![]() ![]() Work these fingers methodically, and from shallow to deep. After several casts, I’ll move out on one finger and try casting across toward another, dragging my bait or lure across the bottom and through the deepest water. These I work by approaching from the shallow end, then casting straight out into the middle. I like to look for areas where two or more short sandbars jut into deep water or form a series of troughs. Working “fingers” is a little more complicated. As in inlet fishing, quarter the current with each cast and allow your offering to swing around as it drifts past. ![]() Be sure, however, to keep back far enough from any stiff current so as not to put yourself at risk. Simply get yourself in position to cast to deep water and have at it. Working channels is pretty straight-forward. For this reason, I like to fish flats and islands that offer a series of “fingers” jutting out into deeper water, or places where I can cast to a cut or channel from water that’s knee-deep or less. Double-anchoring is a good idea.Įven though fluke are quite willing to enter the shallows, they still tend to prefer to keep a little bit of water above their heads. Be sure to anchor securely so you won’t be left stranded. Just be aware that you may have to lead your vessel out to deeper water every hour or so as the tide empties out. Fishing on a dropping tide also leaves room for the flats to “grow” as the water draws off. This is when the shallow water fluke seem to be most active. Given a choice, I’ll come into the shallows on the first quarter of outgoing water. On the flip side, if you know you can get in and out for sure during low, the start of the ebb often sees the best action. That way, you won’t be left high and dry when the tide pulls out from under your boat. Generally, it is a good idea to try this at the start of a rising tide. Center consoles are perfect for this, as are tin boats, most rental skiffs, kayaks and shallow draft vessels under 21 feet. Naturally, this is an approach for relatively small boats as you’ll need to pull right onto the sand or anchor in very shallow water to get out of the boat and begin prospecting. Chart of Barnegat Bay, NJ courtesy of Capt. Be sure your boat is safely secured before getting out to wade. Many small islands and sandbars can be found in close proximity to inlets. The difference is you’ll likely have the entire beach to yourself. ![]() Throw on a pair of waders – or at least appropriate wading shoes – and you can fish these spots like any other shallow-water fluke hotspot accessible to shore-bound casters. While such flats are places most skippers try to avoid, they can be productive fishing grounds for fluke, school weaks, cocktail blues and even an occasional striped bass if approached quietly and carefully. Always, I find it a relaxing way to avoid the mayhem that can be found in most of the primary channels that criss-cross our local bays. Generally, it’s quite productive and occasionally it provides better fishing than drifting. This calls for beaching my boat on an exposed sandbar or small sand island, stepping ashore, and wading the perimeter as I cast. My favorite way to catch fluke when I’m in a non-conventional mood, however, is to island hop. Looking for quiet pockets of shallow water where you can bucktail with light line in moderate tides is another. Drifting back bay flats with your bait suspended five or six feet beneath a float is one option. But there are other methods that can be just as productive if you are willing to experiment. The traditional means of catching fluke in most areas is to drift the main channels while working some variation of a minnow and squid combination. Get out of your boat to probe the edges of a small deserted island for fluke and you may be pleasantly surprised. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |