When the fishing gets tough from post-spawn through the summer, one of my go-to baits is the Fluke or Fluke-style baits.
Something about the subtle action of this bait can really trigger lethargic fish into striking. One scenario that comes to mind for me happened just last weekend at Clear Lake.
It was the middle of the day, and we were fishing shallow in the weeds. The outside temp was pushing one hundred degrees and the water temp was in the seventies. I could not buy a bite on a frog.
I know the area is loaded with fish, so I started to throw a big swimbait to draw the fish out. This worked, but the fish did not want to eat it. At this point I downsized to a Bass Trix swimbait on a Falcon 1/4 oz hook. The fish were a little more interested, so I knew I was close.
They would follow the Bass Trix and swipe at it, but did not want to commit to it either. This is where the Fluke comes in.
What the Fluke does is something that not too many baits can do. It can be set up to turn at the twitch of your rod tip. On this particular day, that was all it took to trigger followers into strikers. By turning the bait and facing the following fish it was enough to trigger strikes from an otherwise non-committal fish.
I prefer using the big Fluke style baits from Bass Assassin.
Here is the set up:
The hook must be set back about an inch on the bigger baits and about a half inch on the smaller baits from the nose of the bait. In order to do this you must push the eye of the hook through the bait, tie your knot and then pull your hook back in.
The 7″ Bass Assassinand witha 6/0 1/4 Falcon hook and the 5″ Zoom fluke with a 2/0 Falcon 1/32 oz hook.
Another thing this hook set-back allows you to do is walk the fluke under the water – just like walking a fluke on the surface, using short twitch and pause motions. The bait will also sink in a circular motion.
These baits can also be fished weightless on the surface as a subtle clear water lure. This is perfect for shallow water site fishing when the fish are mindlessly cruising.
The great thing about the Fluke is that it can be set up weedless. I prefer using the bottom weight Falcon hooks in as big a size you can get away with without hindering the action of the bait.
I fish the big Bass Assassin Fluke style baits on a 7′ casting medium-heavy rod with a fast tip, paired with 15 pound CXX P-line or 50 pound braid. A Senko or topwater spook rod will work perfect.
The smaller Zoom Flukes I like to fish on spinning tackle. I use a 7′ medium-heavy rod with a fast tip as well, this time with 30 pound braid. This is so I can horse fish out of the weeds if needed.
The thing I like about Fluke fishing this time of year is that is that a lot of times it involves sight fishing in clear water and you get to see a lot of the fish react and hit your bait.
Give the Fluke a try – it may turn a slow day into a great day on the water. Let me know if you have any Fluke tips in the comments or email me, and I’ll share them.