Flukes...i Thought This Was A Spring Time Bait?

[Lazz]

Im always reading that this is a spring and fall bait. I pick these up last summer only throwing them last fall for a short period of time with no success. So I've been throwing a zoom super fluke an a kvd swimmn shade for the last 4 outings, minimum 4 hours on the water, three different bodies, with not a single bite. Rigged weighted an weightless, white an green pumpkin, water is in the upper 50's, cloudy,clear,windy, calm, shallow, an deep, jerk jerk pause, steady retrieve, dead sticking...Not a bite...what gives?

[roadwarrior]

You might have better luck when the water warms up.

[MarkH024]

Are there fish present where you're throwing it? If so, how do you know? Caffeine shad is one of my skunk buster baits. It always produces for me.

[lmbfisherman]

Actually I thought it was a summer time bait.  However, I've had no issues catching them during the Fall and Spring.  One of my confidence baits. 

[indianabasshunter]

They work better for me just after the spawn ends.

[bassguytom]

I seem to do be doing well on them 55 degree water last Saturday. I am using the double fluke rig. Give it a shot.

[flyfisher]

they work for me on any day that ends in Y, regardless of the month  

[livetofish28]

There is no fish to be caught there caffeine shad is my favorite bigger profile bait and the Lake Anna Bait Co CC Minnow is by far one of the best flukes I have ever used. 

[bartdude186]

if you were to ask me i'd say there are no fish in there lol. If the lake you are fishing has no shad i find that watermelon seed or watermelon red works best, a couple of lakes i fish i can't buy a bite on a white fluke but can catch a fish every other cast on a more "natural-to-the-lake" color.

[Stingray23]

By now, everyone should know that a weightless Zoom fluke is my go to, year round bait. I will ALWAYS have one tied on. Since the ice took so long this year to melt on the reservoirs up north, my first day out on the water was 4/6/14. I usually start 2nd week of March. The water temps started around 45*, they are now in the mid 50's in the coves. I have been destroying the bass so far with the fluke. Big ones too. When everything else fails, the fluke will dominate. You have to know how to fish it according to conditions.

[SirSnookalot]

Must always be spring in Florida, I use them year round.

[martintheduck]

Three things --- you're using the wrong color, you're fishing them where there are no fish, or you're working it wrong. Definitely rig it weightless too.

 

 

Different colors? I can't buy a bite on some of the colors available. I use strictly watermelon seed, watermelon red, and KVD Caffiene shad KVD Magic and hammer em. If you've got shad in your lake, try the caffiene shad in KVD Magic. They are super realistic

 

 

Working it wrong? I can't stress enough that (for me) the "pop pop pause" MUST be with slack line. If I pop it on a little tighter line, the bait kind of drags in the water and not much comes of it. Popping on the slack line gives it an erratic motion which is why it catches fish.

 

 

I don't know what stage of spawn y'all are in or y'alls conditions, but I fish the tick out of them in and around grass and up and down banks. It's my go to shallow water bait.

[gallowaypt]

I have had great success with them this year in large ponds with no shad population. I use green pumpkin and watermelon variations. They bit the fluke pretty good while on beds, but the action has gotten ridiculous this past week since the bluegill spawn started.

[.ghoti.]

they work for me on any day that ends in Y, regardless of the month

 They work almost all year long. When they bounce off the water, they don't catch fish.

[flyfisher]

 They work almost all year long. When they bounce off the water, they don't catch fish.

 

Yeah, that is probably true but i don't really have that problem too often here in VA

[A-Jay]

Are there fish present where you're throwing it? If so, how do you know? Caffeine shad is one of my skunk buster baits. It always produces for me.

 

Skunk Buster Bait ~ That's Excellent - now my new favorite term. 

 

Flukes are a staple south of the border for Big Bass ~ and the local population has a liking for them as well.

 

A-Jay

[MarkH024]

Skunk Buster Bait ~ That's Excellent - now my new favor term. 

