This morning I was throwing a buzz bait around sea walls and all of a sudden fish started busting shad. I had a fluke tied on the way you said and I had a ball. No big ones but just fun. Always enjoy spending time watching your videos. I'm 57 yrs old and still learning.
I found you can do the same thing with an EWG hook by angling the the point of the hook from the underside towards the top of the lure in the first quarter inch of the nose. On the other end, rather than rig the lure straight, I make sure there is a nice bend in the plastic before the hook comes out thru the top. If accomplished correctly, the whole lure takes on the shape of a slight curve from nose to tail. Like you, I have used the barrel swivel to much success too, but mostly to add a little additional weight.
Another bodacious tip. Never would have thought of this. With the swivel, I can make up a few rigs and tie on in seconds. Thank you Randy. Have a Happy and Blessed Easter 🐣.
I’ve had no issues losing fish on a EWG fluke set up. Most of my bites came from the bait sinking after it the water. Use fluorocarbon for a better sink.
I've caught hundred of fish on a ewg in a fluke.. and I don't miss 50% of my bites at all.. and I catch ton of smallmouth with this setup and no problem but I do like the concept of the swivel for line twist and added weight.. but im not a fan of fishing a underbelly hook because increases the chance of harming the fish..
I fish a fluke the majority of the time, and rig it with an EWG and never had any problems that he's claiming. The bait popping out of the water has more to do with how much of a head you leave on the fluke before coming out. Has nothing to do with using an EWG... There's time I want the bait to stay on top and run it like a top water popping it out and they will blow it up....
I land at least 80% of the bass I hook on a fluke rigged with an ewg hook texas rigged. And I catch around 80% of them just dead-sticking the fluke. They either eat it on the fall , or go pick it up off the bottom…,
Hey Randy just like to thank you for your secret and helpful hints on rigging different baits. I am 62 years young I fish a lot of open tournaments on weekends . I love your youtube channel it’s never to late to learn new tricks you have helped me put more and bigger fish in my boat . Thanks keep up teaching!!!!!
You can also just nose hook it like you would a drop shot bait. The hook adds weight to the nose allowing it to fall on a dead stick after twitching it. The bass tend to take the fluke head first when it falls and with the exposed hook you get a great hook set. Harder to fish through weeds but worth the trouble in weed beds with open pockets.
I guess if you are losing lots of fish, give this a shot. I prefer the weedless setup with an ewg hook so the bait doesn’t slide down the hook. I catch 100-200 bass every summer on my lake with the weedless setup. If I need the bait to swim deeper I’ll use a weighted ewg hook.
Man Randy you have taught me so much in the last year I'm a much better bass angler now then I was before I watch everyday on my work brakes thanks brother 🙏
Thanks for these tips Randy. I just started fishing flukes this year in fast current for big smallmouth, and I noticed what you are talking about. It likes to jump out of the top of the water instead of staying down. I already added the trailer treble hook to increase my hookup rate because I lost so many strikes. But I will start rigging it on the type of hook you mentioned to get better action and better hookups. You are a real pro...and a real friend for sharing all these great tips. Thank you!!!
Randy, I been a big fluke fishermen for time. Sense, the slug-go came out in the late 80's when I 1st saw, and fished them. Never seen this trick with the hook , I like it.
Just use a weighted 1/16 or 1/8 EWG hook. That keel weight keeps it from spinning and allows you to fish a variety of water depths. I have landed the last 20+ speckled trout/redfish that hit my lure (3 of those were trophy size), and trout have notoriously paperlike mouths.
I was thinking this rigging method was kind of interesting because he uses the same philosophy of bending the bait like a corky to get it to work downward. I’d still rather use a weighted twistlock though
Try a z man 5 inch scented jerk shad rigged on 3/0 or 4/0 mustad weighted grip pin hook in either the 1/16 or 1/8 oz weights. Its an absolutely deadly combo for any/all inshore species and its super weedless. Its one of my favorite shallow water lures to throw for striped bass, redfish, speckled trout, and flounder.
very interesting way to rig a fluke will try this modification, something the bass and action they have not seen before , its all about catching more bass thank you
Wow, this changes everything. I love fishing flukes, super fun. You're right though, line twists, missed hits, the thing flips out of the water all the time. I always have it rigged how I thought was perfect. #3 ewg offset hook, nice and straight on the hook like everyone says to do with texas rigged plastics. I cant wait to get out and try it this way. Couple more weeks and I'll be out trying this around Lake St. Clair, Michigan marina boat docks and banks!
Flukes are my favorite bait have never had hookup issues with ewg style hook I tried this way but it kept getting caught in grass so I went back to the other way
Good rig setup... the bass I catch love the fluke jumping out of the water. I rig several different ways all work just as good as the other. I do use a bigger hook on my set up. I hardly ever miss fish.
Flukes are awesome baits, they are easy to skip under docks and overhanging brush. I'm gonna try and fish it this way now!! Thank You so much for the tips!!!
Hey, can I add something to the fluke presentation? One thing that I love doing with the fluke is putting a second fluke on there which getting a second barrel swivel and putting it above obviously the other one with about a 10 to 12“ liter on it and I do a 24 inch liter on the bottom one so there’s some separation, and then put the second fluke on that tag. You would not believe the action that gives the dart back-and-forth as you jerk it. You twitch it the zigzag towards each other and away from each other in a beautiful pattern. Please try it I promise you you won’t regret I call it, the donkey back I don’t know why
Straight Juice. My second day co angler at the Smith Lake Open last year - who won the co angler division- showed me a very similar setup. When a guy is catching fish behind you- you pay attention.
Hi that works great in open water sparce cover however here on FL. It's almost impossible to get a clean cast unless working the edges any advise using 10lb PP in slop I do run my fingers down the line to get line twist out
Randy, I can't thank you enough. This tip payed off for me this past weekend. I scored the best 5 fish total of my short kayak tournament career. After I lost what was a close to double digit bass, probably 23-24 inch bass on a fluke, then missed another 20 inch fish, I remembered your video. I did not miss another fish on the fluke with the exposed hook. I have another tournament in 2 weeks. If they are on flukes, I will definitely have confidence that I will bring most if not all of them in the kayak! And I remember your kayak commentary, I fish with guys that have insanely tricked out kayaks, and I out fish them in my paddle only kayak!
Hey Randy, just wanted to say thank you! I rigged a fluke for the first time today the way u explained in thjs video and caught one! I used a white fluke and it was the only bait that caught me one today.
Well, I tried it. With better hook ups, no doubt. Here’s something I also tried the same trip, using an offset worm hook upside down, with the point hidden between the flaps. WOW!!!! The action was incredible, the hook up ratio was almost 100 percent! I lost one fish because it hit when I was looking away, and I didn’t tighten up enough before I set the hook. It came towards the boat (of course). I caught eight using your method (I do like your action a little better for keeping the bait in the zone longer), and caught six rigging upside down. I also run a toothpick through the head and hook eye, trimming off excess. It really doesn’t matter how the body moves up or down the gap a little bit, as long as you don’t oversize the hook. 3/0 regular worm hook works great. I only use wide gaps when Carolina rigging. Your style also skips more straight, not bouncing sideways some like a TX rig. Great rig, Randy. A day on the boat with you would DEF be a crash course in expert level fishing. Keep these great vids on “secrets” coming! It keeps me up in the points!! Lol
Great info... I use an ewg...but I rig their the top of the nose about 1/4-1/2 inch back (line tie is sorta like where a rattle trap is..maybe not as far back) and thread thru the open belly weedless...but I do use a swivel and leader. I do t get roll over and I have luckily not had issues with hook sets...as of yet. But this is interesting. Worth a throw
I use the Eagle Claw smelled , sz- 1 or 2, straight shank hook that way. I'm thinking of trying a lite slip sinker above the swivel soon to get it deeper when needed. Good stuff Randy !
Me too. Just getting over knee replacement and been working on getting strength and balance back. I’ve won a lot of local tournaments on a smoking silver fluke and rigged it “normal”. Will give it a try on open water stump areas on a different rod. I’m gonna use 12lb test line on my spinning rod. My family wants me out of a boat until I’m 100% , but hopefully this month I’ll sneak out.😅
I throw fluke as a followup to frogs as it can let ot sit and sink slow. I prefer the baitfosh profile over a seno as thr bass are usually busting frogs and bluegills where im at. May try you style for smallies in open water.
Good stuff today I still don't know the difference of the fluke is that because it has that open belly other than the worm is that what makes it a the fluke?
Ok, I gave this a try this morning and was delightfully surprised at how well this works. Only caught 3 fish this morning but all would have been keepers in a tournament situation.
I have a rig where I put an Owner center lock screw ring into the nose of the fluke and then nose hook it with a 1/0 mosquito hook...I put that on my light spinner setup that I use for drop shots and the action is incredible.
I always use a barrel swivel with about 2ft. of leader for stripers . I fish below weirs and headgates where the water stabilizes. Yo Yo retrieve. When the swivel pops out of the water I stop the lift and let it sink. Works pretty good when the fish are stacked up.
Just curious if you would use the hook the way you say not to use it and use a toothpick to run toward the back of the tail to keep the tail pointed down and I'm just asking would that work or have you ever tried that cuz you're using the toothpick to hold that tail down the directed down thanks enjoyed the video
The only real luck I've had with flukes on a consistent basis has been using one as a topwater on heavy vegetation when I can't get a frog bite. I'll have to give this a try. Thanks as always!
There's a better way. Look up Chuck Pippin's fluke rigging video. You get the arch in the back with an EWG. That's how I fish them, my hookup rate is probably 90%, and I catch a ton of fish that way.
