A day of light tackle fluking with a topwater surprise!
Matt Broderick and I made plans to fish together a number of times in 2024, but weather and obligations thwarted our best intentions. Still, we managed to make it work from time to time. For example, we had a very successful late-season blackfish trip with Rich Lazar in 2023, but finding a compatible time in 2024 eluded us. Then he called, excited with news of hot fluke fishing in Patchogue Bay.
“I was out last evening and the action was great, including a number of big fish, too. Are you available?”
“Sure,” I said, “what time do you want me to be there?”
Gentlemen Angling
The news got even better.
“There’s no need to be here at dawn. The tide will be right at about 9 a.m., so if you get here at 8 a.m., we can net some peanut bunker in a nearby creek, and then be on the spot just as the tide gets rolling. No worries—the spot is only 3 minutes from the launch ramp.”
Considering that nowadays I need hours of stretching and yoga in order to even think about fishing, an 8 a.m. departure fit my schedule perfectly.
Launch And Get Bait
The launch ramp was only a few minutes from his house, and in another minute or two, we were at the creek, where Matt netted plenty of 4- and 5-inch peanut bunker within 20 minutes. Time to hit the fluke spot.
True to Matt’s prediction, we arrived at the location three minutes from the creek. The day was warm but not hot, and an easy breeze ran across the surface of the bay. As we set up for the first drift, several of Matt’s buddies came by and filled us in on the happenings.
“Not a ton of action so far,” was the word.
However, I knew we were not yet into the best few hours of the tide. Matt put a peanut bunker on a jig head and sent it to the bottom, while I started with a Gulp Swimming Mullet on my jig. The water was relatively shallow, the breeze light, and the current lazy, so a 1/2-ounce jig was more than adequate.
Second Drift
We had a few tiny hits on the first drift, but on the second drift Matt set the hook into a fluke. For some reason, my usually reliable Gulp didn’t appeal to the flatfish that day.
Matt said, “Lately the live peanuts have produced better than the Gulp” Perhaps because the bay was loaded with peanuts, the fluke were focused on them. Conversely, Rich Lazar and I tried peanuts in the Sound, and we concluded that Gulp and peanuts were equally productive.
No matter—I took the Gulp off in favor of a peanut and hooked up. You know what they say, “When in Rome…”
We continued to have a nice steady pick of fluke, but Matt was disappointed. “The action is a little slow compared to last evening. I’m surprised because the bait’s here and the weather’s pretty much the same.” “Every day is different,” I said. “And the tide is still running, so things may heat up.”
Not Alone
By noon, quite a few boats were on the fluke grounds and, as I looked around, all boats were picking fish. Emotionally, this is a double-edged sword. First, I’d feel worse if other boats were having more success, yet in this case, I was comforted because we weren’t unique. Of course, I’d be happier if we were all bailing fish. However, for me, it was a very good day. I was fishing with a friend that I enjoy spending time with, the weather was great, I was catching fluke, and there was still anticipation of improved fishing as the tide rolled.
Then And Now
Years ago, the variety of fishing tackle, including reels, rods, rigs, and line, was more limited. Fluke fishermen used stiffer conventional boat rods and large reels, and the line was 20-pound monofilament. Terminal tackle was uniform, too.
Although many fluke anglers have switched off the old traditional “drop and drag” rig, some still shun the modern approach. I guess for some, the old ways die hard. Too bad—the newer light-tackle bucktail or jig technique is a lot more fun, and most anglers switch quickly once they try it.
In recent years, my tackle consists of 6- to 7-foot fast-action freshwater rods that I use for crappie, bluegills, and perch, and the reels are spooled with 15-pound test braided line. The reels are also poached from my freshwater arsenal: Okuma Stratus (size 35) and Daiwa (size 3000) spinning reels. These sizes are the same, although the numbers are different. All in all, today’s tackle is quite different from the stout gear of my youth.
The Bucktail
It was the 1970s when I first used a bucktail and squid strip for fluke fishing. Other anglers saw my terminal gear and asked if I was going striper or bluefishing. When I told them I was going for fluke, they laughed.
This first bucktail adventure took place in Smithtown Bay with a good friend of mine, Rocco, who has recently passed on to better fishing grounds. He stayed with a drag rig but soon switched when he realized that I was catching more fluke. By the 1990s, most fluke fans were into bucktails—even charter boat captains—proving progress marches on.
New Rig
I prefer to fish for fluke in relatively shallow water with my light tackle—typically 25 feet or less, and mostly less than 15 feet. Shallow water not only facilitates the use of light tackle, but also a finesse presentation. I use an 18- to 24-inch leader made from 20- to 30-pound leader material. I use heavy leaders only because fluke have teeth. I like to tie my jigs directly to the leader, but others prefer a small paperclip-style snap to attach the bucktail or jig.
