"Part of the problem is you get hung up a lot, and anglers who use light lines will lose a lot of rigs. With heavier braided line, you're much better off. And when (it's) used in conjunction with chromed ball jigs or SPRO bucktail jigs, you'll catch a lot of big fluke. Just work your rod tip lightly, and have a moderate drag setting, so when a doormat hits, you don't risk a break-off."

THE CHANNELS OF RARITAN & SANDY HOOK BAYS
The same channels that accommodate big tankers, container ships, cruise liners, and other marine traffic are home to some of the biggest fluke caught in New Jersey waters each season. Along the perimeter of Ambrose, Sandy Hook, Raritan Reach, Old Orchard, and Swash channels there are mussel beds galore, which play host to a variety of baitfish and small bottom fish such as sea bass, bergalls, blackfish and porgies -- just what the doctor ordered for big fluke.

The party boat fleet from Atlantic Highlands, Perth Amboy, Morgan, Keyport and Highlands regularly fishes these grounds, along with a huge fleet of private boats. For the most part, these are placid waters during the summer months, but you've got to be cautious of the huge wakes that often build up from the ship traffic using the shipping channels.

Veteran fluke buff Johnny Creenan is not averse to towing his trailer rig to wherever the fluking is best. He spends most of his time fishing along the channel edges. "Years ago, I used to catch a lot of big fluke on fluke belly baits. But now that you're no longer permitted to use fluke belly or backs, I buy the largest squid I can find, cut them in long, thin strips and rig them on a two-hook bottom rig. I like a bait measuring about 8 inches in length and always use a sinker that's too heavy rather than one that's too light." Creenan also notes that often a rod dead-sticked in a rod holder hooks more fish than one being held by an inexperienced angler!

RIVERS & BAYS PRODUCE HEAVWEIGHTS, TOO
My wife June, and I regularly fish protected waters ranging from the Shrewsbury River, Shark River, the Manasquan, and the waters of Barnegat Bay. People seldom realize that while these waterways hold an abundance of small fluke, there are plenty of doormats there as well. Unlike fishing in the open reaches of the ocean, or the deep waters of Raritan and Sandy Hook bays, angling in shallow waters of the rivers and southern bays requires a more delicate touch, both with respect to tackle and terminal rigging.