Been trying to find how to do stuff like this for like 2 years now. It always starts the same on the river. I'm looking to start on the river? I need to know have a good and there is nothing out there except for this one video so far. And you even explain what a fluke is thank you I hope you have a lot more cuz I'm homeless and trying to become a self-sufficient and I want to fish but I'm in Florida and the environment here is not very forgiving
Mr Randy but the way the hook is facing that bait is going to swim upside down cause the hook is going to swim with the hook up ? To me the bait looks upside down ? I’m going to try it still though
Are you ever going to do anything on the Alabama rigs?? If you do, you should try go to Ace value and you can buy super thin wire and make your own Alabama rigs with as many hooks as you want with Croppie. They do amazing with like seven little jigs on there. I was making my own Alabama rigs years before they came out on the market because I went ocean fishing with an umbrella rig. Never dawned on me to try and market it to the bass fishing even though I’ve been catching bass for years on it, but they miss out on so much Randy by changing the wire diameter to a much thinner wire. You catch way more fish, yes they get damaged easier but it’s not a big deal if you’d like to see some pictures of what they look like just let me know and I’ll send you some. Thanks Randy for all your info.
I have to agree, hookup ratio on flukes is terrible 😢 you can always get them to bite but the landing part is a problem, thanks, I’ll be giving this a try!
I fished in a harbor today that was sand bottom coming into rocks and kelp. I I could cast about 15 yards past the rocky bottom but after that it was hangup central. I like this hooking method but for my spot today I hung up twice before going back to the weedless. Halibut fishing on the bottom. Never know what's on the bottom to hangup on in our harbor.
Something I will be trying tomorrow when I go fishing. Have you ever done a video on fishing a lake without any electronics at all? I started fishing from a kayak a couple of years ago on a lake I own a home on and have yet to add any electronics. The lake has a lot of docks so most time is spent fishing around those, right now focus is getting better at skipping lures under them from a kayak. THANKS for sharing all your knowledge.
I fish from a kayak as well. It's worth adding a cheap fish finder for the info it provides. Knowing the temp and depth as well as the type of bottom will help you pinpoint the better docks
What's wrong with it darting out of the water? i see biat fish darting out of the water all the time. i use a snap swivel at the hook to add a little weight.
When you hook it through the belly usually it's with a jig head for saltwater, but anyone in Florida knows you use an offset 3/0 through the back for weedless fishing I tie a rapala circle knot around my hook for more free action with the bait and when you jerk the rod tip down like zura puppy your bait will dip and dive when the rod tip is up and you pop it yes it will come out of the water !!
I too have never had problems loosing fish on the Zoom or any other soft jersey bait. I use a minimum of 17lb. Line but mostly 20lb. with the Zoom when I set the hook I cross their eyes and if the line is smaller I break it because most of the time they are heading back down. In working the bait I don't snap it or jerk it, it's more of a pull and it glides from side to side and up and down but regulating the timing of the pulls regulates the depth. Also the whole point of the hook is setting on top of the fluke. As for it jumping out of the water you have to insert it low in the nose. If you stick it high it's going to jump and that's not good. If you got lots of lookers and no takers change colors emmediatly. They will let you know when you have the right color because they will murder it often.
Can't wait to try this. I use flukes almost exclusively and have the exact problems that you described by rigging it Texas style. Especially hopping up out of the water and losing fish. Lost a good sized one yesterday.
I've never had a problem with a fluke "darting out of the water" or twisting up my line when Texas rigged on an EWG hook and when I Texas rig it I rig it weedless so I can skim it through all the hydrilla and grass where the fish are hiding and actually get bites. My hook up ratio is pretty damn good with it rigged that way too.
I agree. Randy has the most unusual lure modifications that I have seen and always says that is how you need to modify your bait. Many baits work just fine without all those weird modifications. I don't think he uses any bait out of the package without doing some modification to it. I would never rig a fluke like he showed in the video.
Agree totally. Watch TacticalBassin for underwater footage of bass eating a fluke, EWG hook set up to make fluke dive, use of a centering spring pin and nose hook with a wacky hook to increase hook up ratio, etc. Bass usually attack the front of the fluke not the tail end.
@@ejzabojnik834 He is saying with the hook exposed out of the belly that its weedless....I call BULLSHIT ...he must not be fishing the kind vegitation that I fish becuase if you rigged the bait like that where I fish youd end up with 4 pounds of hydrilla on EVERY cast ! The way I rig it with a straight shank it NEVER comes out of the water an the twitching action is absolutely UNBEATABLE/IRESISTABLE to largemouth ! NO WAY that Id EVER rig up a fluke like that !
If you barely go through first, so that the eye of the ewg hook is exposed, won't tend to move upwards when you twitch it. If you want it to stay high and occasionally jump out of the water then make sure the eye of the hook is exposed. The biggest factor, I've found, to increase hookups is absolutely do not use a ewg that the hook point is inline with the eye. Not just for a fluke but anything. Gamakatsu's ewg and ewg superline hooks are the worst. Go with Ryugi's "the standard" ewg or their Infini series. If you want to fish it fast or a little deeper going with a thicker wire hook like the Owner haymaker, Ryugi LT offset (the hook that Owner took inspiration of for the haymaker) or Decoy KG hyper (hooks with a thicker diameter). If wanting to fish slower going the Decoy KG or Gamakatsu G-finesse hybrid (hooks with a thinner diameter). Another rigging method that is stellar and not many throw is a super fluke on a flashy swimmer.
Zoom flukes are okay but I much prefer the z man 5 inch jerk shad. IMO it has a more natural looking profile, a much better action, and its a hell of alot more durable. One of my favorite ways to rig it is on a 3/0 or 4/0 mustad ultrapoint weighted grip pin hook in either the 1/16 or 1/8 oz sizes. Rigged properly the combo is totally weedless, can be casted pretty far and/or skipped under cover like docks, etc and it just darts all over the place and the fish just can't resist. Add to that it's durable as heck on numerous occasions I've caught over 50 fish on a single soft plastic. In fact on one trip out I caught around 40 striped bass all in 18-36 inch range on the same 5 inch jerk shad and the next day I went again a caught around 30-35 more still using the same piece of plastic. It never ripped or tore but it got so fuzzy from their sandpaper teeth that I finally end up putting a new one on after almost 80 fish caught. That's pretty incredible considering that with a zoom fluke and alot of other plastics they are generally ripped, torn, or just plain unusable after maybe a handful of fish.
I have done this before, by not having more EWG hooks with me, only straight shanks. Yes it catches fish, I can confirm that , although I did even more sophistication and unorthodox ways, like putting it on a slide-floater set up and jerk it, so the fluke comes up and darts back down. Bass just can't watch and not attack it.
I'm fishing in mucho grass , soon as it hit the water id be reeling in 2 pounds of grass. And if a fish hits when u have a tight line seems like he would feel the hook and spook. I like the first rig jus use a big gap hook so it don't get blocked by the plastic
I would have assumed lots of tongue bleeding rigged this way?. Interesting though. I rarely lose a fish on a fluke rigged the 50/50 way...so maybe I have just got lucky thus far - def gunna try this tho. thx
When a lure is vacuumed into their mouth it’s not going to sit perfectly upright with the hook pointing down. Rigged this way it will be flattened out with hooks to one side, then the hookset will drive the hook upwards because the fish is below you.
I going to try this out. But FYI I've fished Ewg style, I've even fished mine with a twist hook set up. But missing fish has never been a problem for Me when fishing a fluke, useless the fish is swimming back towards the boat and then it does make it difficult to get a good hook set. But that's with any lure in my experience. But great tip ill be trying this out ASAP
This morning I was throwing a buzz bait around sea walls and all of a sudden fish started busting shad. I had a fluke tied on the way you said and I had a ball. No big ones but just fun. Always enjoy spending time watching your videos. I'm 57 yrs old and still learning.
I used this method Saturday for a tournament and caught the majority of my fish with it. Came in 5th place, thanks for the info.
Congrats that's sick
I found you can do the same thing with an EWG hook by angling the the point of the hook from the underside towards the top of the lure in the first quarter inch of the nose. On the other end, rather than rig the lure straight, I make sure there is a nice bend in the plastic before the hook comes out thru the top. If accomplished correctly, the whole lure takes on the shape of a slight curve from nose to tail. Like you, I have used the barrel swivel to much success too, but mostly to add a little additional weight.
Another bodacious tip. Never would have thought of this. With the swivel, I can make up a few rigs and tie on in seconds.
Thank you Randy.
Have a Happy and Blessed Easter 🐣.
I’ve had no issues losing fish on a EWG fluke set up. Most of my bites came from the bait sinking after it the water. Use fluorocarbon for a better sink.
Fish it more. The issues will happen.
@@jacobanderson4101 nahhhhhh lol
I've caught hundred of fish on a ewg in a fluke.. and I don't miss 50% of my bites at all.. and I catch ton of smallmouth with this setup and no problem but I do like the concept of the swivel for line twist and added weight.. but im not a fan of fishing a underbelly hook because increases the chance of harming the fish..
I fish a fluke the majority of the time, and rig it with an EWG and never had any problems that he's claiming. The bait popping out of the water has more to do with how much of a head you leave on the fluke before coming out. Has nothing to do with using an EWG... There's time I want the bait to stay on top and run it like a top water popping it out and they will blow it up....
I land at least 80% of the bass I hook on a fluke rigged with an ewg hook texas rigged. And I catch around 80% of them just dead-sticking the fluke. They either eat it on the fall , or go pick it up off the bottom…,
Hey Randy just like to thank you for your secret and helpful hints on rigging different baits. I am 62 years young I fish a lot of open tournaments on weekends . I love your youtube channel it’s never to late to learn new tricks you have helped me put more and bigger fish in my boat . Thanks keep up teaching!!!!!
You can also just nose hook it like you would a drop shot bait. The hook adds weight to the nose allowing it to fall on a dead stick after twitching it. The bass tend to take the fluke head first when it falls and with the exposed hook you get a great hook set. Harder to fish through weeds but worth the trouble in weed beds with open pockets.
Thanks for different ways of rigging that really make a big difference, on all these baits.
I guess if you are losing lots of fish, give this a shot. I prefer the weedless setup with an ewg hook so the bait doesn’t slide down the hook. I catch 100-200 bass every summer on my lake with the weedless setup. If I need the bait to swim deeper I’ll use a weighted ewg hook.
This is a great secret you shared, never thought to flip the hook around. Thanks Randy for sharing this hot tip with us!
I love the way you explain everything! Hell of a teacher!
Man Randy you have taught me so much in the last year I'm a much better bass angler now then I was before I watch everyday on my work brakes thanks brother 🙏
Rddreesddedrdrfsiiiikkkjjr myrrd
Careful your going to make his head even bigger
Thanks for these tips Randy. I just started fishing flukes this year in fast current for big smallmouth, and I noticed what you are talking about. It likes to jump out of the top of the water instead of staying down. I already added the trailer treble hook to increase my hookup rate because I lost so many strikes. But I will start rigging it on the type of hook you mentioned to get better action and better hookups. You are a real pro...and a real friend for sharing all these great tips. Thank you!!!
Thank you for your time&ask the great tips&tricks u give away!
Randy, I been a big fluke fishermen for time. Sense, the slug-go came out in the late 80's when I 1st saw, and fished them. Never seen this trick with the hook , I like it.
I have always put a swivel on. It helps casting on light line as well. Going to try this out this weekend.
Just use a weighted 1/16 or 1/8 EWG hook. That keel weight keeps it from spinning and allows you to fish a variety of water depths. I have landed the last 20+ speckled trout/redfish that hit my lure (3 of those were trophy size), and trout have notoriously paperlike mouths.
I was thinking this rigging method was kind of interesting because he uses the same philosophy of bending the bait like a corky to get it to work downward. I’d still rather use a weighted twistlock though
Shhhhhhhhh
Try a z man 5 inch scented jerk shad rigged on 3/0 or 4/0 mustad weighted grip pin hook in either the 1/16 or 1/8 oz weights. Its an absolutely deadly combo for any/all inshore species and its super weedless. Its one of my favorite shallow water lures to throw for striped bass, redfish, speckled trout, and flounder.
very interesting way to rig a fluke will try this modification, something the bass and action they have not seen before , its all about catching more bass thank you
Wow, this changes everything. I love fishing flukes, super fun. You're right though, line twists, missed hits, the thing flips out of the water all the time. I always have it rigged how I thought was perfect. #3 ewg offset hook, nice and straight on the hook like everyone says to do with texas rigged plastics. I cant wait to get out and try it this way. Couple more weeks and I'll be out trying this around Lake St. Clair, Michigan marina boat docks and banks!
Such a awesome fishery. Cheers.
Flukes are my favorite bait have never had hookup issues with ewg style hook I tried this way but it kept getting caught in grass so I went back to the other way
Randy, as always thank you for sharing your tips. Stay strong and safe on the water. Too many boating accidents.
Good rig setup... the bass I catch love the fluke jumping out of the water. I rig several different ways all work just as good as the other. I do use a bigger hook on my set up. I hardly ever miss fish.
Nice video. I love it when the bait breaches the surface. That’s when most of my strikes happen.
Flukes are awesome baits, they are easy to skip under docks and overhanging brush. I'm gonna try and fish it this way now!! Thank You so much for the tips!!!
Hey, can I add something to the fluke presentation? One thing that I love doing with the fluke is putting a second fluke on there which getting a second barrel swivel and putting it above obviously the other one with about a 10 to 12“ liter on it and I do a 24 inch liter on the bottom one so there’s some separation, and then put the second fluke on that tag. You would not believe the action that gives the dart back-and-forth as you jerk it. You twitch it the zigzag towards each other and away from each other in a beautiful pattern. Please try it I promise you you won’t regret I call it, the donkey back I don’t know why
Waters are so pressured these days. These slight altercations to my presentations definitely make a noticeable difference. Thanks Randy
Straight Juice. My second day co angler at the Smith Lake Open last year - who won the co angler division- showed me a very similar setup. When a guy is catching fish behind you- you pay attention.
Hi that works great in open water sparce cover however here on FL. It's almost impossible to get a clean cast unless working the edges any advise using 10lb PP in slop I do run my fingers down the line to get line twist out
Randy, I can't thank you enough. This tip payed off for me this past weekend. I scored the best 5 fish total of my short kayak tournament career. After I lost what was a close to double digit bass, probably 23-24 inch bass on a fluke, then missed another 20 inch fish, I remembered your video. I did not miss another fish on the fluke with the exposed hook. I have another tournament in 2 weeks. If they are on flukes, I will definitely have confidence that I will bring most if not all of them in the kayak! And I remember your kayak commentary, I fish with guys that have insanely tricked out kayaks, and I out fish them in my paddle only kayak!
