Weighted Fluke?

[Bazoo]

I'm still learning and building confidence with flukes. I've done pretty good with them when weightless. I never considered throwing a weighted fluke, but my 5 year old was fishing with a Texas Rig, and decided he wanted to fish a fluke like old dad, so I just put a fluke on him. He likes a weight because it casts easier for him. He didn't catch anything so far with a weighted fluke. Does this work at all or is it just never going to produce? Of course being 5 he fishes everything fast, but if fished slow how does it do?

[rangerjockey]

I've stuck a 1 inch finish nail in them to get them to sink slowly in post spawn. 

But , some folks throw them on a Carolina rig so anything is possible

[AlabamaSpothunter]

A super sneaky trick the pros use especially on Herring lakes is wrapping the hook with lead wire.   They wrap the exposed portion of a typical EWG when rigged on a fluke.  

[casts_by_fly]

I learned this one here on BR.  The owner screw lock weighted LIGHT hooks are perfect for a fluke (or as suggested by Toxic originally) a D-shad.  I think its the 4/0 that's the right size.  With the dhsad you get a slightly faster fall than weightless that looks a little more like a fleeing baitfish than a dying one.  The tail bends up toward the surface a little more than weightless and it wiggles on the way down.  Then when you pop the rod it will shoot up again the same as a weightless one.  If you're like me and want them to fish like an underwater spook, you can walk the dog with them underwater and the small amount of weight keeps them just under the surface.

[AlabamaSpothunter]

A BR Fish is another 'weighted' fluke rig as well.    

[Bass Rutten]

If he's having trouble casting a fluke try a heavier soft jerk like a strike king caffeine shad. I also often fish them with a light (1/16-1/8oz) belly/keel weighted hook which will give it a subtle glide bait like action on a steady retrieve.

[FishTank]

Core Tackle Hover rig. It keeps the bait even keeled pretty well and also let's the bait glide but with that said, I still prefer to fish this bait weightless. 

I will also add, the Owner Range Rover is an awesome jig head for Fluke style baits.

[OkobojiEagle]

I think it will help your son if you buy him a forward facing sonar unit...

[Brian11719]

I actually prefer a weighted hook with some flukes. For example a zoom super fluke is a little lighter than some of the others I throw, so for that one my preference is a 4/0 1/16oz gamakatsu weighted spring lock hook. On the other hand if I'm throwing something like a yamamoto d shad or a strike king caffeine shad I prefer a weightless hook as both of those are already heavier lures and already have a bit more of a wobbling sink action. 

So to answer your question yes a weighted fluke works but like everything else it comes down to personal preference and what the bass are in the mood for that day, and as you add weight the action changes a bit and it takes on more of a tube like action. Flukes can work year round but  with the weather as cold as it's been lately if it's not working then it might be worth going with something you can fish very slowly on the bottom (eg. a ned rig or drop shot).

[Mike L]

When I use them I put a nail weight in its back. 
When rigging to use as a jerk bait, rig with the nose pointing down to get depth with each twitch or pull, rig it up to make it rise 

 

 

 

 

 

Mike

[TOXIC]

As @casts_by_fly mentioned, I use DShads because they have a unique sink rate unweighted and are heavier than most other fluke style baits.  I fish them in open water and on top of grass.  On St Clair I can drag them on the bottom in 10ft of water easily.  Packing a load to take with me to Florida next week.  

[Junger]

I like a light belly weight when fishing a weighted fluke. It gives it a nice shimmy on the fall. I fish it around grass edges, I'll throw it just on the top edge, then drag it until it hits the edge and kill it to let it shimmy down the grass edge. If it doesn't get smacked on the way down, I'll let it hit bottom then jig it a couple times then rinse and repeat every 5 yards or so.

 

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

 

[softwateronly]

I like fishing them with a weighted ewg like all the other posters above have said, underwater spook action.  But there's also times when a free rig or carolina rig has done some damage for me.  This was one of my better fish last post spawn on a free rig 7" fluke...

 

scott

 

[looking45]

I use a belly weighted EWG hook

 

 

[RRocket]

2 hours ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

A BR Fish is another 'weighted' fluke rig as well.    

