# Let's talk flukes



## Nightcrawler666 (Apr 17, 2014)

Just wondering what everyone else has in their fluke stockpile. I had a rough day Monday, lost 5 blowups on frogs to start off my morning, couldn't buy a bite with senkos, ribbontails, swimbaits or jigs. Finally managed a small pike on a spinnerbait. 

After a few hours of disappointment and noon approaching, I decided to just throw a weightless fluke. I didn't have much confidence at this point no matter what I threw so I figured, what the heck. Well, I wouldn't say that I crushed em, but I did start to get hit at least. Pulled a couple decent 2-3 lbers along with a nice bowfin (that made me think I had a 5 lber on there). I threw a full sized zoom super fluke in white with a chartreuse tail on a 4/0 EWG hook. Twitch twitch pause.....(long pause) was the ticket. 

I've only really tried this color along with the smokin shad color. I've been kickin around snaggin a couple different variations to try. Heard bubblegum can be a killer and thought about trying those out. Just wondering what you guys lean towards from experience. 

As a side note, anyone use the swimmin flukes?


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## NCbassattack (May 5, 2014)

I like chartreuse best, or pearl. Smokin shad is good as well.


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## Bad Bub (Jan 17, 2006)

I like the strike king caffeine shad as my first choice, but it doesn't have the color selection of Zoom, and they're about half as durable. I used to use strictly shad colors, but have been finding much better success with greens and browns in shallow water. You lose the ability to watch your bait work, and have to rely on feel a lot more. But it's been paying off. That KVD magic color is $$$$


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## NCbassattack (May 5, 2014)

Bass assassin's Shad Assassin is killer too.
http://cdn2.bassassassin.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/SA14385-500x351.jpg


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## JignPig Guide (Aug 3, 2007)

I like the Venom Lures 5-inch Skip Shad. It is a great technique to try over and through submerged weed-beds. I put them on a 5/0 offset hook weightless.


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## SMBHooker (Jan 3, 2008)

Bad Bub said:


> I like the strike king caffeine shad as my first choice, but it doesn't have the color selection of Zoom, and they're about half as durable. I used to use strictly shad colors, but have been finding much better success with greens and browns in shallow water. You lose the ability to watch your bait work, and have to rely on feel a lot more. But it's been paying off. That KVD magic color is $$$$


Nailed it. I do like pearl though.


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## Flannel_Carp (Apr 7, 2014)

SMBHooker said:


> Nailed it. I do like pearl though.


I second this second. SMBH showed me the CShad light and it has put a lot of fish on the end of my line!


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## Nightcrawler666 (Apr 17, 2014)

Hmmmmm, I'm gonna have to look into the other brands and try a few out. I like the Zoom brand quite a bit. But, I'm always into trying some new things. I use the strike king caffeine tubes sometimes and have had decent luck with those. But, did not care for the caffeine shad swimbaits at all whatsoever. Might try to pick up some of them venom skip shads though, as I've heard they're solid. Caught quite a few the other night on the baby bass color fluke. Think I may experiment with tying a double fluke rig this evening for a change up.


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## AxE216 (Aug 23, 2013)

Never really fished with flukes but I'd be willing to learn. Where do you start? Can anyone help me out?


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## Nightcrawler666 (Apr 17, 2014)

They're a very versatile plastic. Take your favorite offset worm or EWG hook, rig it texposed weightless and throw it wherever you want; thick weeds, grass, skip it under docks and trees. Or, you can Texas rig it to get down deeper and drag/pop it along the bottom. 

I've been using it weightless as a follow up with my top water frogs, if I get a blowup and/or miss, I'll toss a fluke right into that spot and have had a pretty successful run doing that lately. You can also use them like a top water walking style bait, but I haven't had much luck with this, I imagine it's much better when bass are schooling up baitfish and on top feeding. It's a fun bait to experiment with and definitely catches fish. 

On a side note, I have had a lot of luck rigging the flukes upside down. It gives it a little different type of action and fall, but it works all the same. Sometimes it just takes a slight and subtle change to turn the finicky ones aggressive.


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## polebender (Oct 29, 2011)

A little trick I use when fishing flukes or other soft jerk baits, is to tie a gold crane swivel to the main line, then use an 8-12" leader. This can be the same as main line or fluorocarbon. There are several reasons for this. First, it eliminates line twist, 2nd it adds a little flash, 3rd it makes the bait move more erratically, and lastly when you pause it will cause the baits nose to dip down a bit, emulating a dying shad.


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## Bassthumb (Aug 22, 2008)

I use them whenever the fish are missing strikes on standard topwater. It's a bit slower so the fish tend to have better accuracy. Some days they just explode a foot or more behind the buzz frog so I'll switch to a fluke. I like them better than senkos in super thick grass...but with a little more open water I think the senko is better. I think the senko needs a little space to get that falling wiggle shimy they are famous for. They do seem to outperform senkos over real thick grass. I work it like a slow jerk bait and let it fall in holes and crevices periodically. Only use white, but I'm sure other colors work too. Any more the only colors I buy are white, black and green pumpkin for any plastic baits.


Sent from my iPad using Ohub Campfire


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