Dammmm you brown nose hard brah
I need to try this next spring . I started using flukes this year and love them , but I definitely missed some hookups
Oh yeah I love throwing the flute at work like everybody else weakness but now I’m gonna try it this way thanks for the tip
Great rigging idea. I will try it.
This is Gold!!! Thank you Randy!🎉 I'm about to win my local tournament with this tip! 🙌
Awesome fluke info , I live how you do your show ! Amazing,ing man @
Hey Randy, just wanted to say thank you! I rigged a fluke for the first time today the way u explained in thjs video and caught one! I used a white fluke and it was the only bait that caught me one today.
Nice!
Thanks for the helpful video, but what about weight ? Where do you add a sinker & does it affect the action ? Thanks
Thank you for the tip. I will try it. The most aggressive bite I have had is with the fluke. Thank You
Well, I tried it. With better hook ups, no doubt. Here’s something I also tried the same trip, using an offset worm hook upside down, with the point hidden between the flaps. WOW!!!! The action was incredible, the hook up ratio was almost 100 percent! I lost one fish because it hit when I was looking away, and I didn’t tighten up enough before I set the hook. It came towards the boat (of course). I caught eight using your method (I do like your action a little better for keeping the bait in the zone longer), and caught six rigging upside down. I also run a toothpick through the head and hook eye, trimming off excess. It really doesn’t matter how the body moves up or down the gap a little bit, as long as you don’t oversize the hook. 3/0 regular worm hook works great. I only use wide gaps when Carolina rigging. Your style also skips more straight, not bouncing sideways some like a TX rig. Great rig, Randy. A day on the boat with you would DEF be a crash course in expert level fishing. Keep these great vids on “secrets” coming! It keeps me up in the points!! Lol
Great info...
I use an ewg...but I rig their the top of the nose about 1/4-1/2 inch back (line tie is sorta like where a rattle trap is..maybe not as far back) and thread thru the open belly weedless...but I do use a swivel and leader. I do t get roll over and I have luckily not had issues with hook sets...as of yet. But this is interesting. Worth a throw
I use the Eagle Claw smelled , sz- 1 or 2, straight shank hook that way. I'm thinking of trying a lite slip sinker above the swivel soon to get it deeper when needed. Good stuff Randy !
I thought of the same thing. Did you try it? How did it work?
@@vincentruggiero7275 it's my #1 rig for bass
Me too. Just getting over knee replacement and been working on getting strength and balance back. I’ve won a lot of local tournaments on a smoking silver fluke and rigged it “normal”. Will give it a try on open water stump areas on a different rod. I’m gonna use 12lb test line on my spinning rod. My family wants me out of a boat until I’m 100% , but hopefully this month I’ll sneak out.😅
I throw fluke as a followup to frogs as it can let ot sit and sink slow. I prefer the baitfosh profile over a seno as thr bass are usually busting frogs and bluegills where im at. May try you style for smallies in open water.
Great tip. I love fishing fluke donkey rigs and will have to try this hook setup.
I’m going to try this tomorrow. Thanks for the tips.
And?
Good stuff today I still don't know the difference of the fluke is that because it has that open belly other than the worm is that what makes it a the fluke?
Ok, I gave this a try this morning and was delightfully surprised at how well this works. Only caught 3 fish this morning but all would have been keepers in a tournament situation.
I have a rig where I put an Owner center lock screw ring into the nose of the fluke and then nose hook it with a 1/0 mosquito hook...I put that on my light spinner setup that I use for drop shots and the action is incredible.
I always use a barrel swivel with about 2ft. of leader for stripers . I fish below weirs and headgates where the water stabilizes. Yo Yo retrieve. When the swivel pops out of the water I stop the lift and let it sink. Works pretty good when the fish are stacked up.
I took this rig with me to Canada. It caught Pike, Smallmouth Bass and even Walleye. Northern Pike hit it hard.
What size swivel? I really like this I have all the problems that you are talking about...
Just curious if you would use the hook the way you say not to use it and use a toothpick to run toward the back of the tail to keep the tail pointed down and I'm just asking would that work or have you ever tried that cuz you're using the toothpick to hold that tail down the directed down thanks enjoyed the video
The fluke popping out of the water is the "juice" post spawn.
I get upset and adjust my hook if it doesn't jump out of the water!
I cast mine twitch it quick across the top then as soon as I stop and let it sink they smash it
The only real luck I've had with flukes on a consistent basis has been using one as a topwater on heavy vegetation when I can't get a frog bite. I'll have to give this a try. Thanks as always!
There's a better way. Look up Chuck Pippin's fluke rigging video. You get the arch in the back with an EWG. That's how I fish them, my hookup rate is probably 90%, and I catch a ton of fish that way.
The Fluke has never been my thang. I’ll have to give this method a try and see if it changes my luck.
Been trying to find how to do stuff like this for like 2 years now. It always starts the same on the river. I'm looking to start on the river? I need to know have a good and there is nothing out there except for this one video so far. And you even explain what a fluke is thank you I hope you have a lot more cuz I'm homeless and trying to become a self-sufficient and I want to fish but I'm in Florida and the environment here is not very forgiving
What about rigging it open hook out the top like a regular swim bait?
