Both

Define a shad-type pattern... watermelon magic is bluegill, but still shimmers like shad or even crayfish; pearl colors are shad-like; Disco colors, etc... I have heard, try to match the water color somewhat and let it pop with the fleck or chartreuses. I like chartreuse, it is a natural color in the underwater environment, believe it or not!

NetBait Tiny Paca Craw

I've caught em on Pink flukes. Everything works.

Sssshhhhhhhhh....

Biffle Bugs (all sizes), ring fries, Rattlesnakes, flukes, Skinny Dippers, LFT Hyper Worms and Hyper Freaks

My go-to's are a pearl Zoom fluke or Zoom Utale worms. Haven't had a lot of luck on it this year though. Haven't used it much either due to short fishing opportunities so that's probably why.

are you guys with flukes dragging it faster so it darts around or what? or just dragging it slow like normal? I would think that fluke would just lay on the bottom with no motion at all?

Fluke, Bubble Fry, Speed Craw or Baby Brush Hog for tougher bites. If I'm looking to cull up. full size Brush Hog or a 10-12" Power Worm

Used to be a lizard 90% of the time, but I swear that fluke has been growing on me in the last 2-3 years. Seems to me when the water gets warm, I catch way more on the fluke than anything else. I honestly believe I cover more water with the fluke as well because I do work it faster than I would a brush hog or lizard. I never "drag" the fluke. By itself, the fluke has no "action" unless there is some sort of sudden jerking motion going on with the rod tip, so I simply apply what I know about the fluke to a deeper presentation. Most of us have seen a fluke do its magic while dancing just under the surface. Its hard to beat a fluke for its erratic movements!! With a C-Rig, simply apply what you know to deeper water. Make it dance! In the Sealy tournament at Rayburn 2 years ago, my brother and I went through 6 bags of watermelon red flukes in 8 hours. We caught close to 100 fish, 1 that went almost 7 and won us a little scratch. We were literally throwing it as far as we could with 1 OZ tungsten and reeling them in like a crankbait, with a little jerking motion thrown in from time to time. Give it a shot sometime if you have not done so, it may very well change your whole outlook on how to fish a carolina rig, it has mine!!

that's some good info on the fluke thank you very much! I may try that this weekend. I also have been thinking about trying a 3:16 minnow which has that air pocket in there on a Carolina rig as well, wonder if that would work?

I try not to worry about the bait having "air" in it to help it float. Like Fouz says, if you want your bait off the bottom, use a drop shot. I simply do not look at using a fluke on a c rig as a traditional c rig setup. I think its a technique in a class by itself because I fish it differently, almost like you would fish a hard jerkbait or even better, like you would fish a weightless fluke near the surface. What helps me is "imagining" what the bait is doing when its down there. Lift your rod to get it off the bottom, jerk, jerk, pause, reel, stop, lift again. Just imagine that bait looking like its chasing that heavy weight that is kicking up debris off the bottom. In short, fishing the fluke on a c rig, at least to me, does not even come close to what most people think of when "dragging" the old ball and chain, it's a completely different technique. In short, if you are c rigging with a fluke and just "dragging", you will catch fish, no doubt, but don't let the opportunity pass to fish it a little faster, just like a weightless fluke near the surface, and see what happens!!

The question should read what soft plastic do you NOT fish on a C-rig and the answer would be ZERO. As stated above, you can use anything, even Horny Toads. I also fish CBs and topwaters on a C-rig when the bite id tough. Often get your arm almost broke doing that, though. I typically fish a lizard, fluke, swimming fluke, senko, baby brush hawg or brush hawg or mag brush hawg, depending on what I think the fish want. It is a presentation that I fish from 6" to 40', depending on where the fish are located. Year round technique, too. Hope this helps. Tight lines, keep safe and good luck.

Thad Rains