Flukes -- I know this is a striper board :) - Striper Talk Striped Bass Fishing, Surfcasting, Boating

jugstah · 06-02-2003, 08:41 AM

What do you guys do to catch flukes? I know this is a striped-bass board but I know we all fish for anything too! It's all about the thrill of landing the BIG ONE!

I caught a doormat of a fluke last year using herring and a striper rig... and lemme tell ya, the fresh fillet of a fluke was KILLER! better than the fillets from a seafood market!!!

So, the question is, what's the best way to catch them, and where in the canal would be the most productive way to catch them when using the boat?? Out of Falmouth? any other ideas?

I'm mainly striper fishing, but I want to catch another fluke for dinner!

JohnR · 06-02-2003, 08:54 AM

Dan - you can't legally fish from a boat in the canal but I'm sure there are spots just west of there that you can.

I've done little fluking but I have caught them on live mummichogs and once on a Ledgrunner 5" split tail.

There are plenty of places to catch Fluke but it's best from Buzzards Bay and west. Narragansett Bay has some fluking as well as off Pt Jude and down the Rhody Shoreline...

jugstah · 06-02-2003, 09:06 AM

JohnR, you're right.. i forgot to clarify.. i guess im used to callign the whole canal as it is.. but yeah... buzzards bay and outwards... any good spots to hit for fluke off a boat?

nor-easter · 06-02-2003, 09:11 AM

Those Flats to the South of the West End of the canal produce Fluke as well as the Flats area to the North of the Stony Dike.
Almost any area in Buzzards Gulch that has a large sandy bottom area will be home to Fluke and Flounder. In The Nantucket and Vineyard Sounds the same deal. Middle Ground, Lucas Where ever. Set up a drift across the flat, go from deep to deep dragging a spinner and hook with a Squid Strip, A bass belly strip and those funny rubber thingies that John R. mentioned.
Mumpers work great if you got them.
Good Luck
Good Eating!

Have you ever cut Fluke into 1 inch squares and soaked it in Lemon and Lime Juice and sliced onion and tomato and peppers. Savechi is the way it sounds but it is spelled different.
I call it Delicious!

fishweewee · 06-02-2003, 09:29 AM

Drift a 1.75 oz bucktail tipped with fresh squid just off the bottom.

When you feel the tug, RIP HIS !@#$ING LIPS OFF!

-WW

Notaro · 06-02-2003, 02:10 PM

I saw a guy once caught a fluke on the jety close to the Railroad Bridge of the Canal. He used seaclam strips and caught them. I caught a 16 1/2 inches fluke on Poppy Flats with a 3/8 oz got-cha plug with bucktail. They can be around with bluefish sometimes on the Poppy Flats.

Bill L · 06-02-2003, 07:58 PM

I like Thom Cat Glow Baby fluke rigs (no affiliation - this is NOT a plug

)

Basically a three-way rig, with a mono leader to a rubber squid skirt over the hook; bait this with a nice strip of squid, or even better a live mummichog if you can trap em.

From the swivel, I'll go with another leader to a 2 or 3 oz bucktail jig (weight depending on depth of water and current), baited with another squid strip. Sometimes I'll just use a bank sinker instead of the jig, especially if I need more lead to hit the bottom in deeper water, but the jig gives you another hook to catch on

Drift your boat with the tide and wind, while bouncing the jig/weight over bottom. You want to be able to feel it tap the bottom as you go; braid is good for the "feel". I've been using thirty pound spiderwire on a small conventional

Surfpirate · 06-02-2003, 11:16 PM

Bucktails and silver balls do a great job on fluke, all you need is current and a drop off, then as Ben said, "rip them lips off"!!!

if the pic shows, this one is a 13 pounder

Notaro · 06-02-2003, 11:32 PM

holy moley! it's so beauuutiffuull!!!!! dang, NY seemed a fluke mecca to me. so nice and delicious fluke...

jugstah · 06-03-2003, 06:38 AM

Sweet!!!

That's one nice doormat, Surfpirate!

I caught one just like that last year, and I'm hoping to get another one this year!

Thanks for the advice, I'm definitely going to re-arm my tacklebox with additional rigs for flukes

-Dan

Surfpirate · 06-04-2003, 11:08 PM

just to clarify...

yes it is a real fish, not a fake

It was caught last june w/ capt Bob Rochetta off orient.

it looks so pretty because it was in a live well and not on ice (hence no tell tail red from contact w/ ice or pooling of blood).

but good eyes out there!!!

best fishes

Dano