Flukes Are An Exciting Bait
For Shallow Or Deep Water
Nothing in my tacklebox imitates a baitfish better than soft jerkbaits, commonly called flukes. Their look and action are so realistic bass simply cannot pass them up. You can give them an active, darting feeding or fleeing action, or just pause them to look like an injured or dying baitfish. These baits are a must-have lure in every tacklebox! There are several things that set the soft fluke jerkbaits apart from hard jerkbaits. First, they use a single offset worm hook instead of two or three treble hooks. The soft plastic they are made of is similar to the plastic used for worms. But the biggest thing that is different about flukes is their action. Hard jerkbaits have a more or less built in action which you can duplicate time after time. Soft jerkbaits were designed to be unstable, so their erratic motion is different every time you move the rod. Also soft jerkbaits have a very slow, enticing sink rate instead of the normal high floaters used in hard jerkbaits. The erratic action of the bait is not limited to the jerk, the bait will slow fall in a random direction on a slack line. Rigging and Technique The normal rigging for flukes is simply a single offset worm hook. They will sink slowly on a slack line. Work the baits as you would a hard jerk bait with a series of jerks and pauses. The difference is in the speed you work the bait. If the fish are aggressive, then work the bait faster.
Try to set up a rhythm; jerk, jerk, pause, jerk, pause pause, jerk, jerk. For finicky bass, slow it down a bit. Experiment a little until you see what the fish want. The fish seem to like the bait better on a slow drop in clear water where they can see it from a distance. In stained water, they tend to hit at the movement or twitches.The pauses just keep the bait in the same area until the fish get there. Where to Fish Flukes are normally most effective when fished around or over cover or structure features since this is where the smaller elements of the food chain, baitfish, are usually found. Submerged cover or structure, such as grass beds or stump fields that do not reach the surface are great because most anglers only fish cover or structure that they can see. Always start with the rapid action presentation to see if active fish are there. If there is no response try slowing it down to tease them into biting. The following areas pay off for me when fishing a fluke.Shallow Grass Beds: Grass has a way of holding bass. Even some of the shallowest beds when fished early or late in the day can hold big numbers and great quality fish. I'm speaking of depths from 1 foot to 5 feet deep. Some of the grass you can see and some you can't. If you are fortunate enough to be on the lake when it is overcast and dreary the bite can last all day long in these shallow areas. The most important factor is finding out where the bass are holding within the grass. I have noticed if you have a strong wind blowing directly into the grass the fish seem to be more on the deepest outside edges of the grass beds. If it is calm they can be scattered anywhere from the bank in zero feet of water to the far outside edges.
Deeper Grass Beds: Many times grass beds that are adjacent to the main river channels will provide visible surface vegetation on the channel edges or flats. But there may also be an abundance of grass that will extend out further that you will not be able to see visually. The visible grass can provide fantastic action under certain circumstances. But when the day is bright and sunny these areas can die off quickly. This is when you need to keep your boat positioned in the river channel just far enough away where you can make a good long cast to the shallow water. Let your fluke begin to drop down gradually along the outside edges of the vegetation. Boat Houses/Boat Docks: Many of these will have sunken brush piles that the owner has placed there to attract fish to his dock or boathouse. If you're fishing a new area that has docks, watch for floodlights, fishing pole holders, rods and chairs. All of these can help you locate brush around docks. Also remember that most of these sunken piles will be within a short cast from the dock. They usually mean the same thing - potential holding places for bass. Try to skip your fluke under every dock and in-between every opening in the boathouse. Work your way around the sides and back of each structure. Work it thoroughly! Skip the fluke into every concealed area that is possible. If you are fishing the brush around the dock and it is sunny and bright you may have to let the fluke sink down into the brush. Make contact and work it much like you would a worm. If it is overcast the bass will tend to hold more to the area between the brush and the dock. When this happens many times you can have terrific blow ups on the bait. Work these areas slowly and carefully and be ready to set the hook at anytime. Rip Rap Areas: This is a favorite type of structure for many to fish with a variety of baits including a fluke. Riprap will hold a variety of baitfish and crawfish all year long.
Try to keep your bait within inches of the shore line. Don't get in a hurry. When you catch a fish stop your forward movement and make repeated casts in the same area. Chances are there will be another fish there.Lay Down Timber On Flats: Here in Alabama we have many lakes that have expansive flats that are located close to deep water. These flats will have a variety of vegetation, rock piles and lay down timber. Most of these flats will have an abundance of logs against the bank and some will have vegetation around it. Zero in on your target and make long casts. Key on every log, grass bed and weed line. Also look for isolated timber. If the concentration of timber is large enough it can hold several bass not just one or two. Open Water Schooling Fish: If you happen to be targeting open water schooling fish, you already know they are active and feeding. Therefore, the rapid, erratic presentation is fine. However, after the surface action stops and the school drops down away from the surface a bit, consider just letting the soft fluke fall slowly through the water column, with just the smallest occasional twitch. That simulates an injured or dying baitfish in the area where they are being attacked. It can be a highly productive presentation. Pay attention and be very conscious of any line movement while the lure is in the free-fall state. You may see a ‘twitch’ in the line, it may start to move off to one side, or the lure may suddenly stop falling. Any or all of those conditions indicates a strike. After the Bite: Most people who don't fish flukes say it is because they can't seem to get the hook set into the fish. Just as with many top water lures, you have to wait for the fish to take a soft jerkbait. This can be tough! A strike may be easy or hard to detect. Of course, if it is a surface strike and you are watching, you can't miss that. But, when a soft
jerkbait is below the surface, the fish often just grabs it and holds on. The sensation may be a slight bump or tap, or it may just seem the lure has gotten ‘heavy’. The good thing is that the bass will normally hold on to a fluke and not let go since it feels and often tastes more like the real thing. The fish usually feels some resistance from you or your line which makes him turn away from you. But this is great because you will then be setting the hook back into his mouth instead of out the front. After you see the roll or feel the tick, wait about three seconds before you set the hook. Point the rod towards the fish and take up slack until the line is tight. When you do set the hook, give it all you've got, since you've got a pretty thick piece of plastic to go through. Also make sure your drag is set correctly. A big hook set can put quite a shock into the line especially if you have a big fish going the other way. Try to set your drag where it will 'give' just a little on a solid hookset. By waiting for the fish to fully take the lure and setting with a correct drag, you should rarely miss the bite. Soft jerkbaits are not magic lures and cannot catch fish in all situations. But when you want to imitate an injured or dying shad or baitfish, they simply cannot be beaten. They catch bass and they are exciting to fish! Give 'em a try on your next trip.
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