Dead Sticking a Fluke technique!!!

[Softbaitmaker]

I don't know if this is the right place to post this as I am still learning the site but here goes!! I don't know how many anglers have ever try Dead Sticking a Fluke for big fish but it can be rewarding and also a pain staking way to fish. I have done it many times over the years to get big fish to bite when they are down in 20+ foot of water on a ledge and you have thrown everythng in the boat at them with no success. When it happens to me I go dead sticking one of my flukes. Since my flukes fall so much slower than other company flukes do it can be a really be a pain but very sucessful way to catch them.
I rig it Texas style with a heavy wire Owner hook and throw it out and sit and wait. In slightly stained water it will take my bait about 3 to 6 minutes to sink totally out of sight. Once it has been out of site for a minute or more I will twitch the bait just enough to where I can see it again and then let it fall back. Now remember Bass are competitive and if there are two or three big fish they are all wtatching this dying minnow sinking slowly down and making death kicks. All the time the bait is dying and sinking any fish down there are watching it. The most dominate bass will be the first one to react and it can be on the first twitch or maybe the second one but it won't wait for the third. When your line jumps and slack begins to get tight set the hook and hold on.
Now fishing this way takes nerves of steel and the patience of a Saint but it is worth it if your fishing for money. I have had days that I might only make 5 to 8 casts but weighed in 20+ lbs of fish. If I have a co-angler in the boat they only fish with me once. Even though we split the winnings they can't fish like that. They just don't have the patience to do it.
I remember 1 tournament doing that more than any other. I was fishing alone and had 4 nice fish in the boat and needed 1 more and it was getting close to weigh in so I headed back to the launch site and weigh in pocket. When i got there all the bank areas were cover in boats and there is a creek channel that runs right threw the pocket and there is one spot it is about 18 feet deep and as i moved across it I saw two fish on the graph holding in that hole. I made a small circle and stepped up and put the trolling motor down and picked up my rod and made a cast. I am sitting right in the middle of the pocket surrounded by boats and watch my fluke slowly sink down. Just as it got out of site I twitched it and saw that big green flash but the fish missed the bait but without hesitation it came back and got it the second time and I boated a 5.11 lb fish with all these boats watching me. I won the Tx and had big fish. When the bite is tough and the big ladies are down deep and not aggressive you just have to tease them a little bit!!!!

 

[jonathanr]

Do you think that this will work when the fish are below the shad balls? We tried flukes to catch them as they would surface to eat, but not dead sticking. Do you let it fall all the way to the bottom before making another cast? I kept thinking Friday if I only had a light weight spoon I could probably catch those fish hanging out below the shad, but I guess this would have worked also. What colors do you prefer? Thanks.

 

[Softbaitmaker]

Hi Jonathan,
I don't know if it will work under bait balls as I have never tried it that way. Normally the fish under the bait balls are not big fish but can be 3 pounders maybe. I normally will use this technique after the really big ladies have spawned and moved out to deeper ledges and deeper holes in creek channels. It is not a type of fishing that will catch numbers of fish but will catch larger fish. Now with that said you mentioned a jigging spoon. You might have been able to catch a few of those fish feeding under the bait ball if you would have put a fluke or small 3 inch swim bait on a ball jig head and sent it down through the shad ball and alllowed it to fall close to the bottom. Many times bass feeding on bait balls will grab a bait that is falling out the bottom of the ball thinking it is a dying shad. It is a faster version of dead sticking that might work when the water cools down and the bait begin balling up. As far as Color goes I use White Pearl or any bright color in summer but this time of year and chasing baits under bait fish I would probably want a Tennessee Shad color bait. Something that would have a lot of silver flake for flash as the bait falls out of the ball. Hope this gives you a few ideas to try on your next outing. Also I know you have heard to comment many times about matching the hatch. I never try to do that because if you think about it when you are fishing small balls of bait fish and you match the hatch you are competing with about a 1000 or more bait fish to draw a strike. It is good to get close to matching the hatch but you also need to do something suttle that will make your bait stand out bu not be gaudy at the same time.... emoGeezer

 

[catfish170]

Years ago I did something similar with big worms in weak current. Been so long I forgot about that. Thanks for bringing up old memories!!

 

[R-boatless]

Hey Softy, by sit and wait, do you mean smoke two cigs and drink a cup of coffee???

Good to see you here.

 

[Softbaitmaker]

Pretty much thats about it buddy, and maybe even eat a sandwich.......... emoPoke How ya doing buddy. I was wondering when you would be back here on the site again......... emoGeezer