Thank you Fluke "wonder rig"

[briansnat]

So if you haven't tried it, please don't make assumptions or matter-of-fact statements about frequent gut hooking.

Between the two of us I think we had three gut hooked fish all day and one of them was the dogfish on a larger hook. Even if they are gut hooked, a smaller hook is easier to remove and does less damage and if you decided to cut the line and leave it in, the small hook will rust away much quicker than the larger one.

I'm still not sold on the #4 either. I've seen them bend on big trout and bass so bringing up a big fluke from a 45 ft deep channel on a #4 would worry me. I've but I found the 1/0 octo to provide a nice balance, giving me an active and swimming killie and enough backbone if you get a monster on.

[bulletbob]

Quote/
"Ha ha ha ha ha ha! Good one Bob. Such a strong, definitive statement. (but wrong - unless 20-24 inch fluke on a regular basis aren't big enough)"

Look, I won't argue,, Sure you can catch good size fluke on a #4.. Hell I have caught them on #8 flounder hooks... However, do you REALLY think a #4 hook is the hot setup for taking big keeper sized fluke?.. It really IS a porgy hook..
I guess the multiple thousands of VERY good fluke fisherman that use hooks from 2/0 to 6/0 are going about it the wrong way, and really should be using hooks meant for porgies and spots...

The guys making expensive pre packaged fluke rigs for for a living have been wrong for decades I guess.......bob

[june181901]

I have tried the "wonder rig" and believe me it works. My son thought I should have used a 4/0 not a #4.
When I started catching more fish he became a believer.
Give it a try! I fish the Navesink/Shrewsbury Rivers.