Fluke, Flush, Caffeine Shad, D Shad, etc.

[Drew03cmc]

Which do you prefer and why? I've been a Super Fluke guy for years, but always looking to improve my odds. 

 

 

[TOXIC]

I am a DShad exclusive user.  Beyond the fact it’s made with the same plastic as a Senko, it balances weight with size to allow me to fish it weightless in a number of different techniques.  For its size it is heavier than other fluke style baits.  

[roadwarrior]

YUM Houdini Shad

https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Yum_Houdini_Shad/descpage-YHSD.html

[Big Rick]

On 6/27/2022 at 6:58 AM, roadwarrior said:

YUM Houdini Shad

https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Yum_Houdini_Shad/descpage-YHSD.html

Care to expound on the WHY?  I too am always looking to improve on my fluke style fishing approach and like YUM products, though I've never used these. 

[OkobojiEagle]

Caffeine Shad... it has a good balance of sturdiness to last several fish, and enough softness to have a great wiggle/wobble when I let it drop through the water column.  Short answer: it works for me.

 

oe

[JustJames]

D-Shad for me as well, sink faster than fluke can fish really slow like Senko or as fast as Zoom super fluke. Weight also help for casting and skipping. Super Fluke is second choice.

[Drew03cmc]

17 minutes ago, Bass_Fishing_SoCal said:

D-Shad for me as well, sink faster than fluke can fish really slow like Senko or as fast as Zoom super fluke. Weight also help for casting and skipping. Super Fluke is second choice.

 

1 hour ago, TOXIC said:

I am a DShad exclusive user.  Beyond the fact it’s made with the same plastic as a Senko, it balances weight with size to allow me to fish it weightless in a number of different techniques.  For its size it is heavier than other fluke style baits.  

I knew you'd say D Shad @TOXIC, but I can't get them locally and would love to feel them beforehand. Guess I will just have to order some. 

[PhishLI]

5" SK Caffeine Shad and 5'" or 6" Big Bite Baits Jerk Minnow. Both are heavy enough to rig weightless weed less and cast well and far on casting gear. I fish lakes that are grass filled shore to shore and the weight gets them deeper into the lettuce. Same with fishing them through Lily pads. I fish them drop-and-fall, or just drag them. Whichever way they want them.

[Catt]

Live Magic Shad ?

[bowhunter63]

Fluke, I have tried other ones but always go back. Maybe i have more confidence in it. But i catch alot of bass on em .

[Drew03cmc]

2 hours ago, PhishLI said:

5" SK Caffeine Shad and 5' or 6" Big Bite Baits Jerk Minnow. Both are heavy enough to rig weightless weed less and cast well and far on casting gear. I fish lakes that are grass filled shore to shore and the weight gets them deeper into the lettuce. Same with fishing them through Lily pads. I fish them drop-and-fall, or just drag them. Whichever way they want them.

I am intrigued by the BBB Jerk Minnows. Are they salted like the Flukes?

[roadwarrior]

5 hours ago, Big Rick said:

Care to expound on the WHY?  I too am always looking to improve on my fluke style fishing approach and like YUM products, though I've never used these. 

I have had great luck with these on my local ponds, Pickwick and the Tennessee River,

including an 8 lb largemouth below Wilson Dam.

[Jrob78]

I use Bass Assassin Shad Assassin and Flukes for fishing fast close to the surface and D Shad or Caffeine Shad for dead sticking and fishing deeper.

[NavyToad]

+1 on the YUM Houdini shad. Nice action and a slow sink rate.

I just got some 6th Sense Flush and tried them this A.M.. No bites, but I like them.

Hooked my rear seat on a cast and backlashed so bad I had to admit defeat. Cloud cover was disappearing anyway.

[PhishLI]

2 hours ago, Drew03cmc said:

I am intrigued by the BBB Jerk Minnows. Are they salted like the Flukes?

