Juke ‘em with a Fluke

PAA Communications

BUFORD, Ga. – It’s a bait that has achieved the one-name status like other famous products in and out of the fishing industry.

People in the South don’t ask for soda … everything’s a Coke. You blow your nose with “a Kleenex.” Until email and other e-gizmos came along, you copied documents “on the Xerox.”

Fishermen hardly ever say they’re throwing a “lipless crankbait” because they say they caught ‘em on “a Trap.” And when they’re talking about a soft-plastic minnow, many times it’s “a Fluke” that does the trick.

The official name is the Zoom Salty Super Fluke, one of five in Zoom’s fluke family. The Fluke Tail Goby is the weird cousin they see only on holidays. But when the Fluke is getting’ the job done, no matter where it is, that name has seemingly stuck as the go-to description.

Zoom’s offering is by no means the only kid on the block. Gambler’s Flapp’n Shad, the Yum Houdini Shad, Berkley’s PowerBait Jerk Shad, Strike King Caffeine Shad, Roboworm Alive Shad, Lunker City Fin-S and others replicate subtle, darting minnows. Various sizes are available to match forage, from little 3-inch fry to bigger blueback herring or gizzard shad.

Flukes, using the catch-all name, are great springtime baits because of the subtle action. They flit and glide, sink slowly and look just like baitfish.

“They’re one of my favorites,” said Zoom pro Woo Daves of Virginia, who is competing in this week’s season-opening Bass Pro Shops PAA Tournament Series event on Lake Lanier. “Early in spring I use a slow retrieve because bait isn’t as active and fish are feeding before the spawn when they get shallow. After the spawn, I’ll switch to a faster retrieve when the water’s warmed up a little bit and the bass are more aggressive.”

Daves has used the Fluke for years because, quite simply, it works. Rigged with an offset shank hook that helps the point lie flat on the back when Tex-posed, it’s an easy bait to use around shallow cover and vegetation. Daves works it on top or just under the surface with little darts to make it dance.

“One thing I think helps is using fluorocarbon line,” he said. “It’s not as visible, although that may not matter as much if the fish are feeding and hitting it pretty well. I use Bass Pro Shops XPS fluorocarbon, which also helps keep the bait underwater with a little slower retrieve.

“The bigger the size, the more you can work it faster. With a lighter wire hook you work it slower. I like to fish about 14-pound test line, but I have gone down to 10 and up to 20. If I’m fishing with a fast retrieve, I might go up to 20-pound test to keep it up and minimize breaking when they nail it.”

One popular rig is a pair of flukes behind a swivel attached to the main line. Two separate lines, each rigged with a fluke, are tied to the swivel. One line is a few inches shorter than the other, so it mimics two minnows darting about.

Another method is adding a fluke to a Fishhead Spin, which has a little blade under the body. The blade spins during the retrieve and, again, mimics a pair of baitfish. A third option is adding a fluke to a Scrounger head and using a steady retrieve, with the head imparting a tight wiggle to the plastic body.

In any situation, Daves said the fluke can be a dynamite bait but shouldn’t be used with one particular retrieve.

“I don’t care how good a company is, a company can build only so much action into the bait,” he said. “It’s up to the fisherman to determine if the bass want it fast, slow, stopped, paused or whatever. When you fish 20-30 minutes without a bite, something’s wrong and you have to start thinking about doing something different.”

2011 PAA Tournament Series Premier Sponsors: Bass Pro Shops, E21 Carrot Stix, Optima Batteries, Nitro Performance Bass Boats

2011 PAA Tournament Series Associate Sponsors: Lazer TroKar, Jasper Engines & Transmissions, Mercury Marine, Boat U.S. Foundation, Fishouflage, U.S. Reel, Sign Designs, Toyota Texas Bass Classic

Tags: Bass, bass fishing, featured, fluke, Lake Lanier, PAA Tournament Series