Best Fluke Bait Ever

[Billfish715]

I was very impressed to see these killies in a drainage from the marsh on Sandy Hook. Without a doubt they are the best bait for fluke in and around the Sandy Hook and Raritan Bays as well as the rivers that flow into them. These killies were bunched up in a pool at low tide during today's full moon. They will be ready for the fluke when they show up in a few weeks and the fluke will find the table set with plenty of food on which to fatten up. The first picture is of a solid mass of killies to a depth of about 5 feet.

[loosescrews]

Wow pretty cool. Nice find

[NoLimit]

There are days where spearing will outfish the same rig right next to it with a killie - by a big margin. I used to go out with killies all the time but now I go all the time with spearing.

[bulletbob]

I dunno.. Lots of small fluke on killies, but they certainly do like them in the rivers/bay... I find a spearing is hit just as quickly as a killie, and they are cheaper, unless you have access to "free" killies.. They say that big live killies are very good for sea bass as well, never tried them. In fresh water, live killies are inhaled instantly by pickerel, perch, crappies etc.. I found them better than shiners, because shiners would croak just looking at a hook, and i would often catch 4 or 5 fish on the same killie, and it would still be kicking... Tough little SOB'S.... bob

[Billfish715]

The amount of killies that were in that one pool was incredible. What was even more mind boggling was that there were so many that survived the cold and snow and ice. While it's true that the spearing do come in early to spawn, the mainstay of forage fish is the killie. Seeing how resilient they are and the fact that they will be here whenever the fluke show up make them my number one bait. Killies are natural baits and their lively movement is irresistible to a hungry fluke. Check out the Wonder Rig videos and talk to anyone who regularly fishes in the Manasquan, Shrewsbury, Navesink, or Shark Rivers or the back bays even some sections of the ocean and they'll agree that killies rule. The faster the drift, however, usually forces a change to a different bait. In the meantime, I am just fascinated by the fact that it's been so cold and this tiny bait fish is still hanging tough. I might have found a new place to set my killie traps this summer.

[SaltLife1980]

Who uses bait anymore?!?!

[bulletbob]

Originally Posted by Billfish715

The amount of killies that were in that one pool was incredible. What was even more mind boggling was that there were so many that survived the cold and snow and ice. While it's true that the spearing do come in early to spawn, the mainstay of forage fish is the killie. Seeing how resilient they are and the fact that they will be here whenever the fluke show up make them my number one bait. Killies are natural baits and their lively movement is irresistible to a hungry fluke. Check out the Wonder Rig videos and talk to anyone who regularly fishes in the Manasquan, Shrewsbury, Navesink, or Shark Rivers or the back bays even some sections of the ocean and they'll agree that killies rule. The faster the drift, however, usually forces a change to a different bait. In the meantime, I am just fascinated by the fact that it's been so cold and this tiny bait fish is still hanging tough. I might have found a new place to set my killie traps this summer.

Cold doesn't bother killies in the least, and not trying to piss in your Cheerios, but those masses of killies may move on in the warm weather... or not.
I saw the Wonder Rig vids.. Simply a jig being used as a weight for live killie on a leader. In my opinion, a small bucktail with the killie hooked through the lips would probably work just as well.... bob

[Reelron]

I have seen Killies frozen solid in a block of ice, thawed the ice and the majority of them were alive.

Have the seals found them yet?

[Blackfish Doug]

Originally Posted by SaltLife1980

Who uses bait anymore?!?!

That's the problem we changed the way the fish eat. I like to know how much money the people who sell Gulp & Spro bucktails & gami hooks donate to the RFA & people who are fighting for our rights to fish.

[Gerry Zagorski]

Great pics....

I think Killies are more effective when fished in areas they are naturally present. Rivers, creeks, back bays etc....

Larger baits like Snappers and Peanut Bunkers seem to do better when fishing the ocean as does Gulp and a bucktail or long strip baits.

Since we have an 18 inch minimum, a lot of people have changed their tactics to target larger fish and are fishing the ocean lumps. Most of them are no longer doing the squid and killie thing. One reason is you'd be snagged all the time on rough bottom... The other is that smaller baits attract smaller fish.