I was just wondering what some of you more experienced "double-10" throwers think of some of the knockoff versions of the Musky Mayhem DCG. I love using the original DCG and its the only double-10 I have used, I just hate the price tag, and there seems to be so many good looking alternatives. This off-season I've purchased a couple "dominatrix's" and have been eyeing a few others because they were less than half the price yet seemed similar. For those of you who have fished with these some of these knock-offs, what are the pros/cons you have noticed? Is it really worth the extra $?
Crappy bucktails may have one or more of the following shortcomings:
- use brass clevises which wear out quickly, instead of stainless;
have thin blade material which bend easily or get ding-ed;
use cheap paint/powdercoat on the blades, which then flakes off;
have cheap skirting, which tangles in the hooks, breaks off, or doesn't undulate nicely when moving through the water;
use cheap hooks which aren't strong and/or don't stay sharp;
are hard to get spinning correctly;
use thin wire, which doesn't stay straight.
I'm sure there're more…
You can get Spanky's and Crazy Moon built custom which could be nice if you want a specific color combination. Once a company is building with quality components much of it comes down to weighting (how heavy is the tail) and if the blades are .025 (DCG and others) or .040 (thicker than a DCG). Thicker doesn't mean better though, they just run differently.
I got a new Dominatrix later last year to see if they had changed the tinsel, and it was different than one of the first ones i bought, Now the tinsel doesnt get stuck up in the hooks. The new problem is after using it for a few minutes, the glue they used to hold the tinsel in place comes loose and the tinsel slides freely and it comes off. Ive given up on that company for buying anything bucktail related, and will just buy superD's here and there for the price saving. Most their bucktails have a heavier blade than cowgirls as well.
I hate to say it but I would stay away from the dominatrix bucktails. The tinsel is too thin and will get caught in everything. The paint on the blades isn't the best and will probably wear off very quickly. The blades are also really flat which adds a lot more resistance when pulling them in. The last one isn't really a bad thing, but it will wear you out a lot faster. DCG, Spankys, CrazyMoon are all great baits and will all catch fish but I usually make my own. The price for these baits is pretty high because the cost to make them is pretty high.
After throwing a few different kinds of Double 10's I'm still pretty partial to the DCG's. I have caught a few fish with a Mojo Double X, but that was when the fish were going like crazy and I think anything would've done the trick. I'm looking forward to trying some of the Spanky Baits this upcoming season.
I must admit that I hate throwing double 10's due to the fatigue factor… but they work magic on occasions.
I don't actually own any DCG, but I do own some of the double showgirls, and their performance has been perfect. Matt has some DCG's that I've thrown, and I've never had the same problems that I have with the Dominatrix. For this year, I picked up a Llungen DC-10, and a Shumway Giant Flasher. I figured I'd give these 2 a try. Also thinking about trying out one of the Super Models.
"Scott Williams" said:
I must admit that I hate throwing double 10's due to the fatigue factor
That's why I picked up one of the Daiwa Saltist 40LW. [smilie=brows.gif] 6.4:1 ratio, and 46"(?) 47" (?) of line pickup per turn. The fish won't even know what zinged by their face. Yes, Hemi, I know, I know…. [smilie=biggrin.gif] I'll just have to let you try it this year!
"Jim tenHaaf" said:
Also thinking about trying out one of the Super Models.
These are pretty nice baits as well and actually feel very similar to DCGs. I messed around with some of these this past year and thought they would be a lot more difficult to reel in compared to the DCG, but that wasn't the case. If you can fish the DCG, you can fish the Super Model.
I didn't like the Spanky baits dbl 10's at all, just not used the thicker blades, the flashabou tangled bad also. They did pull easier and were a little more tail heavy stock, so they were not all bad I guess. I also thought the Bucher bigfoots were junk, the tinsel is a joke. I like the DCG's the best, the big saltwater reels do take awhile to get used to but are great for alot of other baits as well.
if you really want to have some fun you can easily make your own. You can order the pre-bent wires and all the other components from Rollie and Helens and then all you'll need is some zip ties and you've got some customs. It is a ton more fun to catch them on your own creations and it is much cheaper.
To tell you all the truth I have never caught a fish on a Double 10 bucktail of any type. Lots on my own double 8's (colorados,) and 9 indianas. Shumway flashers have done real well for both Michelle and I. I believe that on the right water those bigger Bucktails are awesome but on many of our smaller lakes they just dont get bit. My guess is water temps need to be warm and fish aggressive for them to really be a good choice. I think St Clair is a good spot for them and other large lakes here in Michigan. I have had some follows on them in Murray. I cant argue with the success of the Cow Girls all over Minnesota and the large lakes in western Ontario but they dont do anything for me here. Mike
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