Great White Fluke Fishing Part 3

Baitfish and their behavior

When starting out with the GWF article, it quickly evolved from my intention to share a specific technique, to a broader series on fluke fishing in general. Part 1 covered the colour choice aspects and in Part 2 looked at some techniques, specifically the 3 in 1 method which relates to the pitching technique. In the final chapter, I hope to give the reader some insight into alternative rigging methods, some I've tried with success, some are yet to be tested. Herman Nel from Nelspruit has kindly granted permission for the use of some of his photo's which depict some of the unique rigging methods. Should you enjoy any success with these ideas, credit must go to Herman who is the brainchild behind some of the rigs covered in this article.

Rig 1 as displayed on the left is the one I have fondly christened "Flookey Wookey". After seeing the same picture for the first time, I rushed home to test out the flukes' action in my swimming pool and was blown away both when rigged weighted and weightless respectively. The hook is inserted from the rear of the fluke instead of the more conventional method of through the nose. When casting weightless, it is necessary that you free spool the flukes once it hits the water so it can flutter as it sinks slowly. This would be ideal for targeting lethargic bass which are suspending close to cover like weed lines, lily pad edges or steep rocky banks. Experiment with the length the hook eye is from the tail as moving the hook closer or further away causes slight variation in the flukes' action. For the weighted application, I didn't have a mojo sinker small enough to insert into the nose as shown on the left so I used a small screw. On the first cast and to my amazement the fluke swam away from me. Again it is imperative to free spool once the rig hits the water so it has enough line to "swim". Once it has hit the bottom, keep the line fairly taught and the fluke will stand at an angle on its nose. You can then hop it back by jerking the rod tip up and dropping it again. The fluke will "swim" back and land close to the original landing spot.

Rig 1

The one frustration that I did experience with this rig is the amount of times I had to re position the hook as the hook eye has very little plastic to purchase, so it pulls loose if you retrieve the "flookey wookey" back too fast. A drop of super glue on the hook shaft eliminated this problem. The weighted application is very suited to fishing semi submerged or submerged trees or getting the bait underneath a weed or lily pad mat from the edge. It is critical that you watch your line closely, if the bite occurs during the free fall you may miss the gentle tap that is usually felt when the bass inhales the bait. Any sudden movement or straightening of the line will warrant a strike - remember striking is for free. As this is a fairly light rig, I use a Shimano Clarus 7ft medium with 12lb fluorocarbon spooled on a Diawa Viento reel. I like to use the twitch bar to hop the fluke slowly back to the boat.

On a recent trip to Albert Falls we were targeting bass on the points of the tree islands when I saw a massive bust up in between the trees. Despite throwing everything at the trees nothing would even raise a bite and I decided that these fish need to see something different and rigged the flookey wookey. On the first cast I landed a keeper and subsequently caught three more keeper sized fish in three casts. The bass hit the lure on the drop and I had to do some fancy foot work getting them out of the twigs, but fact remains they hit the flookey wookey when none of the other conventional methods worked

As mentioned earlier the following fluke rigging examples show that the sky is the limit for creating a unique bait to present to Mr. Bucketmouth. Get your creative juices flowing and test out some ideas - you never know, one of them may payoff big time.

This is a Flookey Wookey rig tied to a float.

A drop shot rig - note the change in the hook position

Try turning the hook upside down when fishing a weightless rig. The hook has less plastic to puncture resulting in better hook sets - Changes the flukes action too.

A Wacky Drop Shot

Add a bit of flash by attaching a spinnerbait blade to the tail

Tying a fly to the main line ahead of the fluke imitates a baitfish chasing prey

Below are some sample pics of what the types of area´s they would hold to:

Insert a slice of foam into the belly slit for a top water alternative

I hope that you have enjoyed this series of articles and gained some insight into this wonderful bait called the fluke. In my honest opinion nothing works all the time in this game of bass fishing, however the fluke will remain my go to lure and when conditions get tough and bass get tight lipped, a different approach and rigging method may be all that is required. Again, a special thanks to Herman, who despite his efforts of trial and error, has been willing to share some of his rigging techniques. He mailed me many more that I will forward upon request. Just drop me a mail to Vaalboy@bassing.co.za
Tight lines and remember to have fun!!!

Vaalboy
Bassing.co.za Pro Staff Member

Discuss this article: Great White Fluke Fishing Part 3