How to Catch Doormat Fluke

Most fluke anglers spend their day catching fish that are just under the size limit. Doormats, fluke of 8 pounds and up, are a different game. They're older and fewer, they live in different water, and they want a bigger meal. You won't catch them by accident nearly as often as you'll catch them on purpose.

Where big fluke live

Go deeper. Big fluke favor deeper water than the small ones: 50 to 60 feet is common, and many trophy fish come from 60 to 90 feet on ocean structure, especially from midsummer on.

Find hard bottom. The biggest fish hold on structure that concentrates food:

• Artificial reefs, wrecks and rock piles
• Mussel beds, shell and gravel patches
• Ridges and lumps that rise off the bottom, which hold sand eels, herring, small sea bass and other bait
• Deep channel edges in big bays, especially in mid- to late summer

Fish the edges. Doormats lie at the edges of wrecks and reefs and ambush bait living on the structure. Work just off the edge. Stay tight to it: if you're not losing a rig now and then, you're probably too far away.

Don't overlook spring. Around Memorial Day, when fluke first pour into the bays, is one of the best chances at a big fish close to the inlet. Back-bay channels also give up fish of 2 to 10 pounds.

Mark every bite. Even big fluke tend to travel in small groups. When you hook one, mark the spot and work that area hard before moving on.

Big baits for big fish

The surest way to cut down on shorts and give a doormat something worth eating is to fish a bait that's too big for little fluke.

• Long strip baits: 8 to 10 inches of squid, fluke belly (where legal), mackerel or sea robin, cut thin and tapered. Fish them on a two-hook rig, with one hook at the head of the strip and a "stinger" hook about halfway down to catch fish that bite short.
• Whole squid: a 6- to 8-inch squid rigged straight on two hooks.
• Live bait: live spot, snapper bluefish or peanut bunker. Hook them through the lips or through the back just ahead of the dorsal fin and fish them on a three-way rig with about 3 feet of 40-pound fluorocarbon and a 5/0 or 6/0 live-bait hook.
• Big jig and bait combinations: a 3- to 5-ounce bucktail (or a round "ball" jig) tipped with a big strip, with a small bucktail or soft-plastic teaser on a dropper above.

Match the season. In cold spring water, even big fluke won't eat a foot-long bait. Fish strips around 4 to 5 inches in spring and go long in summer.

Fishing structure without losing everything

Rough bottom eats tackle. A few things help:

• Keep your line vertical. The more straight up and down your line is, the less your jig or sinker drags into snags. Use enough weight to stay on the bottom, even if that means a heavy sinker on a windy day.
• Bounce, don't drag. Lift and drop the jig over the structure instead of dragging it along. With a ball jig or bucktail, keep the motion gentle: lift a few inches, let it settle.
• Use heavier braid. Many structure fishermen use 40- to 50-pound braid. It's as thin as much lighter mono, but strong enough to pull free of mussel beds and rocks instead of breaking off.
• Streamline. Skip snaps and swivels where you can. Less hardware means less to snag and less drag in the current.
• Fish the right tide. Holding bottom over deep structure is easiest around slack water, which is when many anglers fish their deepest spots.

Two ways to tackle up

Light: a light spinning or low-profile conventional outfit with 10- to 20-pound braid and 2- to 4-ounce jigs. Thin braid needs less weight to hold bottom, which means a livelier jig and better feel. It's deadly when the current allows. Switch to heavier gear if you need more than about 5 ounces.

Standard: a 7- to 8-foot medium rod with a sensitive tip, a small levelwind reel and 40- to 50-pound braid. It handles heavy jigs, rough bottom and big live baits.

Either way, use a fluorocarbon leader for abrasion around rocks and shell, and set a moderate drag so a big fish's first run doesn't break you off.

Hooking a doormat

How you set the hook depends on what you're fishing:

• Bucktail with a strip: when you feel weight, set hard and keep steady pressure.
• Big bait or slow drift: a big fluke often picks up a bait so gently it feels like you're snagged. Lower the rod tip, give a little line, let it get the bait in its mouth, then reel slowly until it's tight. The fish turns and the hook finds its jaw.

Don't give slack after the hookset. Many big fluke are lost in the first seconds, when an angler switches the rod from one hand to the other to start reeling and drops the rod tip. In deep water that bit of slack lets a head-shaking fluke throw the hook. Practice reeling so you can set the hook and start cranking without changing hands.

Landing it

Never lift a big fluke over the rail by the line. Have your partner slide a big net under the fish as soon as it's at the surface. Fluke are famous for coming unhooked right at the boat.

For the basics of rigs and baits, see Fluke Rigs and Baits. For where fluke move through the year, see Where Fluke Hold Through the Season.

Before you go

Fluke size limits, bag limits and seasons are set by each state and change often. Check your state's current saltwater rules before you go.