A second push of fluke action comes to the western Sound in August.
In my experience, the two best times to fish for fluke in the western Sound are late spring and late summer. The first good period is kind of universal; namely May into June. This late spring-early summer period features sand eels, squid, mantis shrimp, and perhaps some leftover peanut bunker that move shallow at this time. Fluke migrate inshore from the ocean in spring and follow the bait into the shallow parts of the Sound. Most fluke fans hit this period hard because it can be very productive and also provides the best chance of legal fish before local anglers pick through the schools.
The Summer Exception
Fans also fish for fluke in mid-summer, but good fluking trips are few and usually dominated by shorts. Furthermore, fluke spread out in summer because sand eels have gone deep along with the squid, and most of the young of the year peanuts and spearing are deep in the harbors hiding from predators. I’ve had a lot of good mid-summer fluking, but it isn’t consistent. All bets are off, however, if there is a big April bunker spawn. In this case, the early spawned peanuts are large enough by July and August to begin schooling up and wandering into open water. When that happens, summer fluking can be great in the Sound.
Many anglers in the western Sound move deep to fish for fluke in summer since that’s where larger fish feed. In my area, anglers head for the Middle Grounds and further west, they work deeper water from Stepping Stones to the Bridge. The deeper areas may also feature tidal currents and perhaps more rugged bottoms, and these features require anglers to use heavier tackle and larger more conventional bottom rigs. Although I’ve done the deep-water summer thing, I don’t enjoy it as much as I do when I can fish shallow with light tackle.
The Second Push
I always look forward to the August full moon because food chains in western L.I. Sound change. By the August full moon there are usually several spawns of bunker that are one to three inches long. At this size, peanuts move out of the marsh grass along the shorelines and other ultra-shallow hiding places, school up, and begin to swim in open water to feed. In addition, at this time, there is a second wave of larger fluke that come into Long Island Sound from the ocean. The odor of big schools of peanuts works its way out of the harbors into the Sound and draws predators into shallower water, including fluke.
Setting Up
Light tackle fluking is a tremendous amount of fun and, as with any type of fishing, requires preparation. This means cleaning and oiling reels, checking rod guides, sprucing up jigs, and checking lines for frays. Since the tackle is light, weather conditions become as important as tackle prep. Since jigs are light, calm days are best in order to control keep the jig on bottom. The light tackle approach provides a direct connection between the angler and the lure below, and that generally translates into fewer missed hits, better hook-ups, and fewer lost fish.
My tackle consists of a 6-foot 6-inch St. Croix Triumph rod matched to an Okuma Stratus 35 reel. I fill the reel with 15-pound-test Hi-Vis-green Sufix Performance Braid. I like the Hi-Vis green color because I can easily tell when the lure hits bottom and see the line “jump” when a fluke hits the lure. I finish my set up with a 20-pound test, 18-inch length of monofilament leader with a Spro Power Swivel to connect the leader to the braid, and then I tie direct to the jig.
Light tackle shallow fluking is finesse fishing, so we light jigs; 1/8 and 1/4-ounce Gotcha jig heads because this model jig is very durable, and has a strong forged hook. Let me offer a tip –
use the lightest jig you can.
We thread Gulp on the jig hooks. We’ve been using the Swimming Mullet model, but other types do very well, too. Don’t get caught up on the color, because we’ve found no correlation between fish caught and color: We’ve used chartreuse, white, pink, and others. Our conclusion about color isn’t from careful experimentation, rather a result of limited product availability during the pandemic. It’s the smell that the fluke like, not the color.
Constant Adjustments
The chances are that conditions will change during a tide, so it is essential that the angler adjust to the changes. Last year Rich Lazar and I enjoyed several productive drifts under calm conditions and a gentle tide flow. However, after several hours, a constant breeze picked up, moving in the same direction as the current, and pushed us along a little faster. I told Rich I was moving up to a 1/4-ounce jig, and although he grunted, I’m not sure he heard me. I continued to catch nicely, but he began having problems hooking up and when he did hook fish, he lost quite a few fish. Later, when he looked at my jig he said. “Why didn’t you tell me you were using a quarter-ounce jig? That’s why you were bailing them.” Obviously, the grunt didn’t indicate an awareness. To this day, he bugs me about that. That’s cool, and I bug him about stuff, too.
