Fluke vs Caffeine Shad

[RHuff]

 

I have access to two private farm ponds while visiting family in SE Georgia during the 2nd week of Jan. One is 6 acres and hasn't been fished since I fished it in March. The other is 8 acres and hasn't had a line in it in over 3 years other than kids fishing for bream. There have been double digit LMB taken from both ponds.  I got my hands on a little john boat with front fishing deck and trolling motor to use as much as I want during the week I am there to bounce back and forth between the two ponds they are located about 1/4 mile apart.

 

I've done real good there in the past on rubber worm, spinnerbaits, buzzbaits, and squarebills.

Best I can tell the max water depth runs about 10-12 feet. Good source of reeds, cattails, hydrilla, and laydown timber. Weather should be 70s and sunny and water temp around 55 degrees. 

I'm gonna use my regular arsonal of ammo but wanted to add a twist of something those ponds may have never seen. 

I'm thinking a shad pattern fluke or caffeine shad. Which one do you recommend? I don't have much experience with either one.

[wdp]

I've always done well with Zoom Super Fluke and 5/0 EWG Gamakatzu. 

[jr231]

I like the fluke. But nearly every product strike king makes is a winner. 

I'm drooling at the idea of an untouched 6&8acre pond. 

Senkos. Weightless 

And the fat ika. 

Shad rap,

And a nice jig. 

Good luck buddy. 

 

[RHuff]

4 minutes ago, Yeajray231 said:

I like the fluke. But nearly every product strike king makes is a winner. 

I'm drooling at the idea of an untouched 6&8acre pond. 

Senkos. Weightless 

And the fat ika. 

Shad rap,

And a nice jig. 

Good luck buddy. 

 

 

 

Check mark all three except the fat ika.

[jr231]

You're missing out seriously !!! It's hard to find them .. I like shopping in person. Cabelas / bass pro/DSG/field n stream etc.. none of them carry the IKAs in my area... I have to order them online. And I do. 

Do yourself a favor and get a pack. Any color. With a 4/0 EXTRA wide gap ewg( they're very thick ) and rig it skirt up..  

These baits work best late spring through early fall though. 

I'm not sure what your weather is like in West Virginia. 

I might try using the jig the most if its cold.  And a suspending jerkbait. 

You need to make a summer trip to see your fam! 

[Senko lover]

If I remember right; KVD designed the Caffeine Shad to sink in a level manner and to have a different ROF from the Super Fluke. That said - I've never tried the Caffeine Shad and I love me some Arkansas Shiner Super Flukes. Best of both worlds; just purchase a pack of each and test them out!

 

[RHuff]

12 hours ago, Yeajray231 said:

You're missing out seriously !!! It's hard to find them .. I like shopping in person. Cabelas / bass pro/DSG/field n stream etc.. none of them carry the IKAs in my area... I have to order them online. And I do. 

Do yourself a favor and get a pack. Any color. With a 4/0 EXTRA wide gap ewg( they're very thick ) and rig it skirt up..  

These baits work best late spring through early fall though. 

I'm not sure what your weather is like in West Virginia. 

I might try using the jig the most if its cold.  And a suspending jerkbait. 

You need to make a summer trip to see your fam! 

 

 

 Very similar to the weather in Ohio. We usually do, but haven't gotten to go during the summer in a few years. Good thing about it down there is it can be fished year round! 

[fishwizzard]

Flukes are my favorite plastic to fish.  Here are the my main three:

The Zoom Supers weigh a little over 1/4oz and fall slowly and dart around in place very well.  They are pretty durable, inexpensive, and work on light tackle

The D-shads weight a little under 3/8oz and fall a bit faster then a senko.  They do have that wiggle on the fall but I have a hard time keeping them in place and working them slowly.

The Caffeine Shads are pushing 1/2oz and fall even faster than the D-shads and also have a nice wiggle, but fall a bit too fast imho.  I use them when I want to get deep quickly.  

[budgetbassin]

Zoom Super Flukes in pearl, watermelon seed, baby bass, and smokin shad are just about all I use in ponds and small lakes here in SEE Georgia. It is deadly around grass and cover. I like to cast it right up to shoreline cover, let it sink, and then work it back with a twitch twitch pause retrieve.

[ChrisD46]

Try the Flukes on a Gama round bend offset hook (4/0) instead of the more popular Gama EWG (5/0)... I think you will like the better action and hookup ratio .

[NYWayfarer]

Caffeine shad. Just because of the smell. I love it.

[Big Swimbait]

I would have to throw a Bluegill swimbait like Mattlures or Savage Gear. I'm betting that Bluegill and craws are the primary food source.

[RHuff]

Bluegills, for sure. Great breakdown of the weight. I think i'll go with the fluke. Do you rig them on a swivel?

[Yakalong]

Flukes in baby bass 

[jr231]

56 minutes ago, RHuff said:

Bluegills, for sure. Great breakdown of the weight. I think i'll go with the fluke. Do you rig them on a swivel?

I dont.. just make sure they are as straight as possible when on the hook, or they do circles. If you have em rigged straight, they "dart" every which way with the slightest movements.. 

[RHuff]

Will a swivel help eliminate the circling?? I'd hate to spend a lot of time thinking i had it straight only to cast and do circles..

[jr231]

29 minutes ago, RHuff said:

Will a swivel help eliminate the circling?? I'd hate to spend a lot of time thinking i had it straight only to cast and do circles..

I don't think so. But I've never used one with a fluke. It's not necessary! If you want to make sure it's rigged right; jig it around in the shallows . You'll know right away if doesnt look right. if it does circles, the bait is not rigged center. 

I'd use the super fluke over the regular fluke too. 

[fishwizzard]

If you fish it right at your feet it is really apparent when you have it on straight.  I am always searching for the perfect hook that lets me dart it quick but also keep it deep and the Zoop Supers are pretty resilient in terms of holding up to re-hooking so you can just keep messing with it until you have it right.  

[FishOnLMB]

IMO, I like to use the caffeine shad. I have had more luck with it overall. After a few twitches, letting it sink, the thinner to thicker tail has a subtle swimming action that really triggers those fish. 

[Stingray23]

On 12/11/2016 at 10:00 AM, RHuff said:

Will a swivel help eliminate the circling?? I'd hate to spend a lot of time thinking i had it straight only to cast and do circles..

A swivel will help with line twist, but it will impede movement a bit. I fish a weightless fluke all year round and fished both with and without a swivel and without a swivel is hands down the best for movement.