I always preferred the darting action of a Bass assassin but Flukes work.

They skip extremely well and entice a lot of bites.

Hook up ratio has been my only complaint from  throwing them for many years.

Nose hooking helps but action suffers.

If they hooked up like say a spinnerbait, they'd certainly be a top 5 bait of mine of all time.

6 hours ago, Bazoo said:

Does anyone else ever use a straight retrieve with a fluke?

Giving up the juice here... a few years back I figured out that a straight retrieve with a soft jerkbait rigged with a light keel weighted hook gives it a subtle glide bait like hunting action. I then discovered that, just like a glide, when retrieved with little reel bumps it enhanced that action even further, I use this retrieve around shallow vegetation. Just another little trick to add to the bag to show them something different.

17 hours ago, Rucksack said:

Be very picky about how you rig it. Make sure your hook point is coming out of the middle of the fluke and/or the eye of the hook is centered in the bait. Even slightly cockeyed rigging results in "bad" action and reduces bites. At least that's been my experience.

You need to step up your DShad game.😉 Rigging differences accomplish different things and it’s not “bad action” if it’s what you want.  You are fishing them 1 dimensional.  For simplicity sake look at the nose of your DShad like it has a + on it. If you bring it out the center where all of the lines intersect, you will get a straight level retrieve. If you bring the hook point out at the top of the +, when you retrieve, it will dive. That works when fishing open deeper water.  Bring the hook out the bottom point of the + and it will dart upwards which works well fishing it over vegetation and you want it to stay on top.  Likewise the two side points of the + will create sideways motions which I use to get around things like dock posts.  I won’t get into the more subtle actions you can get by rigging in between the points of the +. Just goes to show you can take what seems like a simple bait and make it something completely different.  

 

12 hours ago, Brian11719 said:

If you want a slower fall then I'm with @TOXIC and really like the Yamamoto DShad on a weightless 4/0 hook. This one is great when you are throwing it under docks or just want a slower presentation that acts more like a Senko.

I don’t ever weight my DShads so fall rate is a relative statement.  The DShad actually falls faster than any of the other fluke style baits I’ve tried.  I have actually drug it drift fishing on the bottom in 10-12 feet.  😱

 

As you can tell, I really like my DShad fishing.😂
 

 

10 minutes ago, TOXIC said:

You need to step up your DShad game.😉 Rigging differences accomplish different things and it’s not “bad action” if it’s what you want.

 

Man consider myself taken to class. Great info! I'm going to try some new riggings next time I'm on the water.

I’m curious what hooks you all use on flukes and fluke style baits. I normally use ewg but I’ve been experimenting with owner twistlocks and like them quite a bit.

For a Super Fluke or D shad , I use a weightless vmc 4/0 swimbait hook, owner would work as well. Allows me to count it down to where I want it. I twitch and pause and the action is great.

Something different:

I use a 6th sense 3.5" whale paddle tail but cut the paddle off. 3/0 weightless ewg. Sorta finesse presentation (bfs)

I use 3/0 round bend offset.  I’m not sure why but my hookset technique or lack thereof doesn’t work with ewg. 

Very interesting discussion, thank you all for sharing.

 

I tried some various retrieves today at my church side fishing hole. I tried a straight retrieve with very minor start/stops and got bit.

 

I tried underwater walk the dog type action and got bit.

 

I tried topwater walk the dog type action and got bit.

 

I lost a couple, but most of the bass were small today, so understandable.

 

My hookup ratio is very good, I will venture 90%+.

 

I normally use Ozark Trails 3/0 Round bend offset worm hooks.

 

I originally bought a pack of them for my boy to use because he loses a lot of lures. Well one day I ran out of the Gamakatsu hooks I had and tried them, and they actually did very well. Way better than an Eagle Claw, not as good as a Gamakatsu of course. But I've used them for about 3 years now with no complaints. I've caught dozens of fish on the same hook and they do not get dull or bend... I do my bending and dulling against rocks. I use all three sizes offered - 1/0, 2/0, 3/0 all with the same results.

