Do you find a fluke to be effective for river smallmouth when the water is low, slow and clear like this, and how do you rig it?

[Ohioguy25]

Do you prefer an EWG worm hook or regular, and what size/brand? What color do you like best? Lastly, do you go weightless or do you add some?

[bowhunter63]

Zoom fluke all the way. Arkansas shiner color EWG Gama. I use 10 lb Mono on a baitcast set up. Weightless 

[FryDog62]

Best lure I’ve used the past 10 years for river smallmouth is a 5 inch Caffeine Shad rigged on an 4/0 Owner Twistlock LIGHT hook. It swims and darts horizontally vs. traditional nose-weighted flukes that just dive straight down and often get stuck on the bottom/rocks, etc.  Many times with a twitch or two you can get the Caffeine Shad to swim along with the current by itself and cover a lot of water or pockets/seams.
 

Truly a unique and amazing lure at times. The air bubble in the tail is the secret sauce that makes this fluke bait rise above the rest.
 

If fishing deeper banks and/or deep weed edges for largemouth, go with the same Owner hook but use the 3/32 oz weighted option. Color for the Caffeine Shads - Glacier for sunny days, Pearl Blue when it’s overcast - but they all work. 

[Drew03cmc]

Yes. I have used Super Flukes, Caffeine Shads, Houdini Shads and the Big Bite version. They all do something differently. I just got in 6 bags of Deps Sakamata Shads to work with. I run them on an Owner Twistlock 4/0 hook weightless. 

 

Colors? All of them, but these have worked for me.

For Zoom- pearl, bubblegum, watermelon red

SK- baby bass, pearl

BBB- pearl

Yum- pearl

 

I got 2 colors in the Deps. White and the champagne pepper neon pearl. I can't wait to try these.

 

[padon]

22 hours ago, FryDog62 said:

Best lure I’ve used the past 10 years for river smallmouth is a 5 inch Caffeine Shad rigged on an 4/0 Owner Twistlock LIGHT hook. It swims and darts horizontally vs. traditional nose-weighted flukes that just dive straight down and often get stuck on the bottom/rocks, etc.  Many times with a twitch or two you can get the Caffeine Shad to swim along with the current by itself and cover a lot of water or pockets/seams.
 

Truly a unique and amazing lure at times. The air bubble in the tail is the secret sauce that makes this fluke bait rise above the rest.
 

If fishing deeper banks and/or deep weed edges for largemouth, go with the same Owner hook but use the 3/32 oz weighted option. Color for the Caffeine Shads - Glacier for sunny days, Pearl Blue when it’s overcast - but they all work. 

this. also dont overlook the yamamoto d shad

[Ohioguy25]

On 9/9/2023 at 1:43 PM, FryDog62 said:

Best lure I’ve used the past 10 years for river smallmouth is a 5 inch Caffeine Shad rigged on an 4/0 Owner Twistlock LIGHT hook. It swims and darts horizontally vs. traditional nose-weighted flukes that just dive straight down and often get stuck on the bottom/rocks, etc.  Many times with a twitch or two you can get the Caffeine Shad to swim along with the current by itself and cover a lot of water or pockets/seams.
 

Truly a unique and amazing lure at times. The air bubble in the tail is the secret sauce that makes this fluke bait rise above the rest.
 

If fishing deeper banks and/or deep weed edges for largemouth, go with the same Owner hook but use the 3/32 oz weighted option. Color for the Caffeine Shads - Glacier for sunny days, Pearl Blue when it’s overcast - but they all work. 

Hell yeah thx I’ll check them out

[flyfisher]

95% of the time I am nose hooking my flukes on rivers with a inline circle hook.  If there is a lot of grass or snags i go weedless weightless with a 4/0 superline to give me a littel extra weight depending on the fluke I am using.  

 

https://snaglertackle.com/product-category/soft-plastic/minnows/

 

[FryDog62]

Nothing swims like the Caffeine Shad with that bubble tail...  21.5 inch river smallmouth below ~

[PaulVE64]

4 hours ago, FryDog62 said:

Nothing swims like the Caffeine Shad with that bubble tail...  21.5 inch river smallmouth below ~

What hook did you use?

(I recently lost a nice fish after an epic battle. I got bent out on a light wire hook)

[FryDog62]

 

9 hours ago, PaulVE64 said:

What hook did you use?

(I recently lost a nice fish after an epic battle. I got bent out on a light wire hook)

4/0 Owner Twistlock LIGHT is the only hook I use for 2 reasons: 1) It balances out perfectly with a 5 inch Caffeine Shad to swim more horizontally. 2) Despite it being a “LIGHT” hook, it is in between a light wire and regular hook. I have never bent one out in 10 years and have even caught  big pike with it frequently. 

[Ohioguy25]

4 hours ago, FryDog62 said:

 

4/0 Owner Twistlock LIGHT is the only hook I use for 2 reasons: 1) It balances out perfectly with a 5 inch Caffeine Shad to swim more horizontally. 2) Despite it being a “LIGHT” hook, it is in between a light wire and regular hook. I have never bent one out in 10 years and have even caught  big pike with it frequently. 

Nice. Which caffeine Shad do you use? Looks like there are a couple diff options on TW, one says swimmin. None are fork tailed, isn’t that what a fluke is supposed to have?

[padon]

you dont want the swimming version.the great thing about the caffeine shad is that little bubble tail. it wags and shimmies on the sink. 

[FryDog62]

On 9/11/2023 at 9:57 AM, Ohioguy25 said:

Nice. Which caffeine Shad do you use? Looks like there are a couple diff options on TW, one says swimmin. None are fork tailed, isn’t that what a fluke is supposed to have?

