Favorite Bait Strips For Fluike

[Skolmann]

I use a wide variety of strip baits. Some of my favorites are;

Fluke belly----DUH

Bluefish belly--think we've all used this at one time.

Striper belly---SHHHH this is a secret but deadly bait.

False Albacore belly---nice and flashy and a good late season bait.

Salmon belly---nice and oily, leaves a good scent trail. I've had fluke pick up this bait then drop several times before putting the steel to it.

Mahi belly---SHHHH, another secret bait that accounted for my largest fluke to date at #9.8 when it was tipped on a bucktail.

Fresh bunker, mackerel & herring belly---all good oily baits.

I know alot of guys like sea robin and dogfish strips but I can't recall catching any fluke on these.

[IrishAyes]

Dogfish has been the all time fav for fluke this year on my boat.  It seems that once we got a dogfish and stripped it out the fluking picked up.  Stays on the hook like you wouldn't believe. 

[Pops Soul]

Joe and of course everyone else! Help me out with something with this dogfish thing. Yea I know they make a good strip bait but what are the specifics with the dogfish and them being protected or special rules with dogfish that are such a big pain in the @$$.

[IrishAyes]

Skip, there are no special rules for dogfish.  One of the agencies claims that they are endangered.  I don't know how, it wasn't too long ago that they were unheard of.  Now, you get them in shallow water where they were not in before.  Keep in mind, these are the same agencies that are regulating our fluke, seabass, tog and other type of fishing and you see the bang up job they are doing there.

[Pops Soul]

Thanks Joe You know how they throw out them rules where  you have to read between the lines. Like the NO Filleting of any Flatfish at sea and right down to being caught with  fluke belly strips in your cooler.......Etc.

[cheesyguy]

Speaking of favorite strips for fluke how do you   cut up the sea robin for bait? Any special ways?

[Pops Soul]

I just lay them on their side cut right behind the pec fin, from the back to the belly, then just fillet to the tail, same on the other side. Then cut your strips you should get 2 or 3 strips out of each fillet depending on the size of the Sea Robin. I have found if the strip is to meaty your bait will spin in the water so you may have to trim some of the meat off.

[Skolmann]

To those who use dogfish strips, are you using smooth dogfish, spiney dogfish or either?

[IrishAyes]

I use both.  The smooth seem to catch just a tad better than the spiney for some reason.  I don't know why.

Skip, when you trim the meat down on the sea robin, or any other fish for that matter, start from the tail and work toward the fat end.  I find that you don't get the meat pulling away from the skin as much when it goes thru the water.

[cheesyguy]

Thanks Pops Soul!

[Luna Sea 5]

i strip everything I catch, they all work.

[Pops Soul]

I'm with Luna it dosen't seem to matter what fish you strip.  I think its just a matter of it being fresh, then what stays on the hook best. 

[cwbsbll1]

When using fluke belly do you just use the skin of the underside of a keeper fluke you caught earlier?

[IrishAyes]

In NJ you are not allowed to use fluke belly.  But both sides work.  (at least they did when we were able to use it) 

We used to save the ribbons (edges cut from the fillet, looked like ribbons, hence the name) from the fluke we would fillet and use them the next trip.  That is no longer allowed since you can not have parts of any fish that has a size limit.

[pktaske]

Guys - what about artificial baits in a pinch? I've hooked up with rubber eels on bucktails when we weren't planning on fluking but the the weather kept us inshore.

[Skolmann]

In NJ you are not allowed to use fluke belly. 

Trick is not getting caught.....

Seriously, I would never advocate poaching or doing anything illegal but the rule against using fluke belly/ribbon is ridiculous IMHO

[IrishAyes]

Skollman, I agree with you, the reg. is ridiculous.  However, there are those out there that would cut up a short fluke just to get the 'ribbons' and then claim it was from a legal fish from a previous trip.  Thus, the reason for the reg.  If guys could be held on their honor, everything would be ok.  But in the true world, that would not happen.

There is nothing better than fluke belly as fluke bait, but we must all suffer because of a few.  The powers-to-be were going to consider allowing strips but it never seems to happen.

[salty pig]

I thought it was illegal wasnt sure I just saved  some from the one i caught yesterday... Guess i'll be tossing them dont matter i had more hits on that dang snapper strip yest

[mboy]

Single best Fluke trip EVER (38 keepers-15 over 5lbs 2 over 7lbs, a dozen throw backs- Old grounds Cape May 2005)-al we used were strips from 2-3lb blues we caught on the way out.

That was it.

[cwbsbll1]

So when you fillet the fluke the skin left over you use for bait?