Flukin tips

[Luna Sea 5]

For braid, if you get snagged, do not grab the line and wrap it around your hand and pull on it.  It WILL cut you and cut you deep.
I will either wrap the line around my reel (depending on the reel I am using) or wrap it around a dowel I keep on the boat just for this purpose.  The line will either come free or break at the weakest joint, thus the use of a lighter leader on the sinker.

Very true about it cutting you, I don't wrap anything around the line, if I am using a spinning reel, I just point the rod tip at the snag, and hold the spool to pevent it from spinning... then SNAP>>>>

[Skolmann]

I will use a ball jig, like the above post when I am fishing deep water where I need a heavier jig.  The spro's as of now come up to a 4oz.  Sometimes you may need more weight.

Spros now come in 6 ounces.

[Skolmann]

BTW, it would be a good topic to start about how to "un-snag" yourself or even how to break off a line that is snagged, especially with braid.

Thanks,

Ed

I ALWAYS carry a 12" wooden dowel whenever I fish braid. If I get hung-up I'll make 5-7 wraps of the braid around the dowel and pull on the dowel to free myself. NEVER NEVER EVER grab the braid with your bare hands to free yourself from a snag--unless of course you want to slice open a finger.

[Capt. Ed]

Great info Skolmann ...

I use 6 oz. SPROs and when I need to go heavier I use the 8 oz. plus chrome balls.

Thanks,

Capt. Ed

[Skolmann]

If I have to go heavier than 6 ounces when bucktailing I'll switch to dragging bait.

[Luna Sea 5]

I will use a ball jig, like the above post when I am fishing deep water where I need a heavier jig.  The spro's as of now come up to a 4oz.  Sometimes you may need more weight.

Spros now come in 6 ounces.

Really, I only saw them in 4.  Thats nice to know..   Did they go larger with the hooks, the hook size of the 3oz are large enough..

[Skolmann]

Hooks on the 6 ounce Spro work fine for fluke. However what I like to do is take an open eye Gamakatsu hook and place it over the Spro hook (crimping down the eye with a pair of pliers) to create a stinger hook. This allows me to use a long strip bait--its deadly.

[IrishAyes]

Gamakatsu makes an assist hook that you can thread onto the main hook.  I use it alot.

[Luna Sea 5]

great idea

[Skolmann]

No I don't use the assist hooks.

I'll either use the Gamakatsu trailer hooks for the 1-3 ounce Spros since they only come in 1/0 & 2/0 sizes of the Gamakatsu Open Eye Siwash hooks (they come in sizes bigger than 2/0) for the 4 & 6 ounce Spros.

[njdevil]

I just tied up some fish finder rigs to use sunday on the Navesink. I tied a spro (white) on the long leader about 24" and a plain hook on the shorter leader about 12". I am going to bait the plain hook with a gulp mullet. How do I hook the gulp bait on? Through the lip like live bait , through the back fin, or thread it on the hook like a Texas style large mouth bass rig. Thanks for all the help guys this is a great site to share info and learn new methods to make you a better angler.

[Flukedood]

I just tied up some fish finder rigs to use sunday on the Navesink. I tied a spro (white) on the long leader about 24" and a plain hook on the shorter leader about 12". I am going to bait the plain hook with a gulp mullet. How do I hook the gulp bait on? Through the lip like live bait , through the back fin, or thread it on the hook like a Texas style large mouth bass rig. Thanks for all the help guys this is a great site to share info and learn new methods to make you a better angler.

I love the pogy Mullets.. I hook them above the mouth area just above the eyes and come out around the dorsal fin area..

[fnsmag]

I just tied up some fish finder rigs to use sunday on the Navesink. I tied a spro (white) on the long leader about 24" and a plain hook on the shorter leader about 12". I am going to bait the plain hook with a gulp mullet. How do I hook the gulp bait on? Through the lip like live bait , through the back fin, or thread it on the hook like a Texas style large mouth bass rig. Thanks for all the help guys this is a great site to share info and learn new methods to make you a better angler.

Just curious, what size three way swivels did you use?

[njdevil]

I used a 1/0 swivel. Rigs worked well, need to shorten the top leader a bit. I think 10" will work better than the 13" to 14" I used on Sunday.

