Fluke - when to set the hook

[Apple Panic]

This question is for jigging on a party boat.

For years, I have been delaying setting the hook when the bite is weak thinking that the fish is just playing with the end of my bait and hasn't swallowed it yet.

After watching some of the incredible underwater video of John Skinner on youtube, I think I am going to change my mind and will try to set the hook as soon as I feel anything. If I miss, the fish will come back according to the videos.

What do you guys do when the bite is only a slight tug or just weak?

[SaltLife1980]

I set the hook like there is no tomorrow every time no mater the type of hit. These fish will chase your bait so if you miss once they come back

[tjd24]

When I'm jigging fluke, I try to cross their eyes whenever I feel a bump. If you miss and keep jigging, they do tend to follow and strike again

[Apple Panic]

Thanks guys for the info. I will try that and report back on the result.

[SaltLife1980]

Thanks guys for the info. I will try that and report back on the result.

Hope you get em!

[Apple Panic]

Ok, here is my report. I was on a non-sponsor boat out of AH on 7/4 with my son for a 1/2 day trip in the morning.

The first hour or so, we had a really good drifting condition as it was light wind with the tide. You had to catch something in that hour or otherwise there was a good chance you went home with nothing.

My setup was a 2 oz bucktail with spearing with a gulp minnow on a trailer hook. It was what the fish wanted I guess as I was bringing up one fish after another when no one else seemed to be doing anything.

I was trying to set the hook as soon as there was a slight hint of a bite. I would say half the time, the fish came back for the bait and the other half, they did not even though the bait were still there. So, my result is kind of mixed.

I ended up with 2 keepers and 2 robins while my son just had shorts (about a half a dozen). He was dragging bait though.

[Gerry Zagorski]

In general, Fluking definitely works better when you have your rod in your hand working your bait and detecting strikes or sometime just a little extra weight. However, there have been days where a dead stick and not setting the hook works best.... A few weeks back we were bucktailing and that was the case...If you held your rod and tried to set the hook, no fish. If you put it in the rod holder and let it practically bend over you hooked up.

Every day is different.

One thing has been very consistent over the years bucktailing and that is to make sure you tip your hook with a spearing or something. Time and time again you get a hit and once the spearing is gone no hits until until you put another spearing on.

[Apple Panic]

In general, Fluking definitely works better when you have your rod in your hand working your bait and detecting strikes or sometime just a little extra weight. However, there have been days where a dead stick and not setting the hook works best.... A few weeks back we were bucktailing and that was the case...If you held your rod and tried to set the hook, no fish. If you put it in the rod holder and let it practically bend over you hooked up.

Every day is different.

One thing has been very consistent over the years bucktailing and that is to make sure you tip your hook with a spearing or something. Time and time again you get a hit and once the spearing is gone no hits until until you put another spearing on.

Thanks Jerry for the really interesting info. WHo would have thought that dead sticking could work better than jigging :eek::eek:

One question about the spearing. If you are using a high low setup, would the spearing go on the heavier bottom bucktail or both?

[Gerry Zagorski]

Definately on the upper/teaser hook with the gulp since that is what most of the fish will hit. Does not hurt to tip the bucktail as well.

[PeteyHD]

Set that hook like it's your job! Fluke are very aggressive and will chase the bait if you miss on the first few swings.

[Gerry Zagorski]

Set that hook like it's your job! Fluke are very aggressive and will chase the bait if you miss on the first few swings.

Yes they will.... Was out the other day and they'd let go after a hook set and 20 cranks and hit it again while I was reeling it in to check the bait.

However, that's not the case every day....Sometimes all you are going to feel is a extra weight and no shake at all and they just lay on it and won't chase it if you pull it away. This is when dead sticking works, even with bucktails.

Different every day...

[Fisherman120]

Set the hook once you feel it every time when fishing with Gulp. When fluke hit they either take it from the get go or just nibble on it, no inbetween with fluke. I've never had better hooksets by letting them eat it with Gulp personally. Of course I've seen them lay on it many times/be sluggish, but letting them just sit on it for a bit never helped. This is for just gulp, not bait fishing.

[PeteyHD]

I agree with the above 2 posts. Gerry has a good point which I have experienced on some days where the fish just were not being aggressive. On those days a nice bait presentation dead sticking in a rod holder would be a saving grace to a picky bite.

Happened at least a dozen times where I was bucktailing and could not keep up with the dead stick rod dragging strip bait while the jigs weren't producing much. I like to rely on the bucktail since I swear by the gulp but sometimes old school rig with a strip of bluefish or squid out fishes the jigs.

[Halibuttech]

we had a nice day fishing off the wharf today me and my mom, the flounder really like the fresh clams on the hook. the largest fish was 17 inch at 2.56 lb. a nice fish to catch in our waters. we caught 12 nice flounder.