Fluke catching strategies!

[Detour66]

So far this season I have noticed that depending on where you are fishing different baits and rigs have better success catching fish than others. Not one rig or method works best all the time. Some spots want a basic 3 way rig with bait others bucktails or jigs with gulp or gulp tipped with bait or even just bait. So it's good to mix it up until you find the combo they are looking for. Most of the time on my boat one of us will be using a bait/gulp and another jigging. A lot also depends on the conditions. Depth of water current etc. If anyone would like to add to this please do. Knowledge is power! Tight lines!

[AndrewT]

So far this season I have noticed that depending on where you are fishing different baits and rigs have better success catching fish than others. Not one rig or method works best all the time. Some spots want a basic 3 way rig with bait others bucktails or jigs with gulp or gulp tipped with bait or even just bait. So it's good to mix it up until you find the combo they are looking for. Most of the time on my boat one of us will be using a bait/gulp and another jigging. A lot also depends on the conditions. Depth of water current etc. If anyone would like to add to this please do. Knowledge is power! Tight lines!

Trying to figure it all out is the actual addiction. Reeling in the fish is just a fun bonus

[Papasown]

On my boat, I encourage each person to try a different combo of rigs, baits, gulp until someone connects. Then I try the same, and if successful we all use that method. But it is true that on different days, and in different places the combination of " baits " can be different.

Always my favs are #1, live bait, #2. dead fresh bait w/ gulp on teaser, #3 Frozen bait, or just gulp, trying different colors ( green, white, pink )

If I am fortunate enough to have a live snapper blue, that beauty goes on a dead stick in a rod holder fished farther out.

Catch 'em up.......Papa

[hammer4reel]

Confidence in your choice makes it work better .

Bucktails and gulp will outfish most other methods 95% of the time .

It creates impulse strikes on fish even when they aren’t feeding .

.

[dales529]

Confidence in your choice makes it work better .

Bucktails and gulp will outfish most other methods 95% of the time .

It creates impulse strikes on fish even when they aren’t feeding .

.

While different strategies work on different days for many reasons I agree with Capt Dan on this. Bucktails /or Ball jigs with gulp are the way to go. Also large hooks on both the Jigs and the teaser with gulp on both! Working them hard is paramount for getting those "impulse" strikes and not getting snagged all day. Some adhere to the smallest weight conditions will allow and casting up current which works but nothing wrong with fishing heavier straight up and down as well. Also agree with "confidence" in your rig as you fish harder and better when you know you have the right presentation.

Not saying we dont use Robin, mack , bluefish or squid strips at times but always come home happy! So as Dan said a confident plan and then mix it up if required.

Also have learned it matters on every stop is everyone is ready at the rail and drops at the same time! Makes a frenzy at the bottom that they cant resist even if its a light crowd on the boat.

Been a good year so far lets hope it stays for another month! Tight lines

[hammer4reel]

While different strategies work on different days for many reasons I agree with Capt Dan on this. Bucktails /or Ball jigs with gulp are the way to go. Also large hooks on both the Jigs and the teaser with gulp on both! Working them hard is paramount for getting those "impulse" strikes and not getting snagged all day. Some adhere to the smallest weight conditions will allow and casting up current which works but nothing wrong with fishing heavier straight up and down as well. Also agree with "confidence" in your rig as you fish harder and better when you know you have the right presentation.

Not saying we dont use Robin, mack , bluefish or squid strips at times but always come home happy! So as Dan said a confident plan and then mix it up if required.

Also have learned it matters on every stop is everyone is ready at the rail and drops at the same time! Makes a frenzy at the bottom that they cant resist even if its a light crowd on the boat.

Been a good year so far lets hope it stays for another month! Tight lines

That frenzy is actually how fluke normally feed .
There are many fish together . When a school of baitfish etc come past they all feed
Scuba divers I know witness it all the time
Very few fish chewing until they all go on the chew because an abundance of food is there

[Gerry Zagorski]

Great post and lots of great information above! Here's my take...

In the ocean around the sticky stuff its bucktails with a teaser 12 inches up with gulp on both. No bait since it seems to attract more undesirables like skates and doggies.

In the bay the same set up but I tip the gulp teaser with spearing since I get more fish with the spearing then without.. You get a hit but it didn't connect so you leave it out there hoping to get a follow but nothing. You reel it up, you still have your gulp but the spearing is gone, you put another spearing on and BANG! you start getting hit again.

I did get my personal best on a live snapper but for some reason I've never done well with live or dead Peanut Bunker but some do.

I'll also add if you have no drift, casting out and jigging back gulp/bucktails works since you really can't do that effectively with bait and sinker rig. I also think you are more attentive when bucktailing since you're always working the rod jigging and you feel the bites...