[Capt Craig]

Something I see a lot of people do is take drifts that are too long. What I'll do is use my electronics. When on the fish I'll hit my MOB to mark the spot the bite started. Then drift back as long as the bite is on I'll keep going. But as soon as I see the bite has slowed or shut off I'll hit my MOB again so I know when to stop each drift after. Once at the end of the drift I pull up the lines and go back to my starting mark. I'll keep repeating this until the bite shuts off. Also pay close attention to your fish finder for depth of water and type of bottom structure. If the bite shuts down I'll move around looking for similar depth and structure first before making a big move. So if your fishing on a reef for example, maybe fishing over a tank and as you come past the structure you are getting Fluke and as you go farther back you are doing nothing you should have hit the MOB just as you passed over the tank and hit it again when things stopped or slowed. Then go back and keep doing this. You are just wasting time to keep drifting back when your not doing anything. STAY ON THE BITE!

[Luna Sea 5]

Something I see a lot of people do is take drifts that are too long. What I'll do is use my electronics. When on the fish I'll hit my MOB to mark the spot the bite started. Then drift back as long as the bite is on I'll keep going. But as soon as I see the bite has slowed or shut off I'll hit my MOB again so I know when to stop each drift after. Once at the end of the drift I pull up the lines and go back to my starting mark. I'll keep repeating this until the bite shuts off. Also pay close attention to your fish finder for depth of water and type of bottom structure. If the bite shuts down I'll move around looking for similar depth and structure first before making a big move. So if your fishing on a reef for example, maybe fishing over a tank and as you come past the structure you are getting Fluke and as you go farther back you are doing nothing you should have hit the MOB just as you passed over the tank and hit it again when things stopped or slowed. Then go back and keep doing this. You are just wasting time to keep drifting back when your not doing anything. STAY ON THE BITE!

  exactly

[gottog]

Some decent fish are accessable form shore spots as well.  been fishing from some piers in back of Raritan Bay and while not getting many, the ones we have been catching are decent sized keepers.

Usual modus operandi is casting out light weight jigheads and bucktails, usually 3/8oz but that all depends on currents, location, etc.  My fiance and I tip our jigs with Gulp products, mainly the grub style.  others use strip baits or spearing.

Cast out and work the jig along the bottom either bouncing back to us or along with the current. 

Monday after work she managed two keepers, one going just over 17" and the other a nice 21" flattie. I managed a jumbo blueclaw and a short

We use 7' light spinning gear.  Her's is a Lami XPS704 with Tica Camry 3500 and 15# Tuf Line XP braid with mono leader.  Mine is a custom Graphite-USA with Tica Camry 3000 loaded with 14# hivis green Fireline and mono leader.

Jigheads and bucktails tied on using a no-slip loop knot so you get nice action from them.  Mono leader ranges from 15-25# test.  The heavier stuff for when the yellow-eyed demons are out and about.

Biggest fluke from our spots this season is a fat 26" flattie.  Overall the action has been slow and not that many shorts like seasons past, but some quality fish are around even when killing a few hours after work with artificials.

go get em

[fishon42]

In order to catch killies, spearing, and other baitfish, do you need to be out on a boat, or can you do this by walking in the bay or something with a throw net? Thanks



Fish On

[ped579]

Hi fishon,

They sell killie traps at almost every B & T shop.  Just ask for a killie trap(pot). 

Next find a small creek that leads to the bay or any salt water body of water.  Put some bread into the pot and attach a line throw it in and position the pot so the front and back align with the current.  If it is a good spot it will only take about 15 min to get enough for a days outing.

Good Luck.

Paul

[gottog]

Small spearing were jumping about yesterday evening.  Buddy threw the cast net and snapper blues in the 4-6" range had to be thick under them as we had a load in the net.  Took 2 dozen for three of us and released the rest.

Had a few short fluke and some decent keepers in the 19-22" range on them.

Things would be like fluke-crack in some deeper water spots

Fishon42, I like using the smallest sized sabiki rigs I can.  Jigging them around docks and the like results in alot of baitfish from jumbo spearing to snapper blues.  Heck we even caught fluke on them