In your experience, what would you say is the heaviest fluke-style bait you've used?

You looking for a sinking or floating bait?

From what I’ve used, the SK Caffeine Shad. 

14 minutes ago, Scott F said:

You looking for a sinking or floating bait?

Sinking. 

Are you looking for a bait that sinks the fastest or that can be thrown more easily on a baitcaster?

Zoom Magnum Super Fluke

31 minutes ago, Scott F said:

Are you looking for a bait that sinks the fastest or that can be thrown more easily on a baitcaster?

Thrown more easily on a baitcaster. I’ve used weighted hooks, but I don’t like the fall rate. 

You may not agree, but the bass don’t care if it’s shaped like a fluke. A 6 or 7 inch Senko is easily thrown on a baitcaster and you can work it like a jerkbait when you T rig it weightless. The slow fall, and the erratic, dying minnow action is what has caused millions of bass to be fooled by it.

2 hours ago, KSanford33 said:

In your experience, what would you say is the heaviest fluke-style bait you've used?

SK Magnum Caffeine Shad. Check the auction site for great deals on them.

 

Try this hook in 6/0 or 7/0:Berkley Fusion19 Swimbait Hooks | Bass Pro Shops

 

23 minutes ago, PhishLI said:

SK Magnum Caffeine Shad. Check the auction site for great deals on them.

 

Try this hook in 6/0 or 7/0:Berkley Fusion19 Swimbait Hooks | Bass Pro Shops

 

that’s a big lump of plastic. 5/8 oz?  Maybe 3/4?

yamamoto d shad hands down

32 minutes ago, casts_by_fly said:

that’s a big lump of plastic.  Maybe 3/4?

22 grams without a hook. It flies.

2 hours ago, KSanford33 said:

I’ve used weighted hooks, but I don’t like the fall rate. 

I didn't either... until I tried the 5 inch Caffeine Shad.  BUT, the difference maker is the hook you use.  Most hooks result in a nose-dive of the fluke. If you use an Owner Twistlock LIGHT hook the action is amazing and the shad almost swims on its own horizontally with a few twitches. Even the Twistlock Light in a 3/32 oz will fall much slower than a regular fluke.  

Probably the Slug Go. Their 12" is something like 3 oz.

FWIW, found this old file I had saved that might be of interest. I'm not even sure how many of these baits are still currently made, but it is the weight of a bunch of fluke style baits that were on the market in the early 2000s. Might still be good for historical and comparison sake. These were accumulated and weighed by a materials scientist.

 

For reference;

1 g = .035 oz.

3.5 g  = .123 oz or about 1/8 oz.

7 g = .247 oz or about 1/4 oz.

 

M-Pack Shad 7" ?

12 hours ago, JediAmoeba said:

Probably the Slug Go. Their 12" is something like 3 oz.

I've still got one of those heifers in my soft plastic box. I've only used it for pike occasionally, but you're not kidding; that thing weighs a ton!

Yamamoto D shad sinks considerably faster of the brands I've tried 

12” Sluggo is 3 oz, 9” is 1.4 oz fished both on custom 1 1/2 oz Scrounger jig. 

Tom

https://thehookuptackle.com/products/sakamata-shad-heavy-weight?_pos=2&_psq=Saka&_ss=e&_v=1.0

 

Weight isn't as important as density.  I know certain colors aka plstics on the zoom flukes sink differently than others.  The more single or bicolors without flake don't have the same plastic as the ones with glitter and those that have the glitter sink differently.  

All that being said the zoom magnum fluke is pretty heavy.  

On 3/2/2023 at 9:42 PM, JediAmoeba said:

Probably the Slug Go. Their 12" is something like 3 oz.

This.  I've whacked numerous fish deadsticking them.