Having said all this, the most important part of Fluking is not what bait your using, it's conditions!! If I'm fishing in an area with good drift conditions and you're not and we're both using the same bait, I'll out fish you all day long. The Fluke lay on the bottom pointed into the current and expect to your bait moving in the same direction as the current. If it's not, because the wind is pushing your boat the opposite of the current, you have wind against current/tide and you might as well be sitting at home on the couch. You can read more about the subject in this thread https://www.njfishing.com/forums/showthread.php?t=82405&highlight=effects+wind+tide

Finally, I'd bet my last dollar that most of the Fluke tournaments are won with Bucktails, either with Gulp or Strip baits that Dales mentioned above.

[frugalfisherman]

Jigging with just gulp is too much work.

[MattMal88]

It is interesting how they really are picky with baits. In my experience, for whatever reason, when I fish an inlet, like squan and shark river, Ive always done well with a simple single hook fluke rig, no beads, spinners, or skirts. Baited with a frozen spearing. Cast up current, let the tide do the drifting for you and slow retrieve. Ive had many occasions with guys fishing 50 feet away using bucktails and gulp getting little to no action and im slaying them. Never had it go the other way, where bucktails or gulp did better. However, on a boat, bucktails with gulp kill it while the bait guys do squat. It has to be bait dependent, where more spearing and minnows are in the bays and inlet and out in the deep must be more a shrimp, small crab, sand eel bite where the gulps match the hatch better. All good info on here as always.

[Gerry Zagorski]

It is interesting how they really are picky with baits. In my experience, for whatever reason, when I fish an inlet, like squan and shark river, Ive always done well with a simple single hook fluke rig, no beads, spinners, or skirts. Baited with a frozen spearing. Cast up current, let the tide do the drifting for you and slow retrieve. Ive had many occasions with guys fishing 50 feet away using bucktails and gulp getting little to no action and im slaying them. Never had it go the other way, where bucktails or gulp did better. However, on a boat, bucktails with gulp kill it while the bait guys do squat. It has to be bait dependent, where more spearing and minnows are in the bays and inlet and out in the deep must be more a shrimp, small crab, sand eel bite where the gulps match the hatch better. All good info on here as always.

You got that right Matt... The bays, rivers and inlets are where the spearing are so when in France, you do like the French and match the hatch!

I know Jakes Dad, Hartattack and Dales on here do a lot of successful river and inlet fishing so I hope they can comment on our spearing theory.

[hartattack]

I'm a mad jigger but try to incorporate the match-the-hatch strategy that Gerry mentions. Early season fluking in the rivers and bay I use meat only on 1oz naked jighead and plain hook teaser above. When fishing brackish waters where salinity dips, I find that Killies are the ticket. I use a live Killie on top teaser and bounce it - it works well!

When Ocean Fluking I know many members of the #nospearing#gulp_only club - they feel that spearing attracts too many small fish. I always fish gulp + spearing combo. They can steal the meat but usually come back for the Gulp. Our largest Fluke of the season, Jakesdad's 28.5"er, was caught on this combo.

The John Skinner method of jig + teaser is quite popular. I'd like to point out a rival technique that our very own Reason162 has championed: Single Jig Fluking. Check out his fascinating Youtube channel: https://youtu.be/5Lt96zIO1gg

I use the single jig technique most times I fish from shore, however I use the Skinner method for more vertical type fishing.
Great topic, I hope some of our silent sharpies post here. . . .

[Gerry Zagorski]

I'm a mad jigger but try to incorporate the match-the-hatch strategy that Gerry mentions. Early season fluking in the rivers and bay I use meat only on 1oz naked jighead and plain hook teaser above. When fishing brackish waters where salinity dips, I find that Killies are the ticket. I use a live Killie on top teaser and bounce it - it works well!

When Ocean Fluking I know many members of the #nospearing#gulp_only club - they feel that spearing attracts too many small fish. I always fish gulp + spearing combo. They can steal the meat but usually come back for the Gulp. Our largest Fluke of the season, Jakesdad's 28.5"er, was caught on this combo.

The John Skinner method of jig + teaser is quite popular. I'd like to point out a rival technique that our very own Reason162 has championed: Single Jig Fluking. Check out his fascinating Youtube channel: https://youtu.be/5Lt96zIO1gg

I use the single jig technique most times I fish from shore, however I use the Skinner method for more vertical type fishing.
Great topic, I hope some of our silent sharpies post here. . . .

Thanks Larry and Reason’s Single Jig Fluking video is really well done!