This.

 

Impressive action, too.

[OHBuckets]

I too love me some D-shads. Monkey just also made me buy more 6" Sakamata Heavy Weights.

[heavyduty]

Split shot rig. Weight gets it down, especially for me in river current fishing for smallies, but still allows it to do its own thing.

[Munkin]

Owner weighted hook that was posted in a link above.

 

Allen

[DinkDonkey30]

Weighted hooks, on a drop shot, on a Carolina rig, split shot rig, flipping with a bullet sinker, double donkey rigs are all excellent ways to catch them that are heavier rigs.You can add nail waits in different spots to change the way a fluke acts.I like a a nail weight  further towards the tail if I’m tossing it under docks or overhangs etc.You can also get really into it and find out what plastics the bait brand uses. The material itself along with salt content change sink rate. More salt, more sink on the down side salts a filler so generally higher salt content baits are less durable/tear easier. Taking a salted bait and rolling it in your hands to “ brake up” the salt can have some effect on sink rate. 

[Big Swimbait]

I wish they still made these with the sliding weight. It gave fluke type baits great action. It was called the Dangleberry Rig.

[Bazoo]

Thanks for all the responses.

 

I've fished the FF sonar minnow on a Carolina rig and gotten a bit of success there. Fished it very little though.

 

All of the success I've had with flukes has been with a weightless super fluke. I've had some days that it's what they wanted and I gave it to them.

[softwateronly]

8 hours ago, Big Swimbait said:

I wish they still made these with the sliding weight. It gave fluke type baits great action. It was called the Dangleberry Rig.

 

Not exactly the same, but it works for me and slides on the hook shank....

 

 

https://thehookuptackle.com/products/ds-14-custom-sinker

 

scott

[RRocket]

1 hour ago, softwateronly said:

 

Not exactly the same, but it works for me and slides on the hook shank....

These work well too! 

[rtwvumtneer6]

On 1/27/2025 at 11:28 AM, casts_by_fly said:

I learned this one here on BR.  The owner screw lock weighted LIGHT hooks are perfect for a fluke (or as suggested by Toxic originally) a D-shad.  I think its the 4/0 that's the right size.  With the dhsad you get a slightly faster fall than weightless that looks a little more like a fleeing baitfish than a dying one.  The tail bends up toward the surface a little more than weightless and it wiggles on the way down.  Then when you pop the rod it will shoot up again the same as a weightless one.  If you're like me and want them to fish like an underwater spook, you can walk the dog with them underwater and the small amount of weight keeps them just under the surface.

VMC Drop Dead Weighted Hook 4/0 - 3/32 oz. is another solid choice! 

[primetime]

If fishing horizontal, I like to use a belly weighted hook, actually like the VMC drop dead hook for bigger flukes 6" over and also the owner twist locks and sometimes will use an underspin as well. 

 

On a spinning reel, I would rig up a light split shot or slip shot rig for your son, light C-Rig is a great way to fish a fluke if he prefers to cast far and cover water. If weeds are not to bad, I love rigging flukes open hook with hook on bottom exposed and it keeps the head down so it dives better. Also takes away the challenge of feeling hooksets. Nose hooking is great as well if you can. 

 

I also like to flip and pitch flukes and swimbaits instead of creature baits at times and when it works, it often works really well. 

 

I prefer a fluke or sluggo over any other soft bait for Carolina rigging. I cast it a mile and if you simply reel slowly, it darts all over and you can get that lift and drop action....Split shot rigs on smaller flukes. If I feel structure or bottom change, I will dead stick it and slow down. 

 

yes...I love a weighted fluke. Also love a double fluke rig, on top or bottom. 

 

I probably fish a fluke more than any other soft bait and although it's not considered a "big" fish bait, I feel a 7" fluke will do just as well as a big swimming worm or senko. 

 

I throw the Z-Man flukes for the 7" size and slug-go's for all sizes from 4"-10", lunker city, Bass Assassin, Hogy etc. 

 

The Strike King Caffiene shad is my go to in 5" size and second would be a zoom fluke or Houdini Shad from Yum. Also love to fish the downsized 2.5" lunker city flukes.