[Savvy18]

OK, so we have all talked about what the 2008 fluke regs may or may NOT be. If (big IF) we have a 2008 fluke season, it seems to me the best way for us recreational anglers to extract the most enjoyment from it would be to scale down on our tackle. Rods, reels, line classes, jigs/bucktails, skinnier water. Personally, I made the decision to go lighter and smaller about 5 season ago. I wanted to maximize my enjoyment of fishing for such a great predatory fish like fluke and at the same time increase the amount of "game" in the whole process. I am never going back either!

First thing I changed was my rods & reels. Abu Garcia 4600c3's and 5500C3's are my favorite reels for fluke jigging. I spool them with no more than 10 lb. braid (for all jigging situations). I have scaled down on my rods as well by cutting all my custom sticks to be lighter and usually faster than before. Even my off-the-rack rods (Tsunami) are ALL lighter and quicker. Many of them are graphite and many are glass. Whatever suits the purpose.

That in turn allowed me to go MUCH lighter with my jigs and bucktails. 2 oz. is just about as heavy as I get fishing in water as deep as 50 feet. When the tide starts to run, we try to find shallower water to fish.

In preparation for the 2008 fluke season I am building a Rainshadow/Forecast blank that I hope will turn out as light and quick as I have designed it. Only time will tell I guess. The reel I have planned to match it with is the new Abu Garcia Revo Inshore (low profile). I checked one out over the weekend and fell in love with it's small stature and very smooth operation. Not to mention it comes with a paddle handle and a power handle that will be perfect for light tackle fluke jigging!! Ya gotta love that!

So, even with the tougher 2008 fluke regs that we are currently facing, my plan is to get the maximum amount of enjoyment by scaling down my gear even more than I have in the past. I know I am going to have a great time doing it. Hope you guys do too.



This post edited by Savvy18 05:48 PM 02/14/2008

 

[MickieBelle]

Nothin' better...

than a few nice ones on a light spinner, 14 lb. fireline and a 1 oz. buck.

 

[Leprechaun]

Savvy - wait 'til CN finishes my DNY Impact ultra-light fluke jigger.

You are gonna be sooooo jealous.

Been saving a nice near-N.O.S. Abu ProMax1600C for it.

The new rig is right on schedule to debut on Big Joe's boat right around the season opener.

Lep

This post edited by Leprechaun 06:17 PM 04/07/2008

 

[crabcake]

Since I spend a lot of time fishing the bays with kids, I'll most likely continue what I started over the last 2 years and fish strictly with artificials as much as possible. For this fishing I've used medium light baitcasting outfits spooled with 20lb braid attached to a 20 pound test 3-4' flourocarbon leader. I've gone lighter than this in the past but had too many of the more expensive bucktails succumb to choppers and it also adds a little more abrasion resistance without sacrificing the qualities of braided line we've all come to enjoy. On the terminal end, my "go to" weapon of choice was a rig consisting of two 1/2 ounce jigheads baited only with Berkley Gulp products. Last year the results I had were amazing. The curly tail grubs and squids produced a ton of mostly short fluke but I did manage several keepers in the bay up to #4 using this rig. For the kids, they had a blast as besides the fluke, the sea robins, small seabass, bluefish, and even blueclaw crabs couldn't resist the taste of the Gulp.

This post edited by crabcake 08:51 PM 02/14/2008

 

[Savvy18]

Pete,

Sounds like we are both gonna be debuting some new fluke jigging sticks on Big Joe's boat come May. I can hardly wait my friend. That was a great time we had last year fishing in 15-20 feet. This year we have to make sure we get in on the hottest bite when the fish are a little bigger. Then we can put the light stuff to the test.

I'm hoping that we can hammer the fish with those new Shimano jigs. Those things look evil. I almost feel sorry for the fluke. Let me not forget that we put a serious hurtin' on 'em with Tom Teaser and Peanut Bunker products too! Looking forward to seeing those two guys at the show.


This post edited by Savvy18 11:58 PM 02/14/2008

 

[Toutog]

Skinny Water Fluke

Savvy 18.......

15 to 20 feet maybe shallow water up there on the North Shore where Big Joe works his majic, but down here on the South Shore we fish 4 to 8 feet around the marshlines and especially the drain drop offs.
Like Lep said, those small old Abu Pro Max and Black Max 1600 and 3600 round reels work nice. My favorite stick for the little 3/8's and 1/2 oz (Tom Teaser)Bucktails and Marabou jigs is a 6'6" Cabela's Tourney Trail IM7 8-17 with a soft tip that is rated for a 1/4 to 1 oz lure. No need for braid in 4 to 8 feet of H20, I use a good quality 10 lb. test mono.
Sometimes when fishing in the main channel where it gets to 10 to 25 feet, I will use 20lb Braid on a Abu Pmax 3600 that is mounted to either a 6 6 MF St Croix Avid rated @ 10-17 lb. Line or the same reel and line combo on a 6 6 M Lamiglas IM700 with a 10-20 lb line rating, it has a slightly stiffer tip then does the St. Croix and sometimes has a better action in faster moving water.

BTW, the last couple of years I have also used a little Penn 4300SS spinner spooled with 8 lb mono on a 5" 6" MLS Lamiglas rated for 6-12 lb test line. This works great for me when having to cast up into the drains and work the bucktail back over the drop off. I learned this from old "Part-time" Commercial guy who I watched do a bail job a couple of years ago in a little wooden POS Skiff. He was fishing right on the marsh and casting up into the drain on outgoing water.

