who fish for Stripers
have no doubt used a traditional white bucktail jig. The SPRO Prime Bucktail is
the most detailed and realistic bucktail jig I have ever seen, right out of the
box. When I first received the latest jigs from SPRO I noticed the addition of
new colors and patterns with a head that was so lifelike you could actually make
out the look of "fear" on the face of the jig. SPRO claims that this lure is hard to fish
wrong and can be used to entice a range of saltwater fish including cobia, snook, dolphin, or stripers. Since finding stripers in Northern California would
be the easiest I headed right out to see just how well this new lure would work.
 |
The Prime
Bucktail Jig has the most realistic looking head we have ever seen on a
bucktail, you can almost see the look of fear on this mimic of a fleeing
baitfish. |
The Construction: Once further examined in the field it began to dawn on me
that the Prime Bucktail Jig is quite unlike any other bucktail I have ever
fished with. The realism captured by the lure is a direct result of a new head
design and proper placement of two large holographic eyes set in wells in front
of a realistic looking gill mold. We spent most of our time testing the "green
shad" pattern which is quite characteristic of the rest of the line. This lure's
unique color does an excellent job paralleling a real baitfish from all angles.
From the top the lures profile is dark, from the side it has a shiny strip of
hairs that resembles the profile of a baitfish, and the bottom displays a white
belly. The lure always swims with the right orientation because SPRO designed
the Prime Bucktail to be tied on at the top, not in the front like other
bucktail jigs. During our test we discovered that this unique placement allows
for some more flexible fishing as well. To top it al off SPRO uses ultra sharp
and strong Gamakatsu hooks.
Tests: To test the action and durability of this lure I headed out for 3
days of fishing at O'Neil Forebay which is a holding reservoir below Lake San
Luis. This lake is famous for producing the California record for the largest
Striped Bass at 67lbs 8oz back in 1992. There was plenty of Striper action to be
had here.
 |
The profile
of the Prime Bucktail before being thrown is much larger, notice the colored
profile from all angles thanks to the matching colors on the head and
bucktail skirt |
The Cast: The Prime Bucktail casts like a
bullet when coupled with a medium action 6'6" rod. A perfect rod for this lure
would be a medium or medium heavy rod with a quick tip. I was able to cast a
good distance and quite accurately. If you want to cast further you can
add more weight, and can even attract even more attention to the lure with a
single tail trailer grub. We recommend a small opaque white single tail grub for
consistency. The
Prime Bucktail easily holds the trailer in place, and now you have an even longer
and larger lure that will attract larger fish and can be cast farther to cover more area.
 |
Once wet the
bucktail takes on a aerodynamic profile that resembles a fleeing baitfish,
notice all the colors are still oriented in the correct positions |
The Retrieve: By attaching the line to the lure on the top rather then
the head creates a more realistic action as the lure pivots on a upper axis rather
then being simply pulled forward. The most unique action of all is that this
allows the lure a unique swimming pattern which is unlike other bucktails that
often fall at an angle or hang straight down. This allows anglers to work new
areas and depths upon retrieve. For example when an angler has located a school
he can directly lower the jig and work the jig below the boat. Because of
perfect weight balancing and the head design the lure doesn't hang and instead
can be jigged with the body remaining parallel to the bottom....like a real
baitfish.
 |
During field
tests Stripers would violently strike the Prime Bucktail, with the addition
of a white trailer we were able to use this versatile lure to target even
larger stripers |
The versatility and action: When it comes down to it a bucktail
jig can be your best friend for targeting Stripers and the SPRO Prime Bucktail
provides new versatility to bucktail fishing. During our tests we
retrieved, jigged, and trolled the Prime Bucktail with success. The unique
action of this lure brought on some intense striper action, and when coupled
with a white trailer only becomes more effective.
I found that this lure worked best when jerked
while retrieving at high speed....and I mean fast! the faster and more erratic
the movement of the rod, the more strikes I got. While I may have looked like I
was doing some sick dance on top of my bass boat the final laugh was mine as the
Prime Bucktail jig continued to produce strike after strike and plenty of hard
hitting stripers fell prey to the sharp Gamakatsu hooks. During testing the
largest fish we landed was 3.5lbs, not large by striper standards but
still an incredibly powerful fish for its size. I have had stripers this size do
a real number on hooks as their raw power is enough to straighten out lesser
hooks. The Gamakatsu hooks on the Prime Minnows took a ton of strikes and
provided hooksets with no damage to show for it.
Ratings:
SPRO Prime
Bucktail Jig Ratings (?/10) |
Construction/Quality |
Good construction, and good choice of high quality Gamakatsu hooks |
9 |
Performance |
The
Prime Bucktail performs well thanks to its super realistic design and new
movement, a worthy evolution form the traditional bucktail |
8.5 |
Price |
A
slightly more expensive price then traditional bucktail jigs, but worth
every penny if you consider the materials, design, and flexibility of this
lure |
8 |
Features |
Feature rich as far as bucktails go...SPRO does a good job incorporating a
new head design and seamlessly matching new skirts. |
9 |
Design
(Ergonomics) |
A
unique design that produces a lot of action from Stripers. The design of
attaching the lure on top rather then the front is unique. |
9 |
Application |
The
ability to vertically jig and retrieve the Prime Bucktail while keeping the
lure parallel to the bottom creates more flexibility in lure presentation.
This lure will work well for many applications and species. |
9 |
Total Score |
8.75 |
Pluses and Minuses:
Plus
Minus |
J
Great new design |
L
slightly more expensive then traditional
bucktails |
J
Gamakatsu hooks! |
|
J
Unique jigging action |
|
J
Flexible and versatile |
|
J
Ability to hold a trailer well |
|