They put a lot of salt in the bag, but the plastic isn't as salted thankfully. I rinse them off and wash the bag out. All it does is corrode hooks faster, IMO. They're more dense though, so the fall rate is good. They're thicker. The 6" is more like 5 3/8" L, so just a bit longer than a 5" Caffeine Shad, but with a bulkier body. Good flake colors too, which is nice for low light or night fishing. A little flash is the right thing at the right time. I get a lot of use out each bait rigging them on Owner Twistlock Light 5/0 or 6/0 which have a shallow bend and a long shank. Helps them come through junk cleanly.

[Bluebasser86]

I like the Flush. Good density and durability, plus the packaging keeps them straight so I don't have a bunch of kinked up baits like I do in every pack of Flukes I've ever bought. 

[TOXIC]

21 hours ago, Drew03cmc said:

 

I knew you'd say D Shad @TOXIC, but I can't get them locally and would love to feel them beforehand. Guess I will just have to order some. 

It’s a problem you’ll find with a lot of the Yamamoto line.  Other than Senkos and a few other baits, most retailers don’t carry the majority of of the product offerings.  I don’t know why.  It could be demand or possibly profit margin but I know the big retailers like bass Pro and Cabela’s have limited choice.  The DShad is the only fluke style bait I ever found that I could drag like a tube on Lake St Clair drift fishing in 8-10 ft of water.  I used to take scissors and separate the tail to make it more forked but eventually found it makes no difference.  

[Drew03cmc]

22 minutes ago, TOXIC said:

It’s a problem you’ll find with a lot of the Yamamoto line.  Other than Senkos and a few other baits, most retailers don’t carry the majority of of the product offerings.  I don’t know why.  It could be demand or possibly profit margin but I know the big retailers like bass Pro and Cabela’s have limited choice.  The DShad is the only fluke style bait I ever found that I could drag like a tube on Lake St Clair drift fishing in 8-10 ft of water.  I used to take scissors and separate the tail to make it more forked but eventually found it makes no difference.  

I will have to try some in the next few weeks. 

[EWREX]

d shad gets my vote. when fished weightless it has the same shimmy as a the senko. drives the fish nuts

[Drew03cmc]

21 minutes ago, GreenPig said:

Super Fluke user for many years but transitioning over to the Z - Man Jerk Shadz. A single fight with our vicious Spots can destroy a new Fluke and I'll catch 50+ on the Jerk Shadz. The problem is the time not the $, our bite windows can be very short and I'd rather be catching than rigging.

I don't want to have to add weight to get it to sink is why the Z-Man stuff wasn't mentioned.

[GetFishorDieTryin]

On 6/27/2022 at 3:56 PM, Jrob78 said:

I use Bass Assassin Shad Assassin and Flukes for fishing fast close to the surface and D Shad or Caffeine Shad for dead sticking and fishing deeper.

The straight tail BA is probably my favorite as well.  

[GetFishorDieTryin]

5 hours ago, GreenPig said:

Super Fluke user for many years but transitioning over to the Z - Man Jerk Shadz. A single fight with our vicious Spots can destroy a new Fluke and I'll catch 50+ on the Jerk Shadz. The problem is the time not the $, our bite windows can be very short and I'd rather be catching than rigging.

I've really started using zman baits a whole lot more for saltwater fish.  I didnt they would hold up to bluefish as well as they do.  I dont have to carry as many baits and I can get right back on the school as soon as I release the fish.  They really hold scent well too.  I put procure in some of the bags and seems to match or outfish gulp so far.  

[Sphynx]

Always fished flukes, but this year I have ordered a handful of different soft jerkbaits just to see how it goes, I think I grabbed flukes from 6th Sense, Strike King, Big Bite Baits and maybe one other one that escapes me for the moment. 

 

Why flukes? Because that was the only one I could find pretty much nationwide for years, kind of like McDonald's, it's never a surprise and you know exactly what you are getting