Bay Fluking Still Hot

The weather has been crazy and still looks gnarly for the weekend, but, in between the
storms, winds and sloppy conditions, the fluke bite in the bays continues.

And continues hot.

Not to be overlooked are the tidal rivers and the inlets where the chomp is on as well.

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These are some sizable flatties that are coming to net, more than a few in the 4- to 6-pound range, and while many fluke this size are moving, or have already moved out front and are stationing around the wrecks and on the copious amount of structures on the artificial reefs such as Garden State North, Barnegat Light, Great Egg, Atlantic City, Townsends Inlet, Wildwood and Cape May, to name but a few of many, the fact is that there are still plenty of husky flatfish in the backwaters. Predicated on water temperature and the amount of forage, these will surely hang around into July.

Gulp! baits in its myriad forms and colors, either on a bucktail or jig head and/or as a teaser, have been putting the majority of fluke in the livewells and coolers. A real killer
these past couple of weeks has been the two-inch Gulp! Peeler Crab that is a dead ringer
for a small calico crab. Flatties relish these crustaceans (and also small blueclaw crabs)
and will snap the jaws on them pronto.

However, drifting baits like the squid/killie or squid/spearing combo is putting fillets in the
pan at a decent clip. Some good catches have been made with a lone killie on a drift or a
spearing or two on a floating jig head.

No need just yet to get out to the wrecks and reefs if a specimen fluke is the target. Work
the channel edges and holes and you might be surprised at what sucks down your bait.