Best Fluke Bait Ever

[Gerry Zagorski]

Great pics....

I think Killies are more effective when fished in areas they are naturally present. Rivers, creeks, back bays etc....

Larger baits like Snappers and Peanut Bunkers seem to do better when fishing the ocean as does Gulp and a bucktail or long strip baits.

Since we have an 18 inch minimum, a lot of people have changed their tactics to target larger fish and are fishing the ocean lumps. Most of them are no longer doing the squid and killie thing. One reason is you'd be snagged all the time on rough bottom... The other is that smaller baits attract smaller fish.

[bigal427]

I 'll take strips of Mackerel over killies any day bay or ocean

[catsmeow]

Grew up in South River in the 50's. Remember catching killies at a place we called Minnie Bridge which was a big pipe in a creek off Whitehead Avenue with a hook and bread. Also remember catching so many in an umbrella net behind Dairy Queen on the causway could hardly lift the net. Always remember our big adventure one bikes to Fred's on 35 to buy blood worms to fish for small striper in the South River. Well still fishing killies for fluke off Sandy Hook on my boat. Last few years using Pete's Jumbo Maryland killies. Size makes for fewer small fluke. Will be a bait dragger till I'm pushing up daisys at Sacred Heart cemetery in Hillsborough. See all you flukers out on the water...... Walt

[Joey Dah Fish]

You can conserve more and have less casualties when to buck tail. But that's none of my business

[Capt Sal]

Originally Posted by Joey Dah Fish

You can conserve more and have less casualties when to buck tail. But that's none of my business

Bucktailing is not for everyone. My dad was one of the best fluke fisherman i ever saw and he would never bucktail. He said he came fishing to relax not work. Drifting and dreaming is relaxing. I will do both but not bucktail all day.I have been fishing Raritan Bay for well over 55 years and killies are my choice.Killie and a swimming mullet gulp is a killer in Raritan Bay.A plain killie with a gold hook works well also. I do catch my own killies and that cuts down on the cost. As far as gulp baits go i have this to say. When i ran a party boat the Jack Pot out of sewaren i watched guys loose 50 bucks in gulps and bucktails and tip the mate two bucks! Go figure??

[torchee]

Ever notice the different species of killies???
The tiger striped ones get zero bites!!!

But the plain ones work fine.

[bunker dunker]

bucktails and big gulps or I aint going!!!!

[Joey Dah Fish]

I wasn't saying killies don't work or dragging bait doesn't work. What my point was is that buck tailing catches very well and I have yet to catch a fish that was gut hooked. So it reduces casualty rate and usually catches bigger fish. You all seem to believe concerned about maintain the stock and killing breeders so I thought I would throw that bit of info out there. I can't even begin to tell you how many fish get gut hooked while dragging bait. I'm not sure of the mortality rate but common sense dictates its significantly less when fish are mouth hooked. So there it is let the bashing begin

[Billfish715]

I've used killies on crab drop lines by using a metal or wire hoop attached to the main line. I would thread the killies on the wire and attach a weight and have at it. Of course it meant having an ample supply of bait which we caught with a large seine at low tide. The upper Navesink above Red Bank was loaded with them. We've also taken killies with us when we head offshore. A handful of them tossed at a piece of dolphin-filled flotsom would turn those tasty mahi on like a light switch. A fast drift for fluke is not the best while using killies but often a strip of squid on the same hook when the drift is fast will get the attention of a willing fluke. If you fish on a party boat you probably wouldn't use killies since most boats don't supply them therefore you'd have to bring your own. Pete did have some great ones last year and when kept in a small cooler on some wet newspaper or seaweed over ice, they last an entire trip. A hi-lo rig with a killie on the bottom and a Gulp on top often produce double headers. Don't overlook their versatility.

[Gerry Zagorski]

Originally Posted by Capt Sal

Bucktailing is not for everyone. My dad was one of the best fluke fisherman i ever saw and he would never bucktail. He said he came fishing to relax not work. Drifting and dreaming is relaxing.

Yep... On certain days when I'm just out there to relax, I like to drag bait too... Put your bait on, pole in the holder, find a comfy seat, crack an adult beverage and sit back and watch the pole tip. Repeat as necessary...