Other adjustments are sometimes necessary. For example, there are days when fluke assault the jig and Gulp, thus basically hooking themselves. Highly aggressive feeding days aren’t the norm, and more typically, the fish seem to feed casually. Our basic presentation is: keep the jig on bottom, occasionally twitch the jig (no heavy jigging), and move as slowly as possible. In addition, sometimes, fluke will change their mood once or twice during a tide, and angler should try to make continuous adjustments.
I like to watch the line and keep the line straight and lightly taut when they’re fussy. When the line jumps or I feel a little weight, I lean forward and point the rod tip at what I believe might be a fish. If the sense of weight continues, I lift the rod easily. If the weight drops off, I drop the jig to the bottom and resume the jig presentation. However, if the weight persists, I’ll lift a little more and then set the hook with a quick hard snap of my wrist.
Patience
We adjust to water depth as the tide rises and falls. We prefer flats with 8 to 17 feet of water and with schools of peanuts. The western Sound abounds with such flats, but not all flats hold bait and fish. Take your time and find the “right” flat. Of course, due to water and weather conditions, action may shift from one location to another, day by day. In addition, we all have favorite fluke spots, but take care not to spend too much time there if the bait is absent. Our mantra is, no bait on the recorder and no hits, move to another flat.
Two Ways
As stated, we want to see schools of peanuts on the flats. However, if the bait is near the surface, fluking is likely to be poor since fluke are bottom fish and rarely if ever swim to the surface to catch prey. Sonar evidence becomes a critical element. We look for long lines of peanuts about one to three feet off the bottom.
Take a few minutes to calculate your drift: where to start and what will likely be the direction of the drift. Use information about any current direction and speed, the direction of any breezes, and where the bait schools are in relation to your boat. Any angler who drifts for fluke knows how difficult it is to duplicate a drift, but it is very important to line up a good drift and do your best to repeat a productive drift. Rich keeps the motor running and makes occasional adjustments. In this type of fishing, fluke congregate directly under the bait so it is best to make drifts through the bait school, since there are very few fish outside the peanut schools.
However, bad drifts happen. Once realized, the drift should be terminated. Despite the tendency for fluke to gather tightly together in this scenario, sometimes glancing blows to the bait, fishing along the edges of the bait, and/or drifting in and out of the bait can be productive if it’s the best drift one can muster.
A Caution
The tackle I’ve discussed is a lot of fun to fish with and very much up to the task. However, should an angler be lucky enough to tangle with a doormat, be patient during the fight. Rest assured, the tackle can handle doormats, but forcing the fish to the surface is not recommended. Take your time, allow the fish to take drag, and use the bend of the rod to tire the fluke. Do this, enjoy a long fight, and be ready to land it with a net.
The reel’s drag must be set properly before you fish, and never adjust the drag while you fight a fish. Let the rod and reel do the work. Be patient, don’t panic when a big fluke takes drag. Heck, that’s what your reel was designed to do! I’ve watched any number of fluke anglers lose big fluke because they abandon good technique, become impatient, and panic. Avoid being over-anxious.
Netting Fluke
Always use a net to land large fluke. You can land a fish on your own, but a partnership is better. Your partner (the netter) should submerge the net, but not move it. The angler should keep the fish submerged and work it back and forth in a figure eight motion about two feet under the surface while judging if the fish is ready to be netted. Do not allow a fluke to bang its head on the surface. This is one of the best ways to lose big fluke, and should be avoided. When the fish is calm and ready, the angler should pull the fluke, head first, toward the submerged open net. The netter should not react until the fluke is half-way into the net, at which time the netter should push the net forward and up. Job done!
Too many fluke fans are hung up on “keepers.” They forget that we fish for fun first and the table second. Some also believe the only large fish are in deep water, and miss out on light tackle fun inshore. We catch lots of fluke and plenty of “keepers,” but save gas, have lots of fun, and enjoy phenomenal of action through the tide.