If there is one thing that that has increased my shallow water score over the last few years,it is using high quality Bucktails and Teasers purchased from "Tom Teaser" some days they just work better than live bait!

Good Luck All

 

[656387]

my team and I do alot of bucktailing for flat fish and we have good results from it ,we usaly pull an average of 100 -120 fish per man on a trip ,we use light rods and the lightest line {braid} we can get away w/ so our small bucktails can get down through the water colum

 

[ihavegills]

I have a different take on it.

I decided to ultra lite it 2 seasons ago but not target the smaller fluke as the mortality rate is way too high. My kids and I yak it with 6# fireline and ultra lite spin tackle with 5/0 and 6/0 Gama instead of 2,3,4's This season I may go up to 7/0. I hope the larger hooks deter smaller fish and prevent gut hooked fish with tougher hook sets. My kids give the fish alot of room to choke and I hope the only fish gut hooked will be 20"+. I may also fish barbless hooks and bucks this season in hopes of improving hooks set and ease of release. The shorts are our future and we need to take care of them while having our fun.

 

[GloucesterToo]

catfishhunter wrote:
we usaly pull an average of 100 -120 fish per man on a trip

I wanna fish with you

 

[656387]

GloucesterToo wrote:
catfishhunter wrote:
we usaly pull an average of 100 -120 fish per man on a trip

I wanna fish with you

I am in nj so we had a 17 inch size limmit,we had a bunch of days w/ 3 man limmits .most fish were on bucktails .

 

[bigfished]

Light tackle really does = more fun and at times is much more effective on fluke. I fish the NS and for a spell last season my best fluking was in 2-4' of water tight to the beach near Sunken Meadow and Callahans. The small groups of birds diving were feasting on sand eels pushed to the surface by aggressive fluke and even sea robins. Some big fluke mixed in with the mostly sub-legal fish. Great fun watching the fluke hammer small bucktails in the shallow water.

 

[DCBASSIN]

Eddie last year I fished the bays for the first time in about 8 years with our buddy gus.He told me to bring the lightest rod I had,so I brought a shimano rod rated for 2-6lb test I think with a shimano sedona 1500 on it.I bailled the fish that day with fish to 23".Since then I bring that rod with me all the time.I even used it in Ambros with a 1oz bucktail one day and caught fish after fish while I could hold bottom.It is alot of fun with light tackle and I also improved my catch ratio on slow days.


Donald

 

[togilator]

I have capt neil wrapping a gusa 702 DHX rated 6 to 17lb test.Blank ways about 2.5 ounces it should be sweeeeet.Will use it with 10 to 12 lb. braid 1/4 to 1/2 oz. spros in moriches and Li sound.Its on neils wrapper as we speak.Im ahead of you Lep!LOL

 

[Azaiter]

I'm been using a very ultra lite Trout rod for some years.I'd started using this rod first for Flounders at Capt.Low P.boat and the last 2 years for Flukes when the Sandeels hatch at Huntington and Port Jeff area and let me tell you this rod it's fantastic and I think the Chines made a mistake,yep it's made in China.lol...TAHOE model gtx7212 5' ultra light line 2-6...I match it whit Daiwa-Force spinning real and 10 lb Power pro...whit this rod last year fishing from The Noli in Huntington I have a double header keepers and land it them, this rod got lot of bone for it size and the action it's incredible..Fredd

 

[Savvy18]

Toutog/Gus-

You better remember me when you start that hot bite in 2-4 feet! I can't wait to see your new vessel...

DCBassin/Donald-

You are doing better than me with 1 oz. jigs in Ambrose! I'm gonna have to steal your technique buddy! Hope to have you out with us this summer.

Looking forward to seeing you guys at the show. Don't forget, we have to get something for Tommy to eat while he is hard at work! Maybe Neil too!



This post edited by Savvy18 09:52 PM 02/15/2008

 

[Leprechaun]

Togilator - pretty much EVERYBODY is ahead of me.

And not just in rods either.



Lep

 

[togilator]

Well lep I wish you luck with the new stick may you catch a doormat!YOU DO A FINE JOB FOR THIS SITE.

 

[Toutog]

"Special People's" Fluke trip

Savvy18 writes:
"You better remember me when you start that hot bite in 2-4 feet!"

Eddie, I will make sure that we do a "Special Trip" with you and dcbassin/Donald a couple of times this spring, just be sure to stock up on Tom's Teasers and Bucktails at the Freeport Show, they work better than any store bought stuff. Maybe you and I will get "Lucky" one day this spring and our pal "Lep" will take a ride with us as well.
As for the new ride, I hope that we can get in as tight to the Marsh as the old Mako did. It is sure more comfortable Toggin' on the outside, so I guess it is one of life's little trade offs.

In the mean time, I will be working on getting the light gear in order!

 

[Leprechaun]

Hey Gus, what is the model number of that little Lami 5'6" fluke spinning stick you use? Its sweet and would go nice wih my old-school Penn 716.

Lep

 

[Toutog]

Lamiglas Spin Stick

Lep. Writes:
"what is the model number of that little Lami 5'6" fluke spinning stick"

The little jewel is a Lamiglas "Mike Gardner" 5'6" < CA 56 MLS >
carries 6 to 12lb line 1/4 to 1 1/4 oz lure

My other favorite is an old PENN PG PG1160 Light Action
carries 4-8lb Line 1/16 to 1/4 oz lure
Cut 4" off the top to stiffen it and it works well too!

There are so many choices in light and utra light rods it comes down to finding one with action that works for your own hand and jigging action. I like an action that loads up slow and tells me something has grabbed my offering when the Flukies are just laying on the bait.