Mr Randy but the way the hook is facing that bait is going to swim upside down cause the hook is going to swim with the hook up ? To me the bait looks upside down ? I’m going to try it still though
Are you ever going to do anything on the Alabama rigs?? If you do, you should try go to Ace value and you can buy super thin wire and make your own Alabama rigs with as many hooks as you want with Croppie. They do amazing with like seven little jigs on there. I was making my own Alabama rigs years before they came out on the market because I went ocean fishing with an umbrella rig. Never dawned on me to try and market it to the bass fishing even though I’ve been catching bass for years on it, but they miss out on so much Randy by changing the wire diameter to a much thinner wire. You catch way more fish, yes they get damaged easier but it’s not a big deal if you’d like to see some pictures of what they look like just let me know and I’ll send you some. Thanks Randy for all your info.
what size barrel swivel?
I have to agree, hookup ratio on flukes is terrible 😢 you can always get them to bite but the landing part is a problem, thanks, I’ll be giving this a try!
Do you think this would work for inshore fishing for reds, specks, striper and snook.
I've used this method with smelled Hook setups. Need to add the barrel to my line though cause it does twist.
I fished in a harbor today that was sand bottom coming into rocks and kelp. I I could cast about 15 yards past the rocky bottom but after that it was hangup central. I like this hooking method but for my spot today I hung up twice before going back to the weedless. Halibut fishing on the bottom. Never know what's on the bottom to hangup on in our harbor.
Sounds good I'll give it a try.
Something I will be trying tomorrow when I go fishing. Have you ever done a video on fishing a lake without any electronics at all? I started fishing from a kayak a couple of years ago on a lake I own a home on and have yet to add any electronics. The lake has a lot of docks so most time is spent fishing around those, right now focus is getting better at skipping lures under them from a kayak. THANKS for sharing all your knowledge.
I fish from a kayak as well. It's worth adding a cheap fish finder for the info it provides. Knowing the temp and depth as well as the type of bottom will help you pinpoint the better docks
Randy have you every tried a screw lock swimbait hook ?
Ever try Nikko Soft Baits???
What's wrong with it darting out of the water? i see biat fish darting out of the water all the time. i use a snap swivel at the hook to add a little weight.
Something I need to try this fall in the north country.
When you hook it through the belly usually it's with a jig head for saltwater, but anyone in Florida knows you use an offset 3/0 through the back for weedless fishing I tie a rapala circle knot around my hook for more free action with the bait and when you jerk the rod tip down like zura puppy your bait will dip and dive when the rod tip is up and you pop it yes it will come out of the water !!
Do you hook them in the tongue more with this rig? Just curious. I hate when that happens.
Same technique for the magnum flukes but a little bigger hook?
With a barrel swivel and a leader, are you throwing the fluke on spinning gear?
Interesting, I do it the way you first showed was wrong lol. Will definitely try this technique.
I like it !!!
That hump also gives a fatter body profile that looks more natural also.. 👍👍💪🎣
Thank you for the tip
I too have never had problems loosing fish on the Zoom or any other soft jersey bait. I use a minimum of 17lb. Line but mostly 20lb. with the Zoom when I set the hook I cross their eyes and if the line is smaller I break it because most of the time they are heading back down. In working the bait I don't snap it or jerk it, it's more of a pull and it glides from side to side and up and down but regulating the timing of the pulls regulates the depth. Also the whole point of the hook is setting on top of the fluke. As for it jumping out of the water you have to insert it low in the nose. If you stick it high it's going to jump and that's not good. If you got lots of lookers and no takers change colors emmediatly. They will let you know when you have the right color because they will murder it often.
I texas rig my fluke’s and haven’t had an issue missing the fish in years.
First time I saw this tip! Awesome! Thanks.
Rigging so important it’s crazy.
But, what a go-to bait
Can't wait to try this. I use flukes almost exclusively and have the exact problems that you described by rigging it Texas style. Especially hopping up out of the water and losing fish. Lost a good sized one yesterday.
I will try this but I catch 100's of bass every year rigged the way you said not to do it
Thats disrespectful as hell.
Completely agree….never had an issue rigging it the other way and I never miss fish.
He didn't say you won't catch any fish rigged the least efficient way. You could be catching 200's instead of 100's.
You know what Randy would say. Maybe now you'll catch a thousand instead of hundreds.
This way will catch you 5 more a year...trust me
I've never had a problem with a fluke "darting out of the water" or twisting up my line when Texas rigged on an EWG hook and when I Texas rig it I rig it weedless so I can skim it through all the hydrilla and grass where the fish are hiding and actually get bites. My hook up ratio is pretty damn good with it rigged that way too.
I agree. Randy has the most unusual lure modifications that I have seen and always says that is how you need to modify your bait. Many baits work just fine without all those weird modifications. I don't think he uses any bait out of the package without doing some modification to it. I would never rig a fluke like he showed in the video.