Lately, I use bucktails less often in favor of jigheads. Although I use jigs as heavy as one ounce, I prefer 1/4- to 3/4-ounce heads if current, wind, and depth allow. There’s something special about the feel of a light jig on the bottom, the hit of a fluke, and the hoped-for hookset with very light equipment that can’t be explained in words. It’s extraordinary because even the slightest bump or change in bottom is transmitted through the rod and reel and then up the braid to the angler’s fingertips.
If you haven’t fished this way, I strongly suggest that you try it, because I know you’ll love it.
GULP Alternative
Peanuts were the best choice that day, but fishing with natural baits can be a pain in the neck. First, we must get it or buy it fresh, keep it cool and away from the heat and sun—it has a limited lifespan. It’s slimy, and the slime is sometimes transferred to reels, rods, and line, making them slippery. Fish steal bait, and that means lots of reeling in and rebaiting. I’ve often wondered how many more porgy, blackfish, and sea bass I’d catch if I didn’t have to waste all that time rebaiting.
Gulp is an alternative that is very effective on fluke and overcomes the problems of using natural bait. It is a lot more durable too, and I have often caught 8—even a dozen—fluke with the same piece of Gulp. It doesn’t need refrigeration, it’s handy out of its pouch, and it isn’t too expensive.
In spite of its advantages, there is one drawback—and that’s the smell. Although fluke seem to adore it, this human has trouble with it. I’ve learned to keep the Gulp out of my gear bag, because no matter how careful I am, the fluid gets transferred to it and soon the bag smells terrible. However, I’ll put up with that slight problem since it catches fluke so well. I’ve learned to be more careful.
I offer the reader another caution: don’t leave the Gulp on the boat in summer. I’ve found that the sunny and hot summer environment on a boat reduces the bait’s potency. I take it with me and store it at home in my basement.
Weakfish
Matt’s friends had been doing well with small- to medium-sized weakfish in recent days, close to the fluke grounds, and the slow fluke pick got him thinking. He pointed toward a red buoy way out toward the middle of the bay and suggested,
“Hey Doc, let’s hit that buoy area. Friends have been catching weakfish pretty good there.”
We took the short ride in his sturdy boat and once near the buoy, we drifted, looking for schools of peanuts or an indication of weakfish on the depth recorder. We searched and casted, scanned the quiet water for flips, but found no peanuts or weakfish.
Peanuts Ahoy!
Then Matt spotted flips well inshore of our position and moved smartly toward them. The peanuts were close to shore in less than 10-feet of water, and I didn’t really think there would be weakfish on them. As we approached the bait, I looked for surface crashes but saw none.
We moved furtively, looking for the telltale signs of excitement in the bunker school. It’s a good thing Matt’s eyes are a lot younger than mine because he spotted action and pointed out a few surface smashes ahead of us. We drifted into the bait, and suddenly I saw splashing, surface swirls, and peanuts erupting around the boat.
School Bass or Weakfish?
At that point, given the surface action, we figured it was either weakfish or stripers feeding on the bait. I lowered my peanut and jig combination to the bottom, engaged the reel, and noticed weight. I struck the fish, and it made a fast 30-foot run, horizontal to the side of the boat, past Matt, and past the end of the boat. “Bass or weak?” Matt asked. “Can’t tell yet,” I said. I couldn’t believe my eyes as I muscled the fish toward the surface. It was a big fluke! “In all my years of fluke fishing, I’ve never had a fluke do that,” I said.
Then Matt was into a hot fluke too. It also made a long run. We may have had stripers and weakfish on our minds, but I’m never disappointed with juiced-up fluke. I’ve never seen a school of fluke feeding on bait the way blues, stripers, and weakfish do, but I enjoyed the surprise. I can guess that the energy of those fluke was a result of very shallow water (four feet) and a competitive feed.
Back to the Fluke
The hot, surface-breaking fluke were both exciting to see and catch, but it was over quickly. Matt headed the boat back to the original flats, and we picked on fluke for a while before calling it quits.
During the short ride home, I thought about the “old days” when the fluke size limit was 14 inches and we caught small fluke with tackle that easily overwhelmed them.
Then, I thought about today’s trip, focusing on two ideas. First, what a lucky experience to fish on surface-breaking hot fluke with a friend to share it, and second, how much fun I missed in the “old days” when the fish were smaller, the tackle bigger, and the fillets so very thin.
