I'm all in on fluke fishing and I have run into a few packs that have the flukes all bunched up on the tails. With bent tails, they don't move like they're supposed to.

 

I have heard of dipping the tails in hot water, and I have watched this video where Matt uses a heat gun -

 

I haven't tried to fix the couple packs I have that need it yet. Any tips or suggestions from the folks here?

 

Heat gun, hot water, hair dyer or the safest way without a chance of distorting them.….A hot dashboard. 
 

 

 

 

 

Mike

I knew a guy who was a huge Walleye fisherman. He'd always bring two thermos bottles along.  One with coffee, one with hot water for the paddle tails.  

Interesting information, thanks all. Hmm, hot dash will do it eh?

I lay flukes out on their backs in the sun on the boat deck while I'm fishing. After about 30 minutes they are straight again.

Thanks @IYAOYAS.

I tried Matt's hair dryer/heat gun method and it worked like a charm.

8 hours ago, VTFan said:

I tried Matt's hair dryer/heat gun method and it worked like a charm.

Thanks for sharing.

I use hot water to fix bent tails often. Works like a charm. Doesn’t even have to be boiling hot, just pretty hot. 

Boil water then kill the fire, give a minute then dip your tail. Easy peasy. 

Thanks yall.

I use near boiling water. I heat it with a Jetboil in my shop. I go through every fluke in my pack(s) to identify the deformities. I dip them for about 10-20 seconds depending on the temp of the water and then lay them flat to cool.

I then store them in a Plano box instead of their zip lock bags. I do like the heat gun method though for those one-offs that need correction.

A straight fluke (soft jerkbait) is critical for proper action as are soft swimbaits.

I’ve always done the pot of water trick if I do. Drives me nuts getting a bag of flukes and half of them the tails are bent up. I generally let them pile up then I’ll do a bunch of them. That said I fish the kvd caffeine shad now. No more tail

problems lol

Okay, so I finally got around to trying to fix the bent flukes I had. I first tried hot water. It was dang hot, from a kettle, but didn't phase the fluke tails.

 

Next I tried the hot dash trick, bam, that did it! I placed the flukes in a bag nice and straight and laid them on my dash for a whole hot day and they are straight as an arrow.