How to Fish a Fluke Using the Best Tackle Available
My friends usually asked me how to fish a fluke to catch more bass. The best time to fish a fluke for me is during the summer. The spawning season is over for quite some time. The fishes are on the move again. Summer is the season where the largemouth bass migrates back to the deeper parts of the lake or river.
The fishes converged in these deep humps and ledges due to its oxygen-rich environment. This is the time of the year where we can experience a lot of “drops”. Still, I can catch a substantial number of fishes with the use of a fluke.
These kinds of baits consist of various sizes, colors, and shapes. They are also sold under different names but their purpose is the same – to catch fish.
Things That You Will Need
No doubt you will need the right gears and equipment to catch the big fish.
The rods I used for fishing are the ones equipped with a spinning gear. Some prefer to use the baitcaster but only if they have the necessary skill.
You can use the 7-foot medium action rod with a soft tip for the big fish. For the smaller fluke or baits, you can use the 6-foot rods.
As I mentioned earlier, you can choose between a spinner and a casting reel. I use a spinning reel with a gear ratio of around 5.7:1, however, this is a matter of personal choice.
One of the lines I use for spooling is the 10-pound test. It’s limp but very tough. The other line I use is the one with 8 lb. diameter and 20 lb. test strength. It makes the fluke fall slower
Via zoombait.com
Get colors such as Chartreuse, Red, or Pearl White. You can also use dyes to color the flukes
A good snap can improve the performance of your line.
Steps on How to Fish a Fluke
1. Find the Best Spot to Fish a Fluke
The fishing areas include bridge pilings, shallow and deep grass beds, rip rap areas, the docks, boathouses, and lay downs.
When fishing in this location, I carefully position my boat upstream from the bridge pilings but cast downstream. This enables me to better control my lure.
The currents going to the river channel are normally stronger but it becomes weaker once I got nearer the river bank. I make sure to all the four sides of the piling including the shelf that connects them.
You can catch a lot of fishes in these grassy areas and they usually stay at a depth of around one to five feet.
When the wind blows very hard towards the grass, most of the fishes tend to retreat towards the deepest waters. Seize the opportunity and cast at this depth.
Dock areas and boat houses differ from one another; however, they share something in common. Most of the fishes are located around the sunken brush piles.
If I am new to the area, I use the floodlights, fishing pole holders or chairs to help me locate the sunken piles. As a rule of thumb, most of the sunken brush piles around the docks are within casting distance.
If it’s sunny at the docks, I will let the bait sink down to make contact with the brush pile. I will work the lure to simulate the movement of a worm. This will catch the attention of the fishes.
With regards to both houses, most will only fish at the sides and the front. To increase your chances of catching a bass or two, skip the fluke in between every opening, especially those with a lot of shades.
You need to watch your line every now and then because the fluke is sometimes not in your line of sight. You may have to sink your bait to a depth of around 18 to 20 feet to lure the bass out.
To catch fishes in this area, I set out a good long cat keeping the fluke at least a few inches to the shoreline. Patience is a virtue as you will need to cast several times in the same area before catching a fish.
You will likely get a lot of smaller bass but they are still a good catch.
2. Different Methods to Fish a Fluke
This is the simplest method among the three. First, I hold the fluke in one hand with belly’s slit facing me. I insert the hook’s point into the fluke’s blunt end.
Then I bring the point about half-way from the fluke’s tip and the slit’s beginning. I push the fluke up the hook, over the bend. Then, I rotate the bait 90 degrees until the hook’s point faces the belly slit.
As I am holding the hook, I push the bait slightly forward then insert the point’s hook into and through the bait until the point is exposed.
This technique helps your line from getting hung up in the wooded and grassy areas. Just make sure to check every strike after casting a few lines.
You rig the Fluke the exact way as the first method except that the hook is exposed outside the bait. This rigging works well in bridge pilings and rip rap areas. Just avoid the areas with logs and grasses.
Via fnflures.com
You had to use this technique in certain situations only since the bait is not weedless. This third method can catch a lot of fish such as the largemouth.
3. Learn the Proper Retrieve
There are three kinds of retrieves that you can use in your quest to fish a fluke. The first method requires darting and dive the bait quickly from side to side. This casting action is meant to simulate a wounded fish trying to escape from a predatory fish.
The second method is similar to the first method except that you reduce the speed of your casting.
The third method is also known as the “Dead Stick”. You just let the fluke fall or settle down out of your sight.
To get a clearer picture of how to fish a fluke, you can watch this video:
Conclusion
There are a number of ways to fish a fluke. You can choose different tackles to suit the bait you are using. These include the rods, lines, hooks, and even the colors, shapes and kinds of flukes you are using.
You can also employ the different techniques of casting and retrieving the flukes. Each of the casting or retrieving technique will depend on certain conditions.
The various locations where you will fish a fluke also require certain strategies and methods. The seasons, depth, wind and water currents also influence how you use the bait to catch the fishes. The variety of flukes available in the market ensures that you can catch any size of fish out there.