 

Flukes are a staple south of the border for Big Bass ~ and the local population has a liking for them as well.

 

A-Jay

If you make your own baits and use it, remember the little guys when you become super rich.

[Lazz]

if you were to ask me i'd say there are no fish in there lol. If the lake you are fishing has no shad i find that watermelon seed or watermelon red works best, a couple of lakes i fish i can't buy a bite on a white fluke but can catch a fish every other cast on a more "natural-to-the-lake" color.

This is what I'm thinking....

Electronics tell me fish are in the area plus I've caught numbers at two of the three locations I'm talking about...one of which landed me a 5.3lb PB of the year on a black and blue jig...so they're there they just won't bite a fluke...well a white fluke anyway...Like I said water is in the upper 50's right now. I'm up north, northern Ma to be specific. I'm going to try a new color what do you guys think...

[trickwormmaster]

I've always had much more success with them in the summer. during this early spring until the water hits 60ish I'm usually sticking with hard baits like rattletraps, jerk baits, etc

[MarkH024]

Electronics tell me fish are in the area plus I've caught numbers at two of the three locations I'm talking about...one of which landed me a 5.3lb PB of the year on a black and blue jig...so they're there they just won't bite a fluke...well a white fluke anyway...Like I said water is in the upper 50's right now. I'm up north, northern Ma to be specific. I'm going to try a new color what do you guys think...

Bass do not stay in the same area all the time. If you're marking fish, that's a plus but until you catch a bass those fish could be other species as well. Sounds to me you're not 100% sure they're there.

 

I fish Wisconsin mainly and often use a smokey shad color caffeine shad.  My lake has 0 shad population but they slam the heck out of it.  Perhaps a color change will help you out. It's worth the try.  Vary your cadence too. Erattic, slow, jerky, deadsticking.  All in all, you got to be where Bass are to get bit.  That is one of the biggest challenges of bass fishing.....finding them first. 

[A-Jay]

If you make your own baits and use it, remember the little guys when you become super rich.

 

I am already super rich and have been for a while.

 

Not with money, but in Family, Friends & Good Health.

 

 

 

A-Jay

[martintheduck]

This is what I'm thinking....

Electronics tell me fish are in the area plus I've caught numbers at two of the three locations I'm talking about...one of which landed me a 5.3lb PB of the year on a black and blue jig...so they're there they just won't bite a fluke...well a white fluke anyway...Like I said water is in the upper 50's right now. I'm up north, northern Ma to be specific. I'm going to try a new color what do you guys think...

 

 

What stage of the spawn are y'all in up there? What depth water are you throwing them in?

[Grizzn N Bassin]

dang man!! lots of good info here. go and and practice!!  try different retrieves not only jerk jerk pause. maybe they don't want that or they want it even slow with one jerk and 4 pauses!

[Crestliner2008]

Western MA here and I can tell you that my flukes will not be coming out until at least the spawn starts, which is a ways away at this point. Water temps in this part of the state are barely breaking 50 degrees right now. When it starts getting upwards of 58 - 60 degrees, then I'll bring out the flukes. Suspending jerk baits are a much better options right now, as they do not sink and provide minimal "action" during the presentation, which, it seems to me, the fish like much better.

[smalljaw67]

Western MA here and I can tell you that my flukes will not be coming out until at least the spawn starts, which is a ways away at this point. Water temps in this part of the state are barely breaking 50 degrees right now. When it starts getting upwards of 58 - 60 degrees, then I'll bring out the flukes. Suspending jerk baits are a much better options right now, as they do not sink and provide minimal "action" during the presentation, which, it seems to me, the fish like much better.

 

I agree 100% with crestliner, I'm in PA but same thing here, soft plastic jerkbaits aren't even thought about until you get close to 60 degrees and higher especially with largemouth. The other thing I noticed is that early on you need some clear water, the warmer it gets the less this becomes a factor as you can work it more aggressively. Stick with hard plastic, suspending jerkbaits until you get to 60 degrees, then try the fluke.