Best way to fish a fluke?

[NavyVet1204]

So yesterday the wife and I headed down to the local boat ramp for a few hours of bank fishing and my very first cast with a weightless bubblegum fluke with a 3/0 hook pitted me with the absolute worst bird nest to date. So bad that I had to respool with new line. 
 

I adjusted my reel several times in an attempt to dial it in to accommodate the weightless lure and nothing helped. I only had 12lb fluorocarbon on hand on the reel and the spare so that may have hindered it, but I’m not sure. I ended up t-rigging a kraw and finishing the trip up. Is there a certain or specific technique for these types of weightless applications?

 

 

[MN Fisher]

For me - all my weightless plastic tossing is done on spinning gear.

[ATA]

If you use spinning set up you'll not have those head aches, but sims lie you are like me and hate to use spinning, So I recommend you double fluke rig, with your 3/0 hook and use long leader 6lb Flouro with braid backing.

. the advantage of this rig is making the weight double and less problem casting with bait caster.

 

[Catt]

It maybe a rod issue, I throw weightless Flukes with a Calcutta 100A.

 

My rod is a Powell Inferno MH Extra Fast, it leans a little towards medium side.

[Laredo]

I’m not an expert by any means, but you shouldn’t have a problem throwing flukes on a bait caster. I use my Shimano Chronarch G on a Shimano cruado 7’10” medium heavy rod. 
no problem. I typically go with 12 or 15 pound flouro. 

[DitchPanda]

I throw weightless flukes on an Abu Garcia Ike medium heavy...and that rod is a for real medium heavy maybe even a light heavy....on a revo with 15lb copolymer. Haven't had much issue.

[GreenPig]

Curado 70 on a 7' Med Fast spooled with 10 lb Seaguar Red Label allows me to cast a weightless Super Fluke with a 4/0 EWG farther than I typically need.

[NavyVet1204]

Well it’s a revo ALX reel setting on a vendetta 6’9” medium rod. there was a slight wind that day too.

[PhishLI]

6 hours ago, NavyVet1204 said:

Well it’s a revo ALX reel setting on a vendetta 6’9” medium rod. there was a slight wind that day too.

If you're struggling to get dialed in with a typical weightless fluke, but wish to stick with a fluke type bait then try a 5" SK Caffeine Shad. A 5/0 round bend worm hook, or even better an Owner 5/0 Twistlock Light (unweighted) combined with that bait will be quite a bit heavier than a standard 5" Zoom fluke. I can cast it nearly frog distances on a Powell Inferno 703CEF 7" MHXF and a Lew's Tournament Pro LFS. It's also a good fish catcher around here.

[Mr. Aquarium]

My best way is it texas rig weight less. Cast to cover or fish it as a search bait. This bait gets Bit. One of my confidence baits 

[padon]

7ft medium spinning rod. i can cast it on a casting set up but i think i get better feel of the bait with a spinning rod.

[mikey z]

I'm not sure what could be the problem because I toss weightless flukes and senkos with the absolute cheapest casting combo possible. It's a 7'0 MH rod. I keep a dirt cheap combo in my car for lunch breaks. I have the settings dialed in so I don't really have to change anything whether I'm throwing the flukes or the senkos. My only suggestion is to practice a slower longer sweep through the air as you cast and try to achieve maximum smoothness. Make sure that you feel the rod loading up on the back swing and it doesn't feel like it's jerking around in the air. Also if it backlashed at the peak of your cast, tighten your brakes. If it birdnested right as you casted it, tighten your spool tension.

[Russ E]

You can throw a weightless fluke on nearly any baitcaster. It just takes thumb control. 

If your thumb is not well trained a soft tipped rod makes it a lot easier.

Although I own a couple vendettas, they would not be my first choice for that presentation. They have the action of a broomstick. 

 

My fluke combo has a tatula sv tw sitting on a 7 foot medium/fast st Croix mojo bass. The line is 14 pound sunline sniper.