[jbigtime]

My fluke fishing trajectory started as a kid in the mid 80’s dragging the old standard squid and spearing combination tied to 30lb mono with a broomstick boat rod and a Penn Long Beach 60. As time wore on, technology improved, as did my budget. Now I only use braided lines, light weight modern fast action rods and a variety of bucktails a teasers. At first I tipped the bucktails with my old friends squid and spearing. Then I witnessed my uncle, who can’t fish at all, out fishing my father and I on this new stuff called Gulp, that he was hooking backwards on his bucktail. I knew there had to be something to that Gulp stuff after seeing that! Now after sinking my kids college fund into Gulp baits, recharge stations and the like I am never on the water without a full arsenal of Gulp. I hate to sound like an infomercial but I’ve seen total hacks become fluke slayers using the stuff. I do agree that sometimes they hit quicker with a spearing added. And sometimes on finicky days color plays a part. As always conditions are a huge factor. Wind against tide with no drift and you’re having a rough outing!

[Gerry Zagorski]

My fluke fishing trajectory started as a kid in the mid 80’s dragging the old standard squid and spearing combination tied to 30lb mono with a broomstick boat rod and a Penn Long Beach 60. As time wore on, technology improved, as did my budget. Now I only use braided lines, light weight modern fast action rods and a variety of bucktails a teasers. At first I tipped the bucktails with my old friends squid and spearing. Then I witnessed my uncle, who can’t fish at all, out fishing my father and I on this new stuff called Gulp, that he was hooking backwards on his bucktail. I knew there had to be something to that Gulp stuff after seeing that! Now after sinking my kids college fund into Gulp baits, recharge stations and the like I am never on the water without a full arsenal of Gulp. I hate to sound like an infomercial but I’ve seen total hacks become fluke slayers using the stuff. I do agree that sometimes they hit quicker with a spearing added. And sometimes on finicky days color plays a part. As always conditions are a huge factor. Wind against tide with no drift and you’re having a rough outing!

I hear you on the gulp our go to color is Pink Shine and White Glow but some days other colors can work better like Nuclear Chicken. But like you said, it can get pricey. If you run into a school of Seabass or Bluefish it will get bit off or when fishing the sticky stuff you can get snagged and loose the gulp and your bucktail... 2 pieces of gulp @ $2 each and 1 bucktail @ $6 and it's $10 each time your loose a rig :eek:

For this reason and for those of you who are new to bucktailing, in the real sticky stuff, try and keep your bucktail bouncing just off the bottom rather than on the bottom. The Fluke will still hit even if it's not right on the bottom in fact, in clear water conditions I've seen them chase a bucktail all the way to the surface.. If you do get stuck try and free the snag rather than bust it off. Best way we've found to do this is start up the boat and run back towards the snag, over and past it. Its VERY important while doing this to make sure you leave slack in your line or you're going to make the snag worse. Once you're past the snag reel in the slack and pop the rod a few times and not all the time but most of the time, this usually pops it out. This is obviously not practical on party or charter boat with a bunch of other people on the boat so be prepared to loose some rigs and try to be even more careful about staying just off the bottom.

One alternative to gulp is fish strips with the skin on. You cut them into 6 inch pieces tapered like a V at one end, use them on the bucktail and teaser.. You can use Fluke belly but be advised you can't use the belly of fluke you caught in the past. It has to be from a legal Fluke you caught that day, you can only use 1 fluke and you have to retain the rack to show it if you are boarded. Other common strip baits are Sea Robin, Bluefish, Bunker or Macks, some use Salmon as well and I hear it's deadly. All except the bunker freeze well too, just make sure to leave the skin on since it's the toughest part of the strip and will hold on the hook longer.

Hook size is important too. I'm using a 6/0 to 8/0 which some consider to be larger hooks. Fluke have very large mouths and too small a hook will lead to gut hooked fish. The bigger the hook the further down the strip or gulp it is so they tend to get the hook more instead of just biting off the tail end of your bait. This is the reason some use stinger or trailer hooks on the bucktail. Although not good for gulp since it restricts the movement of the tail, it's used more for longer strip baits. Any comments here FRUGAL? :D

Be interesting to know if any of you have found any other good alternatives to Gulp. I've used Fish Bites Pink EZ Shrimp the other day... It's about the same price as Gulp but it's much tougher, almost as tough as a piece of leather and lasts much longer than gulp or squid. Even the Seabass or Bluefish can't seem to bite it in half or steel it.

Some great advise throughout this whole thread. Thanks to all for sharing your knowledge. This and making new fishing friends is exactly what our community here on NJF is all about!

[Gremlin2009]

What ever your strategy is remember one thing. count your blessings and say a prayer. always work for me

[Gerry Zagorski]

What ever your strategy is remember one thing. count your blessings and say a prayer. always work for me

And you can always sing the fishy song too :D

[Duffman]

Will the next world record be caught surpassing Nappi?

If it is, will it be on Gulp?

What was Monica using as a rig, ya know before the raccoon stole it?

Bottom line is my thoughts are, I use gulp all the time. You guys are way way way more experts than I am. I’d never question what what ya recommend. But that huge fish one day is gonna come on live bait.