A Quick Look at Fluke Fishing
When someone tells you they are going fluke fishing, they are really saying they are going to be fishing for summer flounder. When someone talks about fishing for “flounder,” they are referring to winter flounder. Fluke fishing is very popular all along the East Coast from Maine to Florida, and is one of the main fish you will find people trying to catch in the mid-summer months of July and August. It is one of the first fish of the year to be caught off the Jersey shore and Long Island, and fluke fishing is good from May to October.
Like winter flounder and other flatfish, fluke have both of their eyes on the same side of their head. They lie flat on the ocean floor and ambush their prey. They are able to change color so as to camouflage themselves so they cannot be readily seen. They can be variations of green, blue, gray and so dark they are almost black. Fluke can be caught from shore or boat, although the really large ones like to stay in waters at least fifty to sixty feet deep.
The female fluke is larger than the male. They can vary in size from five to over twenty pounds and some can grow as long as three feet. The fish spawn September to November, in greatest numbers in cool, deep (up to 500 ft.) water off the New York/New Jersey coast. Fluke eat smaller winter flounder, bluefish, silversides, sand lance, red hake, and invertebrates, including shrimp, squid, blue crabs, and mollusks, among others.
Fluke are very aggressive when they eat, often jumping out of the water in pursuit of smaller fish. It is this aggressiveness that makes them thrilling to catch, and why so many people like fluke fishing. You can catch a two to four pound fluke or maybe if you are lucky, one that weighs twice as much. Fluke live on the bottom of the ocean so there are many different fishing strategies.
Some anglers like to troll for fluke, while others cast or still-fish. The best methods usually involve letting the bait float along the bottom until it is grabbed by a fish. Many people use bucktail jigs which are baited with strips of squid. Others use strips that have been cut from the stomachs of bluefish or fluke. The jig should run along the bottom and be retrieved slowly. You can use a boat rod or a spinning rod with plenty of weight and a large hook. People prefer line anywhere from twelve to thirty pounds. Artificial lures are very popular but you must keep them moving. Fluke like to catch a moving fish whether it be alive, dead, or artificial.
Always take a cooler full of ice with you as fluke have to be iced right after being caught. If you are making a day of it, drain out the warm water every now and then. Just about everyone loves the taste of fluke and it can be baked, broiled, steamed, poached, fried or microwaved.
When someone tells you they are going fluke fishing, they are really saying they are going to be fishing for summer flounder. When someone talks about fishing for “flounder,” they are referring to winter flounder. Fluke fishing is very popular all along the East Coast from Maine to Florida, and is one of the main fish you will find people trying to catch in the mid-summer months of July and August. It is one of the first fish of the year to be caught off the Jersey shore and Long Island, and fluke fishing is good from May to October.
Like winter flounder and other flatfish, fluke have both of their eyes on the same side of their head. They lie flat on the ocean floor and ambush their prey. They are able to change color so as to camouflage themselves so they cannot be readily seen. They can be variations of green, blue, gray and so dark they are almost black. Fluke can be caught from shore or boat, although the really large ones like to stay in waters at least fifty to sixty feet deep.
The female fluke is larger than the male. They can vary in size from five to over twenty pounds and some can grow as long as three feet. The fish spawn September to November, in greatest numbers in cool, deep (up to 500 ft.) water off the New York/New Jersey coast. Fluke eat smaller winter flounder, bluefish, silversides, sand lance, red hake, and invertebrates, including shrimp, squid, blue crabs, and mollusks, among others.
Fluke are very aggressive when they eat, often jumping out of the water in pursuit of smaller fish. It is this aggressiveness that makes them thrilling to catch, and why so many people like fluke fishing. You can catch a two to four pound fluke or maybe if you are lucky, one that weighs twice as much. Fluke live on the bottom of the ocean so there are many different fishing strategies.
Some anglers like to troll for fluke, while others cast or still-fish. The best methods usually involve letting the bait float along the bottom until it is grabbed by a fish. Many people use bucktail jigs which are baited with strips of squid. Others use strips that have been cut from the stomachs of bluefish or fluke. The jig should run along the bottom and be retrieved slowly. You can use a boat rod or a spinning rod with plenty of weight and a large hook. People prefer line anywhere from twelve to thirty pounds. Artificial lures are very popular but you must keep them moving. Fluke like to catch a moving fish whether it be alive, dead, or artificial.
Always take a cooler full of ice with you as fluke have to be iced right after being caught. If you are making a day of it, drain out the warm water every now and then. Just about everyone loves the taste of fluke and it can be baked, broiled, steamed, poached, fried or microwaved.