 

 

Lots of good info here. 

 

One thing I've found to be key with my fluke fishing, is using an EWG with a built in keeper. I prefer the Mustad Ultra Point Grip Pin. My hookup and landing ratio skyrocketed when I switch to that style hook over a traditional EWG with no keeper. 

 

I'll also add another vote of confidence to the SK Caffeine Shad. I switched to those a few years ago from the Zoom flukes and never looked back. 

Making a fluke keeper with any hook:

 

Large gauge peg it 

Hook of your choice

Fluke 

Rig fluke through the tip and pause before you return through the body - insert hook point into peg.  Slide peg up to body of fluke.  Finish rigging fluke.

 

You can also use some super glue on the underside of the fluke where the shank comes through the belly the first time.

I fish a lot of flukes. Zoom Super Fluke and Zoom Super Fluke Jr.  Super fluke usually a 3/0 hook but will nose hook as well. Super Fluke Jr I will use a 1/0. I have started to prefer straight shank hooks for it. Haven't seemed to miss any additional fish because of it. 

 

Generally fishing them on spinning gear, though I have caught a double on a donkey rig before which was awesome.  I'll do the big wild jerks, but last year I had a lot more success working more subtle quick turns of the real. Gets the bait moving in a more natural way imo. I am usually fishing small rivers so maybe that's why. It also seems to keep the bait down better. I have used swivels etc to help keep the bait down.  

 

My first experience with a fluke like bait was on a Berkley Havoc The Jerk in purple haze. My daughter grabbed them at the store when we were shopping for father's day when I was first starting fishing. I didn't realize she put them in the cart and she wasn't having a great trip to store (life with toddlers). So I left a little peeved and them was confused about the bait.  I was just learning river fishing and lost a fish on the squarebill I was throwing. Of course, the only squarebill I had at the time.  I see fish busting water so I think maybe just a weightless worm. Well all I had was The Jerk on me. No real idea what I was doing but I tied it on weightless. First cast, give it a jerk and the fish comes out of the water to hit it. First topwater bite of my life. and it was so much fun. Not a big fish, but special in several ways. Especially for a guy just happy to catch two fish in a trip. 

On 5/2/2025 at 11:38 PM, Pat Brown said:

Flukes are really hard to do wrong.  They're like a floating worm meets a vision 110 is about the long and short of it and you can't really fish them in a way that won't get fish to bite.

I can prove you wrong. I'll teach you a way Saturday. 😎

Nail weight rig (3/32 oz) with 3/0 off set worm hook works good. Retrieve using slower jerk jerk pause retrieve.

Tom

On 5/5/2025 at 10:37 AM, Pat Brown said:

Making a fluke keeper with any hook:

 

Large gauge peg it 

Hook of your choice

Fluke 

Rig fluke through the tip and pause before you return through the body - insert hook point into peg.  Slide peg up to body of fluke.  Finish rigging fluke.

 

You can also use some super glue on the underside of the fluke where the shank comes through the belly the first time.

That would certainly work too. Those hooks just work great for me and don't require a bunch of extra fumbling with pegs or superglue. I tried the Mustad Alpha Grips, but was not a fan of that keeper at all. I'm, also, a bit paranoid about the scent associated with using super glue- it's a last resort type thing for me. 

I have gained so much confidence with the fluke fishing I've done in the pond I go to, that I've started fishing them everywhere else. Today I set out with my pole, and only a couple of lures, but fished the fluke the whole time.

 

One thing I'm not sure about is color. I've had some pretty good success on gold color called Houdini, junebug, and whitish/blueish, and baby bass. I guess my question is, if a fluke isn't working, is it going to make any difference if I change color, or should I change techniques with the fluke or lures altogether?

Found this video showing an interesting technique (at the end). Basically a straight reel, waking the fluke right at the surface.

 

 

Flukes are one of my favorite baits, can’t fish them wrong. I have slayed them fished as a topwater and also dead sticking it like a texas rig senko.
 

