Fluke fishing

[Rmarsh]

What are your best methods for catching them?
What kind of structure, depth? Do you drift or anchor?
What tackle setup works best?

Thanks

[JFigliuolo]

Originally Posted by Rmarsh

What are your best methods for catching them?
What kind of structure, depth? Do you drift or anchor?
What tackle setup works best?

Thanks

I'm no expert but here's what I like...
1. Wind/tide mostly in the same direction OR at least I can use a drift sock to overcome a crappy wind.

2. Depth depends. I like deeper water, but a VERY good fisherman i know likes shallow. Generally, once you find them they will be at the same depth most of the tide

3. Structure? i like sand/small rocks and pebbles. I've gotten some NICE fluke in very rocky structure. For me, the gear lost trade off isn't worth it.

4. I use 2 rods now.
A. I bucktail with one with a teaser 12" up. (1-3 ounces, 3 VERY
RARELY, usually 1.5) both using gulp.
B. Dead stick with a fluke rig. I use squid UNTIL I get my first
keeper, then i cut the "wings" off the fluke belly and use that.

I like rising depth, i always try to drift into shallower water. I'll start either in a hole and drift out, or up onto a hump. Drifting edges and/or ledges is also productive. basically ambush spots ar place fluke can have bait swept into them. UNLIKE bass, i rarely find them on the deeper side of a slope/structure at least not consistently.

NEVER EVER EVER anchor when fluking. Your really just getting a tan at that point.

ALWAYS stay ON THE BOTTOM.

All this being said... whenever i talk to Clammer i am always reminded i really have no idea what I am doing.

[EliTheBeerGuy]

Everything I know about fluking I learned from watching John Skinner YouTube videos. Google John Skinner Fluke.

Before this past weekend I've caught maybe 6 fluke in two seasons (don't really try much, I'm primarily a kayak fisherman). After learning everything I could online in the past month, I went out this weekend and caught more than a dozen in two days, including a 27" doormat.

Granted, lots of luck involved, but check out those YouTube videos for a good starting point.
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

[Got Stripers]

My last couple kayak trips have been up inside BB and just outside the main channel which where I fish is about 35 feet at a full tide and I'm catching in about 15 feet. I'm a light tackle guy and fish my own hand poured 4" split tails (like pearl or white for fluke) on a 3/8 to 1/2oz kalin ulimate jig head, with an occassional squirt of gulp crawfish scent. The spot I fish is a bitch to pull my kayak out at low tide, so I've been trying to get fishing the incoming for the last three hours of the tide.

One spot for me has been very good with some boulders and the fluke stage downcurrent. I like a long cast upcurrent, I give it a ten count to get the light jig to the bottom and then a slow lift drop back to the kayak and I've rarely needed more than a couple hours to limit out on some nice size fluke. These aren't 8-10lb doormatts, but are nice 20+ inch fish and good eating; too bad they really are that much of a fight.

I'm having better luck inside on spots boats rarely fish, than back in my boating days in Vineyard Sound, but the fish there in deeper water were sometimes large. Back then I'd drag a fluke rig with spinner and adjust the weight based on current and typically I'd try for a few bluefish on the way out to get some belly strips as they last forever on the hook. Fresh squid of course is a preferred bait by many, but it just won'd last like a strip of bluefish belly.

[Clammer]

JoeF WTF I never ,ever steered you wrong on any fish .............. you must have sea robin flu

[JFigliuolo]

Originally Posted by Clammer

JoeF WTF I never ,ever steered you wrong on any fish .............. you must have sea robin flu

I think you misread what I wrote..
What I meant was whenever I THINK I have something figured out... we talk and I realize I don't know squat. I learn from you almost every time. Seriously.
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

[bloocrab]

Those Gulp baits work nice, but good luck keeping the tails away from scup and BSB........things can get expensive.


Check PMs.

[MakoMike]

You can fish bait or bucktail them. They like a lot of current and hold out of the current looking for bait to be swept by. Big fluke like a rough bottom. If fishing bait, like sand eels or big spearing use ryder hooks so you can stretch them out for a more natural presentation.

[JLH]

I've been having pretty good luck with them this season fishing free fall or swimming jigs. Started out using the jigs mainly for seabass because the small seabass, scup and everything else were cleaning the bait off the hook before a decent seabass could find it. Found that the fluke seem to like the jigs quite a bit as well.

I also really like bucktailing them with fluke belly strips or gulp. Squid strips are ok too but they don't stay on well.
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

[Poncho]

Bill Hurley from cape cod sand eels makes a killer soft plastic for fluke and bsb. I have had good luck with his stuff on jigs
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