With this setup I can cast a weightless fluke a mile. Plus I can easily skip the fluke under docks and overhanging trees.

 

Changing the hook diameter can also add a little weight and help in casting.

 

[InfantryMP]

Just because it is weightless doesn't mean you have to try to muscle the cast out. I learned that the hard way learning the casting setup. I always tried to whip that sucker out there as far as I could...it always ended up bad. 

 

You could always try a weighted swimbait hook, with the lowest weight possible. It will sink faster, but it may help out?

[I/MBasser]

12 hours ago, ATA said:

If you use spinning set up you'll not have those head aches, but sims lie you are like me and hate to use spinning, So I recommend you double fluke rig, with your 3/0 hook and use long leader 6lb Flouro with braid backing.

. the advantage of this rig is making the weight double and less problem casting with bait caster.

 

Thank you for posting this.  Love fishing flukes and absolutely trying this.  

[Boomstick]

You can fish them on spinning or casting. For a fluke, I would personally prefer spinning. I have a St Croix Mojo Bass 6'8" M/XF casting rod that I've been using but once I get my M/F spinning rod this year that would be my preferred rod.

[Deleted account]

Equipment and or user error. I throw weightless flukes on a 6'6" Med, 10 lb BG and a 6 pin cent brake reel, no issues.

[Dwight Hottle]

I throw fluke style baits on a bait caster without problems. I use either 20lb braid with a leader or 14lb Suffix Advance copoly. I like to use Owner 5/0 or 6/0 twistlock weighted lighter wire with 3/32oz. Just a little weight but helps casting without hindering the action. 

[fishwizzard]

A Zoom Super w/ a 3/0 Owner Lightwire hook weighs just a tiny bit over 5/16, so at the lower end of a lot of "standard" baitcasters, but with a proper rod and some skill, it should be completely doable.  

[N Florida Mike]

I only use flukes on spinning, and have no problem except a loop once and a while on one combo .

I do use the magnum flukes on a old ambassador with a 7.2 lightning rod., with 50 lb braid. I can throw it a mile. Have only had 1 birdnest I couldnt pick out.

[Crankin4Bass]

I can throw on casting but prefer to throw it on spinning. I some times use a swivel and leader too.  Throw it into down trees and it give it twitch and it gets bit on the fall.  I also prefer the strike king caffeine shad. 

[NavyVet1204]

12 hours ago, Crankin4Bass said:

I can throw on casting but prefer to throw it on spinning. I some times use a swivel and leader too.  Throw it into down trees and it give it twitch and it gets bit on the fall.  I also prefer the strike king caffeine shad. 

Those caffeine baits by strike king really work for me where I’m at, but almost no one seems to buy/use them. It’s weird, but at the same time I enjoy having that much more plastic to choose from lol

[ChrisD46]

On 2/24/2021 at 8:56 PM, NavyVet1204 said:

So yesterday the wife and I headed down to the local boat ramp for a few hours of bank fishing and my very first cast with a weightless bubblegum fluke with a 3/0 hook pitted me with the absolute worst bird nest to date. So bad that I had to respool with new line. 
 

I adjusted my reel several times in an attempt to dial it in to accommodate the weightless lure and nothing helped. I only had 12lb fluorocarbon on hand on the reel and the spare so that may have hindered it, but I’m not sure. I ended up t-rigging a kraw and finishing the trip up. Is there a certain or specific technique for these types of weightless applications?

 

 

*A soft , controlled "lob" with an educated thumb works best with Super Flukes + Bait Cast Reel . I feel your pain and usually just resort to a spinning set up with  #10 lb. ~ #15 lb. Braid + #8 lb. FC leader with a good Gamakasu , Owner , Trokar  sharp 3/0  ~ 4/0 EWG hook . Good luck - banging your head against the dock pillars (due to birds nests) causes brain damage - don't be like me !