Another awesome thing about using a swivel in front of your fluke is that if you find yourself having a lot of issues with wind knots, the swivel will greatly reduce line twist(which happens when the fluke isn’t rigged PERFECTLY straight) and you will spend more time fishing and hopefully catching.

 

I often flip my fluke upside down and rig it that way to get a unique action and also maximize fish per soft plastic, usually when the nose gets torn up after a couple catches.

 

 

I've not tried rigging them upside down yet. I'll have to give that a try.

10 hours ago, Bazoo said:

I have gained so much confidence with the fluke fishing I've done in the pond I go to, that I've started fishing them everywhere else. Today I set out with my pole, and only a couple of lures, but fished the fluke the whole time.

 

One thing I'm not sure about is color. I've had some pretty good success on gold color called Houdini, junebug, and whitish/blueish, and baby bass. I guess my question is, if a fluke isn't working, is it going to make any difference if I change color, or should I change techniques with the fluke or lures altogether?

 

Buy albino and some spike it markers and don't look back.

 

They definitely work straight retrieve and on surface and deadsticked etc.

 

Don't sleep on the jr, the 6" and the Magnum. But albino + markers is the only colors you need basically to mimic just about anything.

I really only use white or a shade type color combo on the Super Flukes. I fish them as a walking the dog type but cadence varies depending on the bass' mood. 

 

Some of my special circumstances I break them out for is if its a topwater bite but they are holding very close to grass and I cant get them to hit a frog. I'll toss a weightless or really light belly weighted Fluke deep into the grass and twitch it out. I'll also do the same right when early morning topwater starts dying off and I'll let it sink about a foot and twitch it out of cover. If I add weight sometimes I'll switch it over to a paddletail fluke.

 

Either way, they produce really really well. 

Regarding colors I use Pearl and Albino mostly. I use green pumpkin on a carolina rig when the fish are on beds to mimic a bluegill. Other than that I don't use any other colors although I have them in just about every color. lol One thing I do alot is dip the tail in chartreuse spike it and I keep a hilighter to put a stripe down the sides sometimes enticing finnicky fish to bite. Also one trick I learned a long time is to take the hilighter and put a yellow dot on the throat of the bait. sometimes it increases bites sometimes I don't believe it does anything. It definitely doesn't hurt the bite so your mileage may vary on the throat dot trick.

22 minutes ago, IYAOYAS said:

Regarding colors I use Pearl and Albino mostly. I use green pumpkin on a carolina rig when the fish are on beds to mimic a bluegill. Other than that I don't use any other colors although I have them in just about every color. lol One thing I do alot is dip the tail in chartreuse spike it and I keep a hilighter to put a stripe down the sides sometimes enticing finnicky fish to bite. Also one trick I learned a long time is to take the hilighter and put a yellow dot on the throat of the bait. sometimes it increases bites sometimes I don't believe it does anything. It definitely doesn't hurt the bite so your mileage may vary on the throat dot trick.

I know a Savannah River guy when I see one.I do the same 

As for colors, I have found these DShad colors work in most every situation I encounter.  My only frustration is that GSM discontinued the bubblegum color, which is one of my go to colors for smallmouth on St Clair. 

1 hour ago, Pat Brown said:

 

Buy albino and some spike it markers and don't look back.

 

They definitely work straight retrieve and on surface and deadsticked etc.

 

Don't sleep on the jr, the 6" and the Magnum. But albino + markers is the only colors you need basically to mimic just about anything.

What size EWG do you run for the 7” version? 

4 minutes ago, 10,000 lakes Bassin said:

What size EWG do you run for the 7” version? 

 

 

Never use EWGs with flukes personally - I tend to go with offset worm hooks or screw lock hooks but I'd go 6-7/0.  Different hook sizes and rigging methods produce different actions and I find that the hook up ratio with offset worm hooks and the action I get with them is much better.

 

I tend to go lighter wire with flukes because I really like to work them near the surface.