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Braided Fishing Line the Key to Successful Bottom Fishing  Uploading ....
Braided fishing line has revolutionized bottom fishing for many anglers. The simple fact that braided line is extremely sensitive results in more bites felt, that means more fish are caught. In my neck of the coast fluke, or summer flounder, are a very popular saltwater bottom fish that anglers love to catch. Fluke are scrappy fighters that can be caught in a variety of locales and are supreme table fare. Key areas to drift are basically any bottom that has enough baitfish forage to keep the predator fluke well fed.
Braided fishing line rigged to bottom drift rigs baited with combos of spearing and thin squid stripsis a tried and true method that will always produce great catches of fluke. Off the tip of Eastern Long Island, where many large jumbo and doormat sized fluke are caught, one can’t go wrong by concentrating their efforts in any of the famed Montauk Rips located to the North and East of the Montauk Point Lighthouse. These two vast fishing areas that are made up of variable changing bottom depths and an angler can expectbites every time the boat drifts over a pronounced bottom rise.
As stated, drifting baited rigs has long been the standard for fluke fishing success. This all changed with the advent of several tackle evolutions that opened the door for anglers to work smaller profile bucktail jigs that often drive big fluke into biting like crazy. The main tackle item that pushed the evolution is braided fishing lines. Braided lines are extremely thin, and this allows them to slice through the water column with minimal water resistance. Hence, allowing the angler to feel the bottom easier with lighter bucktails. Braided lines are also very sensitive, so much so that I strongly believe I can feel the precise moment the teeth of a fluke are biting down on the hook on my jig. Finally, braided line has virtually no stretch, and this quality is definitely welcomed when attempting to set the hook into a big fluke in deep water.
Bucktail jigs with sharp narrow gauge hooks from 2 to 6-ounces are the jigs I use most. I carry a selection of jigs in white, yellow, glow, and chartreuse. It has been my experience that bucktails produce best when the drift speed is moving the boat along at 1 to 2-knots. A bucktail jig alone will catch fluke, but I have found the jigs produce better when a teaser and hook is added up above the jig. The teaser rigs I make are cheap, but effective, and start out with about 30-inches of 50-pound fluorocarbon leader. To one end of this line I tie on a small barrel swivel. To the terminal end of this leader I attach a medium sized snap swivel. The snap swivel allows me to quickly change bucktail sizes and colors. To complete the rig, tie in a large dropper loop about halfway between the snap and the barrel swivel. Onto this dropper loop slide on a white, yellow, or chartreuse riveted bucktail teaser. Move the rivet right up to the dropper knot, and attach the hook by passing the dropper loop through the eye of the hook, and then pushing the hook through the loop, and snug it up tightly. Bait both the bucktail and teaser with a spearing or strip bait.
The key to catching lots of fluke with bucktails on braided line in the Montauk Rips is when the current is running slowshorten the drifts to really work the peaks of these bottom changes with the bucktails. My jigging technique is simple. Once I feel the jig hit bottom, I engage the reel spool and begin working my rig with short lifts of the rod. It’s key to constantly feel the jig hit bottom, and to always work the reel spool to keep the jig in contact with the bottom. While jigging if I get a jarring hit on my braided line I strike back immediately. However, if I get a hit that is a little more tentative, and feels like added weight, I’ll stop jigging and let the fish engulf my jig or teaser. I’ll then give the jig a slow lift, and if I timed it right,I’m now hooked up to a jumbo sized fluke.
-- By Capt. Tom Mikoleski
Captain Tom Mikoleski is the successful fishing charter captain of the Grand Slam who sails out of Montauk, NY for trophy striped bass, doormat fluke, jumbo porgies, humpback sea bass, and monster sharks. Captain Tom is the author of Bass Buff — A Striper Fishing Obsession Guide |
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