EP 70: 2026 Fluke Pre-Season Show with Capt. John Halkias

EP 76: 9+ Tips for Fishing the Summer Transition with Capt. Ben

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/1950037/fan_mail/new] The bite doesn’t “die” when the seasons change. Your old pattern does. Rich Natoli sits down with Captain Benji Bar to talk through the late spring to early summer saltwater fishing transition in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast, with practical, on-the-water guidance you can apply right away. We dig into the biggest driver first: water temperature. Not air temp, not the date, not what worked last year on June 15. As temps swing from the low 60s into the 70s, fish reposition, bait shifts, and your best water changes with it. We talk fluke depth moves from skinny water to double-digit depths, why structure and current edges matter more now, and how understanding baitfish movement helps you predict where fish will stage rather than chasing yesterday’s reports. Then we get into timing and behavior. As summer sets in, striped bass can turn into a low-light game in the backwaters, with current, bridges, and channel edges becoming the reliable zones. We also break down how tides and dissolved oxygen can make or break a trip, including why an outgoing tide can pull hot, low-oxygen water off the flats and shut down the afternoon, while an incoming tide can refresh a spot. We wrap with smart tackle adjustments: downsizing braid and leader for better sensitivity and bottom contact, why quality line matters more as you go lighter, and a few real-world notes on weakfish conditions and clean water. If you fish New Jersey inshore, back bays, or nearby coastal waters, this is the roadmap for staying consistent as the season flips. Subscribe, share this with a fishing buddy, and leave a review with the one adjustment that changed your summer bite. Great Bay Outfitters - Gear Up! [https://www.facebook.com/greatbayoutfitters] Your go-to shop for top fishing gear, apparel, and kayak essentials in South Jersey. Quad State Tune For Your Toyota Truck [https://www.facebook.com/Qstune/about_details] Custom engine tuning for peak performance for Toyota trucks. Improve power and performance today. Richard Natoli Real Estate [https://richardnatoli.com] Helping PA homeowners buy & sell with confidence. 267-270-1145 or NatoliRealEstate@Gmail.com Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you. Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/1950037/support] Fat Dad YouTube Channel: (569) Fat Dad Fishing - YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/c/FatDadFishing] Fat Dad Instagram: @fat.dad.fishing Fat Dad Facebook: (7) Fat Dad Fishing | Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/FatDadFishing/] Email: rich@fatdadfishing.com

EP 75: 10+ Sheepshead Tips That Actually Work

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/1950037/fan_mail/new] Sheepshead are one of the most addictive fish we chase in the mid-Atlantic, and they also humble more good anglers than almost anything else. So we keep it simple and useful here: real-world sheepshead fishing tips that help you catch more fish around docks, bridge pilings, bulkheads, and back bay structure without turning it into a graduate course.  Paul, owner of Great Bay Outfitters, joins me to talk about what actually moves the needle. We dig into why shallow water gets overlooked, how shadow lines can be the difference between silence and a legit bite, and why floating docks deserve way more attention than they get. We also tackle a big mindset shift on timing: sheepshead show up earlier and stick around later than most people assume, and they don’t always live “right near the inlet” the way the internet loves to say.  Then we get into the stuff you can apply on your next trip: why moving current often beats slack tide, where to position on a current seam, how to work the water column instead of dropping straight to the bottom, and what bite clues can point to bigger fish versus small pickers. We also talk gear without the hype: when to change rigs, how to rotate baits (fiddlers, sand fleas, Asian shore crabs, mussels, grass shrimp, blue crab, even clams and minnows), and how to use electronics as a time-saver instead of getting glued to the screen.  If you fish New Jersey, Delaware, or the broader mid-Atlantic coast and want more consistent sheepshead results, this one will tighten up your approach fast. Subscribe, share it with a fishing buddy, and leave a review with your best sheepshead tip so we can build a stronger playbook together. Great Bay Outfitters - Gear Up! [https://www.facebook.com/greatbayoutfitters] Your go-to shop for top fishing gear, apparel, and kayak essentials in South Jersey. Quad State Tune For Your Toyota Truck [https://www.facebook.com/Qstune/about_details] Custom engine tuning for peak performance for Toyota trucks. Improve power and performance today. Richard Natoli Real Estate [https://richardnatoli.com] Helping PA homeowners buy & sell with confidence. 267-270-1145 or NatoliRealEstate@Gmail.com Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you. Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/1950037/support] Fat Dad YouTube Channel: (569) Fat Dad Fishing - YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/c/FatDadFishing] Fat Dad Instagram: @fat.dad.fishing Fat Dad Facebook: (7) Fat Dad Fishing | Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/FatDadFishing/] Email: rich@fatdadfishing.com

EP 74: Fluke Season Reality Check

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/1950037/fan_mail/new] Fluke season opens and we do what every obsessed angler does: we go anyway, even when the forecast is wrong, the wind refuses to cooperate, and the back bay bite feels like it shuts off mid-drift. This archived kickoff show from 2022 is a time capsule that still holds up, because the fundamentals of early-season summer flounder don’t change. We’re talking water temperature swings after overnight rain, why “clean water” doesn’t always mean “easy fishing,” and how you can watch an area go from promising to stubborn with just a few degrees of drop.  We get into the real back bay decisions that matter: incoming tide vs outgoing tide (and why we each argue for a different one), what slack tide can do for bigger fish, and how to stop wasting time drifting the middle for shorts. If you want bigger fluke, we explain the structure story: drop-offs, ledges, creek mouths, current seams, and shallow flat potholes that are only inches deeper but fish way “bigger” than they look. We also talk bait vs artificial, including when live bait like mud minnows, squid strips, or spot can separate you from the crowd, plus the Gulp profiles and colors that actually got touched on a tough day.  Regulations change strategy, especially in New Jersey where you’re forced to think about size classes and tough keep-or-release choices. We also hit practical gear and rigging details like bucktail and teaser spacing, rod action and sensitivity, and what matters most for kayak fluke fishing when you can’t just “run and gun” to the next spot. Stick around for an honest safety segment on dry suits, why we don’t trust the rule of 120, and why waders can make a self-rescue harder than most people realize. If you get value from this, subscribe, share it with a fishing buddy, and leave a review so more back bay anglers can find the show. Great Bay Outfitters - Gear Up! [https://www.facebook.com/greatbayoutfitters] Your go-to shop for top fishing gear, apparel, and kayak essentials in South Jersey. Quad State Tune For Your Toyota Truck [https://www.facebook.com/Qstune/about_details] Custom engine tuning for peak performance for Toyota trucks. Improve power and performance today. Richard Natoli Real Estate [https://richardnatoli.com] Helping PA homeowners buy & sell with confidence. 267-270-1145 or NatoliRealEstate@Gmail.com Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you. Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/1950037/support] Fat Dad YouTube Channel: (569) Fat Dad Fishing - YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/c/FatDadFishing] Fat Dad Instagram: @fat.dad.fishing Fat Dad Facebook: (7) Fat Dad Fishing | Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/FatDadFishing/] Email: rich@fatdadfishing.com

