Flukes 

 
    You can fish the baits several ways, including using them on Carolina rigs, or even as trailers on larger spinner baits like the Ledgebusters, but the standard way most people fish them is weightless.  Rigging is pretty simple, and your rig should work great.

    Use a 3/0 - 5/0 Gamakatsu EWG (or similar) hook, and no weight.  Use a barrel swivel about 12 - 18" in front of the hook, creating a leader.  This allows you to use a smaller leader is needed in clear water, but more importantly, will eliminate line twist caused by the lures.  In open water areas, many anglers use a 3 way swivel, and attach another section of line and hook to allow for 2 of the baits to be fished at once, imitating a school of baitfish (in theory).

    Rig the bait through the nose, just as you would with the standard Texas Rig, but be sure to go in deep enough to cover the eye of the hook.  Bring the hook point out the belly of the bait which is slotted (be sure the slot is on the bottom) and the when you run it back into the bait, take it all the way through the back.  Now slide it back about 1/4 - 1/2" and push the hook point under the skin of the bait.  It is weed less, but requires little effort to set the hook.

    For working the bait, simply cast it out, and let it fall a few inches, then using the rod's tip (pointed down toward the water) start a jerk and pause retrieve.  The bait will dart and jump from side to side just like a real baitfish.  After some practice, you can learn to walk the dog underwater just like you do with a spook on the surface.

    When you see a fish swirl on the bait, drop the rod and watch the line.  When it moves off, set the hook!

    Flukes are very effective around shallow cover areas like trees, stumps and brush, but will also catch a lot of schooling and suspended fish as well.  Don't be afraid to work them beside docks, or over points, etc.  Hang on tight to the rod when you work them around blow downs.  Most anglers like fishing these baits in spring, but they work year round, and are especially deadly in the fall as the baitfish start their migration back up into the creeks and pockets.

    All the colors work great, but the baitfish colors like Albino Shad or Pearl seem to produce best.  A few anglers have found that the Bubble gum color will work in ultra clear water anytime on certain lakes.  It's normally only used as a bright color like that in stained water or spring most of the time.  The bass are just not used to that color. 

    In lieu of a fluke, try a Senko.  Rig it weightless and use it in the same situations that you throw a Fluke and watch the bass destroy it.  It has an action all by itself that is not matched by any other plastic bait.  It falls perfectly horizontal and both ends wiggle and move around like a live worm.  It will draw strikes just by casting out and doing nothing. 

    You can fish it with jerks like a Fluke or floating worm and the action is 10 times that of either.  Use the 5" worm pretty much for any situation in assorted colors.  If the Fluke doesn’t produce for you, toss out a Senko in the same areas and be amazed.  The Bass Assassin soft jerks baits don’t seem to twist the line as bad as a Fluke does, but they don't have the colors that flukes come in.

     You can try to "jump" the soft jerks on the surface.  You can have awesome luck with schooling bass by hooking a fluke with the nose at an upwards angle so when you twitch it on the surface a few times, it will skip and jump like a busting shad.  It will twist your line up twice as fast, but a few more bass are worth it.  Rig them all with a 4/0 Gamakatsu EWG Superline.  For normal use, keep the hook straight through the nose.  This is very important for the correct action.