I have been mostly throwing 4-5” flukes and jerk shadz on 4/0 EWG hooks, both weightless and 1/8. 
 

I noticed when belly weighted isn’t producing, I sometimes pull it off and nose hook it with the belly weighted hook and immediately get bit, and I’m wondering if this has more to do with nose hooking and the presentation that produces or the unusual action that nose hooking with a belly weighted hook creates?

 

Would like to reproduce these results using proper, smaller hooks but not sure it would work. What rigging style do you find  elicits the most strikes?

Watching with interest. I've not not used but 1 rigging style, that is, with an offset wormhook texas rigged with the hook point up.

 

I've been wanting to get some belly weighted hooks for when I want to fish deeper.

I like to use a ball head with an open hook and I hate to say it but the Deps Sakamata Shad just works better for me than a Fluke. No clue why but it seems to glide through the water better. 

When I'm fishing in the vegetation, I'll rig up a fluke weightless Texas rig style and just let it sink down on it's own. When the fluke starts getting to the point where it won't stay on the hook any longer then I'll wacky rig it, and try and keep it just above the vegetation.

My most productive way to rig them is with the Dangleberry Rig - an EWG with a sliding weight on the hook. It gives the bait an exagerated movement. Unfortunately it is not made anymore and I only have a few left. Someone said that a JDM company is making a sliding weight that you can add to your hook of choice. I need to find them LOL.

I’ve used a number of rigging techniques for river smallies,  and have settled on the Eagle Claw weighted hooks (red) sold at Walmart in 1/16oz.   I use Zoom Super Salt Plus, and insert hook point just at top of nose and bring it out just forward of the belly groove.  I wet the weight and bury it in the fluke, and then spin it so I can bring hook out of the back.  I tie directly to the exposed eye.  In areas around rocks or other breaks that tend to concentrate and speed up current, I have used the 1/8oz version. 

What I like about this method besides its swimming action, which has been very productive, is if you let it go to the bottom it will briefly stand on its nose and looks like a minnow feeding off the rock. On several occasions I have watched smallies dart in from somewhere and scoop it up while it is in this position.  
This obviously is not a weedless rig.

I like the TUSH and darter head or flat bottomed jighead like the Damiki or MB heads.

If weightless my favorite way to rig them was with the old Sebile doughnut weights.  You could move them up and down the shank depending on action and add or remove weight as you see fit.  Sad they stopped making them.  A weighted EWG or hybrid hook works.  You can either buy a weighed one, or wrap weighted wire around the shank.

I personally don't think the brand matters (Unless they are a garbage shape and material but that would come from overseas and likely not in states). Most companies on Tackle Warehouse make a fluke or multiple and size and color is really most important thing IMO.

 

However, Certain styles have different actions which I am sure you know and you can rig so many ways to get the action you like. I like to rig flukes with an open hook, hook on bottom if possible, works great that way.

 

The double fluke rig is a killer as well. 

 

Academy brand flukes look just like a few other brands, Almost as if BIg Bite makes plastics for them but not sure. They seem to work as good as Zoom. Strike King, Yamamoto are heavier in salt so they sink faster but buy what you like and try nose hooking, adding a split shot, pitching a fluke, can't fish em wrong....Make a great alternative to someone throwing a frog or toad.....

When I use one it’s almost always a Zoom Super with a nail weight in its back. 
The horizontal fall elicits more strikes than any other and it’s not close. 
 

I prefer the nail over a keel weight because it falls slower and has a more solid set without the weight itself affecting it. 
 

As far as rigging I rig farther down exposing the nose so I can point it up or down depending on which direction I want it to dart when I hit it. 

In the summer pointing the nose down for a more pronounced dive and up when water cools has proven the most effective 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mike 
 

On 9/29/2025 at 5:16 PM, Big Swimbait said:

Dangleberry Rig 

 

 

 

OK the person that named this.

 

LMAO

One of the reasons I am so enamored with the Yamamoto DShad is that it has enough natural weight to fish deeper without nails, pinch weights, ball heads, belly weighted hooks, worm weights, etc.  I have never fished a DShad deeper than 10 feet so there’s that.  If I’m going deeper, I’ll normally choose a different bait.  Texas Rigged weightless on a 4.0 EWG gamakatsu hook allows me to fish everything from open water to wood, topped out grass and pads.  It saved a trip to St Clair one of our 22 years of going there by dead sticking it in 8-10 feet and just dragging it on the bottom.  In pads and topped out grass, it has enough weight to sink in the open holes and weedless enough to work on top.  Now GSM/Yamamoto has come out with the Hinge Shad and everything I have seen has it on a ball head.  Seems no one is fishing it weightless.  I’m going to order some and give them a go.  

I need to buy some flukes.

 

Looking at a donkey rig in action is pretty dang cool.

 

If I were a bass I probably couldn't resist.

 

Just need to figure out what combo to throw them on.

 

Baitcaster > spinning ?????

11 minutes ago, HawkeyeSmallie said:

I need to buy some flukes.

 

Looking at a donkey rig in action is pretty dang cool.

 

If I were a bass I probably couldn't resist.

 

Just need to figure out what combo to throw them on.

 

Baitcaster > spinning ?????

I would say spinning, medium-med heavy but you could use a casting rig as well.