EP 73: How To Read Tides And Bottom Structure For Fluke

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/1950037/fan_mail/new] For full video of this episode go here: https://youtube.com/live/eV-SsAOmixE?feature=share If you’ve ever stared at a chart, found a “nice looking” deep hole, and still got skunked for backwater fluke, this one is for you. I’m breaking down the exact process I use to find high-percentage fluke water before I ever launch, without handing out someone else’s secret spot. The big idea is simple: fluke are ambush predators, and they stack where current funnels bait in a predictable lane. Depth can help, but structure plus flow is what consistently feeds fish. I pull up free NOAA bathymetry using the NOAA Bathymetric Data Viewer and walk through what the shading and contours actually mean. We talk about how to choose the right water for incoming tide versus outgoing tide, what severe drop-offs and ridges do to current, and why underwater points and converging channels create the seams fluke love. I also explain the difference between a “spot” and an “area,” and why the best bite can come from a tiny micro spot you need to hit again and again. We run through examples from New Jersey, behind Ocean City, Maryland, and Jamaica Bay in New York, so you can apply the same approach anywhere you’re chasing summer flounder, southern flounder, or Gulf flounder. Then we get into the factor that wrecks most good plans: wind. If you ignore wind against tide, your drift and presentation can end up going the wrong direction, and fluke often won’t spend the calories to chase it. If you get value out of this, subscribe, share it with a fishing buddy who keeps drifting the wrong way, and leave a review so more anglers can find it. What’s the one piece of bottom structure that most often leads you to a keeper fluke? Great Bay Outfitters - Gear Up! [https://www.facebook.com/greatbayoutfitters] Your go-to shop for top fishing gear, apparel, and kayak essentials in South Jersey. Quad State Tune For Your Toyota Truck [https://www.facebook.com/Qstune/about_details] Custom engine tuning for peak performance for Toyota trucks. Improve power and performance today. Richard Natoli Real Estate [https://richardnatoli.com] Helping PA homeowners buy & sell with confidence. 267-270-1145 or NatoliRealEstate@Gmail.com Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you. Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/1950037/support] Fat Dad YouTube Channel: (569) Fat Dad Fishing - YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/c/FatDadFishing] Fat Dad Instagram: @fat.dad.fishing Fat Dad Facebook: (7) Fat Dad Fishing | Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/FatDadFishing/] Email: rich@fatdadfishing.com

EP 72: 7 Key Tips for Catching Spring Flounder

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/1950037/fan_mail/new] If you’re chasing early season fluke and wondering why your “great spot” feels dead, the problem might be simpler than you think: you’re fishing the right area, but not the right spot. We break down a field-tested backwater fluke fishing approach built for spring conditions when water temperature swings, wind shifts, and tides can turn a bite on or off fast. From kayak fluke fishing to boat drifts, the goal stays the same: put your lure where an ambush predator can feed efficiently. We start with location and timing, including why shallow flats can outproduce deeper holes early, and how to hunt the structure inside a flat like potholes, grass edges, shells, and mini channels. Then we dig into current strategy for spring tide periods around the new moon and full moon, focusing on current lines, rip lines, and eddies so you’re not wasting effort in the heaviest flow. You’ll also hear why thinner-profile baits and low profile bucktails can shine in early spring, how to fish as light as conditions allow, and how a deliberate cadence with pauses triggers more strikes. Finally, we get into two topics anglers love to debate: hookset timing on artificials like Gulp, and what actually makes a “doormat” fluke worth celebrating. If you want more bites, better fish, and a clearer plan for backwater summer flounder, this one is for you. Subscribe, share it with a fishing buddy, and leave a review so more anglers can find the show. What’s one spring fluke adjustment that has helped you the most? Great Bay Outfitters - Gear Up! [https://www.facebook.com/greatbayoutfitters] Your go-to shop for top fishing gear, apparel, and kayak essentials in South Jersey. Quad State Tune For Your Toyota Truck [https://www.facebook.com/Qstune/about_details] Custom engine tuning for peak performance for Toyota trucks. Improve power and performance today. Richard Natoli Real Estate [https://richardnatoli.com] Helping PA homeowners buy & sell with confidence. 267-270-1145 or NatoliRealEstate@Gmail.com Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you. Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/1950037/support] Fat Dad YouTube Channel: (569) Fat Dad Fishing - YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/c/FatDadFishing] Fat Dad Instagram: @fat.dad.fishing Fat Dad Facebook: (7) Fat Dad Fishing | Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/FatDadFishing/] Email: rich@fatdadfishing.com