Here's the correct 5 inch Caffeine Shad:

https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Strike_King_KVD_Perfect_Plastic_Caffeine_Shad_5_8pk/descpage-SKPCS.html

 

And the right hook is critical, either the 4/0 weightless, or the 4/0 3/32 oz depending on depth - but in a shallow river go weightless: 

https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Owner_Twistlock_Light_Hook/descpage-OTLL.html

 

https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Owner_Weighted_Twistlock_Light_3pk/descpage-OWTL.html

[Ohioguy25]

Great thx! What about a medium sized river averaging 4-6’?

On 9/11/2023 at 11:39 AM, FryDog62 said:

Here's the correct 5 inch Caffeine Shad:

https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Strike_King_KVD_Perfect_Plastic_Caffeine_Shad_5_8pk/descpage-SKPCS.html

 

And the right hook is critical, either the 4/0 weightless, or the 4/0 3/32 oz depending on depth - but in a shallow river go weightless: 

https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Owner_Twistlock_Light_Hook/descpage-OTLL.html

 

https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Owner_Weighted_Twistlock_Light_3pk/descpage-OWTL.html

Also is this an exact replacement for a fluke? Says it’s a “topwater” soft jerk.

[FryDog62]

In that depth I would go weightless. It’s a unique fluke style bait, you can swim it or jerk/twitch. 

[Ohioguy25]

So in situations where a fluke is most effective, this will completely serve this function?

[Ohioguy25]

Also, is there anything particularly better about the owner vs these? I ask because I already have them and wonder if they’ll be adequate. 
 

https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Gamakatsu_Offset_EWG_Worm_Hooks_Black/descpage-GOSWG.html

[VolFan]

Those will be adequate. But when you run out, those Owners are the bees’ knees. +1 for me in the Caffeine Shad. It has good weight and a great shimmy. FYI flukes/soft jerkbaits come in many shapes - don’t limit them to just ones with forked tails.

[FryDog62]

On 9/11/2023 at 2:03 PM, Ohioguy25 said:

Also, is there anything particularly better about the owner vs these? I ask because I already have them and wonder if they’ll be adequate. 
 

https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Gamakatsu_Offset_EWG_Worm_Hooks_Black/descpage-GOSWG.html

I've used similar - the down side was 2fold: 1) You don't get the center weight quite as well to keep the Caffeine Shad horizontal, and 2) The plastic seems to sag in the middle after a few casts. Between these two, it kind of works but tends to fall a little more like a wacky worm.  Hard to explain, but just doesn't seem the same in terms of fall, sink rate and swimming effect.  In a pinch, yes you could, but wouldn't be my preference... 

[Ohioguy25]

44 minutes ago, VolFan said:

Those will be adequate. But when you run out, those Owners are the bees’ knees. +1 for me in the Caffeine Shad. It has good weight and a great shimmy. FYI flukes/soft jerkbaits come in many shapes - don’t limit them to just ones with forked tails.

What makes the owners better? 

35 minutes ago, FryDog62 said:

I've used similar - the down side was 2fold: 1) You don't get the center weight quite as well to keep the Caffeine Shad horizontal, and 2) The plastic seems to sag in the middle after a few casts. Between these two, it kind of works but tends to fall a little more like a wacky worm.  Hard to explain, but just doesn't seem the same in terms of fall, sink rate and swimming effect.  In a pinch, yes you could, but wouldn't be my preference... 

So even if using weightless, still keeps plastic straighter?

40 minutes ago, FryDog62 said:

I've used similar - the down side was 2fold: 1) You don't get the center weight quite as well to keep the Caffeine Shad horizontal, and 2) The plastic seems to sag in the middle after a few casts. Between these two, it kind of works but tends to fall a little more like a wacky worm.  Hard to explain, but just doesn't seem the same in terms of fall, sink rate and swimming effect.  In a pinch, yes you could, but wouldn't be my preference... 

Also, is 4/0 not a tad large? My buddy was saying 2/0 was as big as you’d want to go for those Gammy EWG on the super fluke, but are the standards different for EWG vs straight shank?

[FryDog62]

56 minutes ago, Ohioguy25 said:

What makes the owners better? 

So even if using weightless, still keeps plastic straighter?

Also, is 4/0 not a tad large? My buddy was saying 2/0 was as big as you’d want to go for those Gammy EWG on the super fluke, but are the standards different for EWG vs straight shank?

Yes, keeps plastics straighter, swims more horizontal, more durable with the centering pin... and the 5 inch Caffeine Shad absolutely fits perfect on the 4/0?

[TnRiver46]

Zoom tiny fluke on jig head is wonderful. Zoom super fluke is good for fishing near the top, nose hook or weedless depending on cover. I like 5/0 round bend for the bigger baits, seem to do well with 3/0 ewg in zoom super fluke . 
 

caught some big 19-20” spotted bass and meanmouth with the nose hook fluke in open water, angry fish 

[Ohioguy25]

It makes sense that a dying baitfish imitation would invite an aggressive bite, that’s awesome man. 

[padon]

ypull get longer life from the bait with the screw lock hooks.they will rig straighter. also the 4/0 owner isnt a true ewg. it has a wider gap than a round bend but not a true ewg. also the caffeine shad is heavier and sinks better than a fluke . it will get down better than a fluke in current. dont over think it. get a couple bags a pack of hooks and go catch em.

[VolFan]

8 hours ago, padon said:

dont over think it.

I think that ship sailed loooong ago ?