Boat Bait or Gulp?

[fish4fun]

okay....we all know fluke fishing in the bay between Sandy Hook and the pier is to put it mild...sucks. Lots of shorts and that occasional keeper. What is the reason for this year's lackluster season brings many different answers. Until things turnaround we got to make the best out of the worst. As a party boat fisherman all I can do is try different baits and hope for the best. Is it spearing with a squid strip? Maybe a buck tail but what color? Or is it one of the three dozen varieties and sizes of Gulp and if so which color and length? Oh...please bring back the good ole' days where live killies were king of the hill. Help!

[Gerry Zagorski]

We use both at the same time and have grinded out limits in the eastern part of the bay pretty much every time out.

Bucktail instead of a sinker with gulp on the bucktail and 12 -18 inches above that, a teaser hook with gulp tipped with a strip of squid and a spearing. Once the spearing is gone so are your bites so if you feel a hit and don't connect, he likely got your spearing so always check it after a bite.

My theory is they come for the gulp and stay for the bait... In other words they are attracted by the profile and movement of the gulp and the bait is what keeps them around. .

Having said this, there's a raging debate on tipping your gulp here on our site http://www.njfishing.com/forums/showthread.php?t=103800

I also know some very respectable and successful people who target big Fluke on the ocean side who are dead set against tipping. Most think that tipping attracts all sorts of by-catch you don't want.. Bergals, Seabass and the dreaded dog fish...

As far a color of the gulp, some days it makes a difference and others it doesn't. I think a good rule of thumb is dark colors in stained water and light colors in cleaner water... The reason I say this is because when the water is murky, fish see darker colors better and in clear water lighter colors.

As far as the color of the bucktail, I don't think it matters much but I'm sure others have their opinions. I think the weight is the most important choice... You want it as light as possible while being able to hold the bottom.... 1 to 4 ounces usually covers most conditions but if you have a fast drift or are fishing deep water channels, you'll likely need more... If I'm forced to fish more then 6 ounces I'll switch over to a sinker and bait.

If I had to choose only 2 gulp colors it would be New Penny Shrimp and White Glo. Nuclear Chicken or Pink Shine would be a close third.

A few more words of advice... Fluke are ambush feeders and hit very aggressively. For this reason you always want to keep your bait or bucktail moving to attract them... Sometimes the boat will provide the movement if it's drifting correctly. If you're stuck with no drift or a drift in the wrong direction this is where a bucktail and the jigging action can really help you. Casting out and jigging back can provide the movement needed to get them in the mood, otherwise your bait is just sitting there.

Hope this helps you and some others and best of luck next time out.

[hammer4reel]

If you need to tip your gulp your not working it enough. Gulp has 400 times more concentrated scent in it than a piece of spearing has.

Frantically swim that bait after a missed hit and they will eat it like a bluefish the next bite

[RAMMFISH66]

Gerry, thank you for that info....will try it next time out on a SPONSOR senior trip!!!

[Gerry Zagorski]

If you need to tip your gulp your not working it enough. Gulp has 400 times more concentrated scent in it than a piece of spearing has.

Frantically swim that bait after a missed hit and they will eat it like a bluefish the next bite

See......Dan is one of those guys who targets big Fluke in the ocean and doesn't tip either :D

[Blackfish Bobby]

In the bay...... Tip all with a Killie and get jiggy wit it :D

Check out our jiggy wit it video....

[Blackfish Bobby]

.....right now you can also match the hatch and tip with peanut bunker for excellent results.... fresh dead to live are best.

[Gerry Zagorski]

.....right now you can also match the hatch and tip with peanut bunker for excellent results.... fresh dead to live are best.

Well it seems like Bobby the Bay Fluker is a big tipper too :D

Here's the video Bobby mentioned http://www.njfishing.com/forums/showthread.php?t=82380

[NJ219bands]

I won the pool on NJ fluke party boats 26 times in one summer with smelts and whole squid baits.

[Gerry Zagorski]

I won the pool on NJ fluke party boats 26 times in one summer with smelts and whole squid baits.

Whole squids are killer and there are a lot of them swimming around inshore... Had one follow my gulp up to the surface last week. How are you rigging them??

[Skolmann]

I’ve been having one of my best fluke season in recent years fishing party boats in the bay for fluke. I’ve done 12 trips; limited 6 times (including one trip where I caught 8 keepers-only keeping my limit), had 2 once, one three times and two skunks.

Early in the season killies or spearing were the ticket, then around the last week of June the bucktail/teaser bite turned on. I’m going to start fishing live snappers/peanut bunker now as this was the time last year that they both really produced.

[Fisherman120]

I won the pool on NJ fluke party boats 26 times in one summer with smelts and whole squid baits.

Out of curiosity, what boat was this?

[AndyS]

Fish don't grow big eating metal and plastic :)

[SaltLife1980]

Early in the season they want that meat. Later on in the season Gulp dominates.

[WhaleFart]

There is little to no reason to tip your gulp with bait, notice the guys who tip catch a lot of junk fish vs fluke.. also they seem to miss many many fish due to having such little hook exposed from throwing so much bait over their gulp. Light action rod, braid, lightest lead you can get away with is key in jigging fluke.

[NJ219bands]

Whole squids are killer and there are a lot of them swimming around inshore... Had one follow my gulp up to the surface last week. How are you rigging them??

double tandem with tuna hooks

[NJ219bands]

Out of curiosity, what boat was this?

Shamrock, Piper, Holiday, Norma K II, Miss Point Pleasant and Ideal in 1970 when the fare was $5 for half day fluking. Party boats started using smelts for bait after they saw me do so well with them.