Fluke Bait

[Tarpon4me]

Before you can decide which colors and sizes work best, you have to consider what color and sizes are the natural local baits in the area at the particular time of year you're fishing. I know on the East coast here in SC, we change our baits up with what is most abundant at the time. If mullet minnows are running thick, we cast net some mullet. If the Mud minnows are the only thing around, that's what we use. Menhaden are my personal preference. They stink so good, and flounder love them. However, I don't know where you're fishing from, what area, or what time of year. My question to you is why in the world would you want to use "plastic squid" when on a normal basis fresh, live, FREE bait is readily available? I could understand the theory behind it if flounder were finiky and pecked at your bait until it was gone. But flounder's are verocious predators, and if you're skilled in the art, 65% of your bites are fish in the boat. The thing about flounder/fluke is they aren't going to come to you, you have to find them. They bury themselves in the mud and sand until something swims above them and they suck them up. They have excellent vision and sense of smell. Any soft plastic would work. Flounder like shiney things too, infact, I don't know too many saltwater species that don't like a little bling bling. White is the color of choice, especially one with the glitter inbedded in it. They make artificial squid that is designed to inject with that stinky fish smell that we all love so much. I'm thinking those would be hot shit when live bait is hard to come by. Personally, i've never had a problem finding live bait, however, there are vast inlets and side channels flowing with mullet, menhaden, and shrimp all season long and are found easily. It's pretty easy here in south carolina. I use an Abu Garcia 7000 on an Ugly stix rigged with 20 big game. Tie up a Carolina rig and slap on a 5 to 6 inch menhaden or live shrimp. Drive the boat up stream and drift down the channel during falling tide, bouncing your bait slowly off the bottom. Before you know it, you've got a cooler full of Flounder and a belly full of beer.
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