Agree totally. Watch TacticalBassin for underwater footage of bass eating a fluke, EWG hook set up to make fluke dive, use of a centering spring pin and nose hook with a wacky hook to increase hook up ratio, etc. Bass usually attack the front of the fluke not the tail end.
@@ejzabojnik834 100% EXACTLY right [on ALL points] !!
@@ejzabojnik834 He is saying with the hook exposed out of the belly that its weedless....I call BULLSHIT ...he must not be fishing the kind vegitation that I fish becuase if you rigged the bait like that where I fish youd end up with 4 pounds of hydrilla on EVERY cast !
The way I rig it with a straight shank it NEVER comes out of the water an the twitching action is absolutely UNBEATABLE/IRESISTABLE to largemouth !
NO WAY that Id EVER rig up a fluke like that !
Always great info , love it , keeps us fishing great is what you do. Thank you 🙏
Dam Daniel, you brown nose like its an Olympic sport brah
Randy, can this set up also work on a Donkey rig? I would assume so, but I would like to get your thoughts on it.
If you barely go through first, so that the eye of the ewg hook is exposed, won't tend to move upwards when you twitch it. If you want it to stay high and occasionally jump out of the water then make sure the eye of the hook is exposed. The biggest factor, I've found, to increase hookups is absolutely do not use a ewg that the hook point is inline with the eye. Not just for a fluke but anything. Gamakatsu's ewg and ewg superline hooks are the worst. Go with Ryugi's "the standard" ewg or their Infini series. If you want to fish it fast or a little deeper going with a thicker wire hook like the Owner haymaker, Ryugi LT offset (the hook that Owner took inspiration of for the haymaker) or Decoy KG hyper (hooks with a thicker diameter). If wanting to fish slower going the Decoy KG or Gamakatsu G-finesse hybrid (hooks with a thinner diameter). Another rigging method that is stellar and not many throw is a super fluke on a flashy swimmer.
Wow. Thinking outside the box on this one. Thanks
I've never seen this rigging before - I'm gonna try this tomorrow morning.
What size of swivel?
Brilliant! Can't wait to mod my rigs. Gotta try on my donkey rigs, too. Ty, sir!
Zoom flukes are okay but I much prefer the z man 5 inch jerk shad. IMO it has a more natural looking profile, a much better action, and its a hell of alot more durable. One of my favorite ways to rig it is on a 3/0 or 4/0 mustad ultrapoint weighted grip pin hook in either the 1/16 or 1/8 oz sizes. Rigged properly the combo is totally weedless, can be casted pretty far and/or skipped under cover like docks, etc and it just darts all over the place and the fish just can't resist. Add to that it's durable as heck on numerous occasions I've caught over 50 fish on a single soft plastic. In fact on one trip out I caught around 40 striped bass all in 18-36 inch range on the same 5 inch jerk shad and the next day I went again a caught around 30-35 more still using the same piece of plastic. It never ripped or tore but it got so fuzzy from their sandpaper teeth that I finally end up putting a new one on after almost 80 fish caught. That's pretty incredible considering that with a zoom fluke and alot of other plastics they are generally ripped, torn, or just plain unusable after maybe a handful of fish.
I have done this before, by not having more EWG hooks with me, only straight shanks. Yes it catches fish, I can confirm that , although I did even more sophistication and unorthodox ways, like putting it on a slide-floater set up and jerk it, so the fluke comes up and darts back down. Bass just can't watch and not attack it.
Interesting. I use the same swivel rig with a 5/0 regular round bend…..works well. Rig it straight , and as always, keep the hook sharpened.
I'm fishing in mucho grass , soon as it hit the water id be reeling in 2 pounds of grass. And if a fish hits when u have a tight line seems like he would feel the hook and spook. I like the first rig jus use a big gap hook so it don't get blocked by the plastic
I would have assumed lots of tongue bleeding rigged this way?. Interesting though. I rarely lose a fish on a fluke rigged the 50/50 way...so maybe I have just got lucky thus far - def gunna try this tho. thx
When a lure is vacuumed into their mouth it’s not going to sit perfectly upright with the hook pointing down. Rigged this way it will be flattened out with hooks to one side, then the hookset will drive the hook upwards because the fish is below you.
Did you ever try cutting the nose at an angle ? Works for me.
Can you do this on a yum houdini shad?
I've lost Monsters on the Magnum fluke. I'll try a 7 straight shank hook like this and try this method. Thanks, Great videos and insight.
I going to try this out. But FYI I've fished Ewg style, I've even fished mine with a twist hook set up. But missing fish has never been a problem for Me when fishing a fluke, useless the fish is swimming back towards the boat and then it does make it difficult to get a good hook set. But that's with any lure in my experience. But great tip ill be trying this out ASAP
Don’t know what hooks you use but have you checked out the new owner hammer ewg?
You said the link would be in comments about the fish link but I can't find it
OUTSTANDING!!😁