[Codfisha15]

Ok folks,
two more dumb fluke questions comin' up. I received my bps stick and abu 6500c3 yesterday. Rod is great. The drag in the reel is a little sticky, but I was planning on gettin it serviced so whatever. Anyway, my questions are 1) do you cast the fluke jig if you're facing downwind as to cover more ground? and 2) Do you pump fluke, or just stick the rod under your arm and crank?
Thanks and sorry for the dumb questions.

 

[Fishing Friend]

Don't apologize because there are no stupid questions. The only stupid ones are those that think they know everything. 1) I like to cast into the direction of where the boat is drifting to this way you can fish a lighter lure without it having to plane up to the surface. Of course, make sure your good at pitching it as far as possible. 2) Fluke are one of the few fish that I would reccommend pumping (gentle) because there are periods of sulking instead of the racing and horizontal swimming that is characteristic of most fish that are not flatfish. Easy does it though because a big reason fish are lost is because of jerky motions and a wildly swinging sinker.

 

[Leprechaun]

Is this the rod model that some have named the "Lep" stick?

I find that particular rod a little stiff for fluking, but it could be used for the deep stuff I suppose.

Typically, if an Abu's drag is sticky or uneven that its an indication that some of the oil or grease used to lube the reel has migrated into the drag stack and contaminated the washers.

This is super easy to fix on a newer model Abu's - just take the drag washers out - both fiber and metal- and wipe them clean on a piece of kitchen paper towel. I myself often have this problem and go one step further on a generak clean up by using automotive brake cleaner fluid as a solvent to remove oily residue from drags and gears. Works great.

As far as casting your jig - why not? On my boat we just let it down to the bottom, on the downdrift side and jig with short 6" twiches. But you could cast too, if you feel conditions warrant.

I DO NOT pump fluke - doubley so if I'm using a Silver Bullet type lure - this will create alternating tight and not-so-tight conditions and give the fish the opportunity to shake the heavy lure out of its mouth. These fish are not exactly the greatest fighters to start with, in fact my regular fishing buddy maintains that they do their best fighting on the deck after they're dropped out of the net. In any case, with a steady reeling action and minimal rod movement many times they will come right to the boat without too many dramatics. The less the better - they do tend to shake free of the lure too many times for my taste, anyway.

rgds, Leprechaun

 

[flukerr]

Not a supid question....

As far as jigging goes just drop it and jig no need to cast.Unless you are working along a flat on a private boat.Two ways to jig. If you are working a bucktail, long lifts of the rod with a slow drop down and an even slower lift seems to be the ticket.

If you are working bullets (my favorite) little movements of the wrists seem to work better then a lift.Its more like popping the bullet along the bottom.You will get a feel for it. Sometimes a fluke will just seem like a little bit of weight.This is when i like to stick with one rod.When you use one rod most of the time you start to learn the "feel" of that paticular rod.You will start to notice fish that you never did before, once you develop that feel.

Never pump a fluke up to the boat.You start to work a hole in the fishes mouth.With bullets you tend to drop enough fish as it is with out helping them out..Take your time a steady reel and work him to the boat.If you are in deep water, its better to let the fish freak out in 40 ft of H2O then right at the boat where there is more room for error.......I hope this helps.....

 

[Hunt n' Fish]

If you've got a good current, just jig vertically under the boat. If it is real slow and calm, I cast and retrieve the lure to cover more ground. Fluke can shake pretty violently when they reach the surface, keep them a about a foot below the surface until you are ready with the net, otherwise the chances are pretty good for it to spit the hook.

 

[Codfisha15]

Ok guys thanks, I guess the final consensus is no pumping (what i figured), and that usually no casting of the jig needed unless there is no current or if there's nothing going on and you need a change of pace. Yes, lep, it is a "lucky lep stick". And flukerr, i understand what you mean about getting the feel of a rod. For me with my cod jigging stick, it has gotten to the point when i can immediately tell if my jig has tripped on itself, if there is a little weed, or even if i have a tiny fish on (ie four inch cod, it's happened). Then when you switch to another stick, you have to get the feel all over again.
Thanks guys,
willy

 

[LkyLindy]

Fluke Game

Cod-
Catching fluke is like playing golf-anyone can play,but believe it or not it takes years of practice,practice practice to become reely good at it.
two major types of fluckin to consider-shallow water to 30 ft.and deeper water-greater than 30(approxamatley)-the lep rod you have (I'm bringing one to the bash btw)does not have a sensitive enough tip for shallow water but will be fine for deeper.Shallow water is all about Bucktails and there's a lot to learn.Outfishes hook and sinker 3:1.Deeper water and the fluke bullet is supreme.Of course then you have livelining snappers but thats for when you really have those handicap numbers.

Go to the search mode for rig info -its all there for you in spades and thats no fluke

 

[Codfisha15]

I'll probably be exclusively fishing the frances fleet, which I think almost always fishes 40 or more feet of water, so i think i should be ok.
Thanks,