Goose Hummock manager Danny Jones talks about the gear, lures and techniques you can use to catch more fluke this summer on Cape Cod.
Inevitably, there are points in the season, where the bass, bluefish and tuna fishing slow down for one reason or another. At times like this fisherman in the know, like Danny, will shift gears and start bottom fishing for fluke and other bottom oriented fish species.
While there are areas that can be fished successfully from shore to catch fluke, this is mainly a boat fishery. However, Because of the areas fluke like to live in, you don't necessarily need a large boat to get to where they are.
The fluke or summer flounder is very highly regarded as excellent table fare. In terms of behavior, fluke act more like a gamefish and will attack free swimming baitfish that comes near them as they lie in wait camouflaged in the sand. Because of this aggressive feeding style, fishermen do well with small jigs or spoons bounced along the bottom but the most popular rigs include a baited hook (squid strips work well) with some sort of shiny spinner to attract the flukes attention. Fluke are usually fished from boats in areas with long expanses of sandy bottom but they can also be caught in relatively shallow water during the summer.the best spots to look for fluke is in waters with a lot of current .They are ambush predators like most saltwater game fish and like to take advantage that a strong current gives them.
What to use
Danny likes to use Monomoy Fluke Jigs with a smaller bucktail jig as a teaser. Some times, fluke hold in deeper water. The bucktail jig acts as an added attractant, but the jig also serves to get you down quickly and stay down.Though not baitfishing, as such, always have a box of squid on board to tip the jig with. Sometimes the smell and action a squid strip imparts can make a big difference if the fluke are finicky.
In terms of rods and reels...any 6-7ft medium action rod will do. It needs to be stout enough to comfortably fish with 2-3 ozs of terminal tackle.
normally, if the current is sufficient, simple drift fishing is the right speed for a fluke rig. if the current is not strong enough at certain parts of the tide, you can even try drifting under power to generate some movement.Use a slow speed.
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