Scaling Up Live Baits: A Winning Strategy for Summer Fluke Fishing

ummer is here, and for many anglers, that means it’s time to target fluke. Fluke, also known as summer flounder, are a popular game fish along the East Coast of the United States. They are known for their delicious white meat and challenging fight. However, catching trophy-sized fluke can be a challenge, especially during the hot summer months. But one angler has found a way to beat the dog days of summer and land some trophy fluke – by scaling up his live baits.

The angler, who goes by the name “Skipjack Fluke Rig,” began fishing for fluke with live “skipjack” or juvenile snapper bluefish about five years ago. He believed that fluke are more aggressive than people give them credit for and wanted to see just how big of a bait they were willing to take. Additionally, he needed a way to weed through the dozens of short fish that were more than happy to take his traditional fluke rig. So, he decided to try using larger live baits.

To fish with larger live baits, the angler developed a rig inspired by live bait rigs used in Florida for snapper and grouper. The rig consists of a 5/0 offset hook tied to a 3-foot piece of 50-pound-test monofilament leader material. A larger 8/0 offset hook is then snelled to the main leader, allowing for adjustments to fit the size of the bait. The rig is finished with a squid skirt, beads, and a spinner, all attached to a three-way swivel.

When the angler first tried this new technique, he was nervous. However, his fears were quickly put to rest as he landed a solid 5-pound fluke on the first drift. Throughout the day, he and his companions continued to catch fish, finishing the trip with six legal fluke between them, all between 5 and 8 pounds. Since that first trip, using larger live baits has become an annual tradition for the angler, producing the biggest fluke of the year season after season.

The angler primarily uses snapper blues as live bait, but any live bait of a similar size will work. He has also had success with small shad and tinker mackerel. To rig the bait, he snips the bait’s tail, puts the front hook through its nostrils, and positions the stinger about two-thirds of the way down the bait’s body toward the tail. The back hook is placed right under the bait’s skin and pops back out, ensuring the point is exposed for the most natural presentation.

Using larger live baits for fluke does have its drawbacks. It is a trade-off between numbers and quality, as there are not as many fish big enough to take a live skipjack or other large bait. However, fishing with large live baits over hard, rocky bottom can increase the chances of landing a trophy-sized fluke. Larger fluke tend to stay around structure, where there is more forage and less need to bury themselves in the sand. By fishing the bait about a foot off the bottom, anglers can entice larger fluke to move up in the water column for an easy meal.

One benefit of using large live baits for fluke is that it can be done on days when conditions are less than perfect. Many anglers prefer to fish sandy bottoms with a drift between 0.75 and 1.5 knots. However, large live baits are more effective with slower drifts, making line and depth control easier. Additionally, the vibrations from the live bait can entice fluke to feed even if the tide is not running very hard.

So, this summer, when the beaches are filled with undersized fluke and the traditional fluke rigs aren’t producing, consider scaling up your live baits. Fill up your livewell with snapper blues, shad, or mackerel, and head out to target doormat fluke. The feeling of your bait getting nervous and the thump of a trophy fluke that just inhaled it is absolutely addictive. Once you land that first fluke on a large, live bait, you won’t want to do it any other way.Scaling up your live baits can help you beat the dog days of summer and land some trophy fluke. Many anglers believe that summer flounder, or fluke, are passive bottom feeders. However, one fisherman has found success by using larger live baits to target these aggressive predators.

The fisherman began using live “skipjack” or juvenile bluefish as bait about five years ago. He believed that fluke were more proactive predators than people gave them credit for, and wanted to see how big of a bait they were willing to take. Additionally, he needed a way to weed out the short fish that were taking his traditional fluke rig. Fishing with live bait also provided a more exciting and interactive experience.

To solve the problem of using larger baits, the fisherman created a rig inspired by live bait rigs used in Florida for snapper and grouper. The rig consists of a 5/0 offset hook tied to a 3-foot piece of 50-pound-test monofilament leader material. A larger 8/0 offset hook is then snelled to the main leader, allowing for adjustments to fit the size of the bait. The rig is finished with a squid skirt, beads, and a spinner, and a three-way swivel for weight adjustment.

On the first trip using this new technique, the fisherman caught a solid 5-pound fluke on the first drift. As the day went on, he and his companions continued to catch fish, finishing the trip with six legal fish between them, all between 5 and 8 pounds. Since then, using larger live baits has become an annual tradition for targeting trophy fluke.

While snapper blues were initially chosen as bait due to their availability and similarity in size to fluke, other bait options such as shad and mackerel have also been successful. The key is to rig the bait properly, with the front hook through the nostrils and the stinger positioned about two-thirds of the way down the body. This allows for a natural presentation and keeps the bait alive longer.

Using large live baits for fluke does have its drawbacks, as it may result in fewer bites but higher quality fish. The fisherman recommends fishing over hard, rocky bottoms where larger fluke tend to stay near structure. The slower drifts that are often preferred for live bait fishing also make line and depth control easier, preventing snags. The vibrations from the live bait are enough to entice fluke to feed, even in slower currents.

So, when the beaches are filled with undersized fluke and the conditions are less than perfect, consider scaling up your live baits and targeting trophy fluke over hard structure. The thrill of feeling your bait getting nervous and the thump of a doormat fluke taking the bait is addictive. Once you experience it, you won’t want to fish for fluke any other way.

What are the advantages of using larger live baits for fluke fishing?

Ists of a 5/0 offset hook tied to a 3-foot piece of 50-pound-test monofilament leader material. An 8/0 offset hook is then snelled to the main leader, allowing for adjustments to fit the size of the bait. The rig is finished with a squid skirt, beads, and a spinner, all attached to a three-way swivel.

On the angler’s first attempt using this technique, he quickly landed a solid 5-pound fluke. Throughout the day, he and his companions continued to catch fish, finishing the trip with six legal fluke between them, all weighing between 5 and 8 pounds. Since then, using larger live baits has become an annual tradition for the angler, consistently resulting in the biggest fluke of the season.

While the angler primarily uses snapper blues as live bait, other live baits of similar size such as small shad and tinker mackerel have also been successful. To rig the bait, the angler snips the tail, puts the front hook through the nostrils, and positions the stinger about two-thirds of the way down the bait’s body toward the tail. The back hook is placed under the bait’s skin and pops back out to ensure an exposed point for a natural presentation.

There are some drawbacks to using larger live baits for fluke. It may result in lower numbers of fish, as there are not as many fish big enough to take a live skipjack or other large bait. However, fishing with large live baits over hard, rocky bottom can increase the chances of landing a trophy-sized fluke. Larger fluke typically stay around structure, where there is more forage and less need to bury themselves in the sand. By fishing the bait about a foot off the bottom, anglers can entice larger fluke to move up for an easy meal.

One advantage of using large live baits for fluke is that it can be done on days when conditions are less than perfect. While many anglers prefer fishing sandy bottoms with a drift between 0.75 and 1.5 knots, large live baits are more effective with slower drifts, which makes line and depth control easier. The vibrations from the live bait can also entice fluke to feed even if the tide is not running very hard.

So, this summer, when traditional fluke rigs aren’t producing, consider scaling up your live baits. Fill your livewell with snapper blues, shad, or mackerel, and head out to target doormat fluke. The feeling of your bait getting nervous and the excitement of landing a trophy fluke that just inhaled it is absolutely addictive. Once you experience catching fluke on large, live baits, you won’t want to do it any other way.