In February we will be going back to Headwaters and if history is a good teacher, first thing in the morning, a DShad worked out from the weedy banks was a killer.  

9 minutes ago, TOXIC said:

In February we will be going back to Headwaters and if history is a good teacher, first thing in the morning, a DShad worked out from the weedy banks was a killer.  

As of now I’ll be there the 2nd or 3rd week. Whoever gets there first should compare notes or meet somewhere in middle!
 

 

 

 

Mike

On 9/29/2025 at 7:39 PM, OldManLure said:

I’ve used a number of rigging techniques for river smallies,  and have settled on the Eagle Claw weighted hooks (red) sold at Walmart in 1/16oz.   I use Zoom Super Salt Plus, and insert hook point just at top of nose and bring it out just forward of the belly groove.

I used to buy red EWGs with 1/16 from walmart all the time and use them on bass Assassin worms at night and flukes.  I think the ones I bought were Arkie brand.  

I throw flukes all the time, but hardly ever in FW anymore.  The Gulp 5" jerkshad are killer inshore baits for everything.

The Sakamata shads look great, but the price keeps me away. 

I did invest in some Duo Pintail recently.  The action is amazing.  They shimmy on the fall like a spybait and walk like a pencil.  The Bayruf darter heads are too small for the 4 and 5", but a company called heavy hitter makes a winged darter in 1/8,3/16 and 1/4 with 2,3 and 4/0 size hooks available for every weight.  They use a cone keeper/wire keeper, so they arent as head heavy as the Duos, but I think that helps the bait glide even more. 

On 9/29/2025 at 6:16 PM, Big Swimbait said:

My most productive way to rig them is with the Dangleberry Rig - an EWG with a sliding weight on the hook. It gives the bait an exagerated movement. Unfortunately it is not made anymore and I only have a few left. Someone said that a JDM company is making a sliding weight that you can add to your hook of choice. I need to find them LOL.

Now, they aren't on the level of a Ryugi or Gami, but Mustad makes a hook you may like...

I've fished Super Flukes for a long time, always weightless, mostly Texas rigged with a 4/0 or 5/0 red EWG hook.  Occasionally I will switch to nose hooking with a red Mosquito hook.  I have tried the same methods with the 4" Jerk ShadZ, which has more buoyancy.  The Fluke has very good action, while the Jerk Shad does not, it is too stiff.

6 hours ago, Tackleholic said:

I've fished Super Flukes for a long time, always weightless, mostly Texas rigged with a 4/0 or 5/0 red EWG hook.  Occasionally I will switch to nose hooking with a red Mosquito hook.  I have tried the same methods with the 4" Jerk ShadZ, which has more buoyancy.  The Fluke has very good action, while the Jerk Shad does not, it is too stiff.

I think both have good action, fluke obv superior 

Good old Zoom is hard to beat. Weighted or weightless. Arkansas shiner color is my favorite 

Hmmm…have to admit. Never heard of anyone using a fluke on a WR before. May have to try that. 

Zoom Salty Super Fluke rigged weightless on a 2/0 Gamakatsu round bend worm hook has been my most productive by far. 

 

I haven't tried all the different brands of flukes, so I can't say if there's a better lure out there, but I have noticed some have less/differing action than others. The Big Bit Baits is very comparable to Zoom. 

 

As far as rigging goes, I started off with an EWG hook texposed, in various sizes. As I experimented I found that I got more consistent hooksets with a smaller hook and with the worm hooks - this is because there were a lot of small schooling bass where I was fishing and I'm A-OK with catching more fish even if they're smaller - so I made the change to work hooks in 2/0. I will also keep fishing the same fluke until I can't hook it at all anymore.

 

I also like the worm hook because when the lure starts to get really worn I can rig it upside down so the hook comes out the belly, and because the shank is straight it lines up with the back of the lure and doesn't look out of place. 

I fish flukes with owner twist locks. I’ve posted this before, but I think it’s worth posting again. This is why I use the owner twist locks:

 

https://youtu.be/LdzuAaAbgZs?si=Qz2eLRDoHw68_Ryp

 

3 ways to rig a fluke:

https://youtu.be/IdZAi0aAniI?si=rW0FS-nZbOAxb523

 

These are not my videos, just videos I’ve found helpful. I apologize if posting these is against the rules!

15 hours ago, woolleyfooley said:

I fish flukes with owner twist locks. I’ve posted this before, but I think it’s worth posting again. This is why I use the owner twist locks:

 

https://youtu.be/LdzuAaAbgZs?si=Qz2eLRDoHw68_Ryp

 

3 ways to rig a fluke:

https://youtu.be/IdZAi0aAniI?si=rW0FS-nZbOAxb523

 

These are not my videos, just videos I’ve found helpful. I apologize if posting these is against the rules!

Do you not have an issue with the twist lock hook point not being flush with the back of the bait? I tried both the twist lock and the Gamakatsu version same deal, they do not fit the 5” super fluke and point upward exposing the hook point.  They are a good fit for the caffeine Shad.

8 hours ago, ohioguy25 said:

Do you not have an issue with the twist lock hook point not being flush with the back of the bait? I tried both the twist lock and the Gamakatsu version same deal, they do not fit the 5” super fluke and point upward exposing the hook point.  They are a good fit for the caffeine Shad.

With the wide gap twistlocks they sit just like a regular ewg.