EP 80: What If The “Bad Fluke Season” Is You?

EP 80: What If The “Bad Fluke Season” Is You?

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/1950037/fan_mail/new] Fluke season has anglers arguing like it’s a sport of its own, especially along New Jersey from LBI down toward Cape May. One crew posts double digits, the next crew calls it a ghost town, and the comment section jumps straight to blame. We slow it all down and ask a better question: what if the fish are here, but the conditions are forcing you to fish differently than last summer? Dave and I dig into the “tons of shorts, barely any keepers” reality and why that alone can make a season feel terrible even when fluke numbers are solid. We talk commercial fishing myths versus how quotas and permits actually work, then pivot to what consistently moves the needle for summer flounder: water temperature, upwelling, and the way yo-yo conditions stall migration and pin fish tight to structure. When the water cools, they get lethargic, bury in sand, and tuck behind wrecks and reefs, so sloppy drifts and fast jigging miss the zone that matters. We also get into practical fluke fishing tactics you can apply right away: slowing your presentation, controlling drift speed, spot locking tighter, and leaning into natural bait and scent like whole squid, strip baits, minnows, and fresh Gulp. Heavy rain and runoff change salinity and clarity, so we cover when to slide toward inlets, when to wait for a couple tide cycles, and why deep water can be the answer during the hottest stretches. If you fish Mid-Atlantic fluke, Barnegat Inlet, LBI back bays, nearshore wrecks, or the surf bite later in the season, you’ll walk away with a clearer plan and a lot less noise. Subscribe, share this with a fishing buddy who’s struggling, and leave a review with your best fluke adjustment this season. 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 79: 7+ Tips to Catch Weakfish with George Bucci

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/1950037/fan_mail/new] Weakfish are one of those fish that can make you feel like a genius one night and completely humbled the next, and that’s exactly why we love chasing them. Rich Natoli sits down with returning guest George Bucci to get practical about what actually changes your results when you’re targeting weakfish in summer on light tackle, especially in New Jersey back bays, inlets, bridges, and jetties where current and structure decide everything.  We dig into why weakfish are still listed as overfished, why the best guesses point to natural predation and changing ecology, and what that means for how we handle fish in warm water. Then we get tactical: slow retrieves, staying off the bottom, reading current seams, fishing the last of the incoming and first of the outgoing, and working shadow lines near dock lights where bigger fish often sit just outside the bright water. If you’ve ever felt that “tick” and swung too hard, we also talk paper mouths, drag settings, and the gentle hookset that lands more fish.  George shares his confidence setup, the jig head weights he carries all the way down into “freshwater gear,” why he ties direct instead of using a clip, and how counting the fall helps you dial in depth without snagging. We also touch bait options like grass shrimp and peanut bunker under a float, plus what to expect when the fall mullet and peanut bunker runs turn everything into a different game.  If you’re ready to turn random weakfish into repeatable weakfish, hit play, subscribe for more, and share this with the friend who always reels too fast. After you listen, leave a review and tell us what your go-to jig weight is when the current starts ripping. 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 78: Cuddyhunk Stripers and Exploding Korkers

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/1950037/fan_mail/new] You can’t fish new water like it’s your home beach and Cuddyhunk Island makes that crystal clear. We sit down with Kwa to replay his first trip to Cuddyhunk, Massachusetts, a ferry-only island where golf carts rule, stores are basically nonexistent, and the striped bass game is built around rocks, current, and night bites. If you’ve ever planned a fishing vacation and wondered what to bring, what you’ll forget, or how fast gear can fail, this conversation is for you. We talk through what real preparation looks like: building a packing list that covers food, backup rods, and the small stuff that saves trips. Khoa shares why wetsuits matter more than waders when you’re climbing slick rocks in the dark, why waterproof reels like Van Staal or ZBASS earn their price when you’re getting dunked, and how heavy leaders like 60-pound fluorocarbon become a smart move when every fish wants to rub you off on a boulder. There’s also the brutally honest moment when his Korkers fall apart mid-trip and there’s no shop to bail you out, plus the practical fix-it mindset that separates a ruined night from a recovered plan. Then we get into the fun part: scouting the island by golf cart, reading tides, and learning to “see” the structure at night because you studied it at low tide. We also tell the story of a daytime topwater bite that seems to vanish until a drone goes up and shows hundreds of stripers cruising right where everyone just walked. If you want better results when traveling to fish, this is the blueprint: research the terrain, listen to the experienced people, and stay flexible. If this helped, subscribe, share it with your fishing group, and leave a review so more anglers can find the show. What’s the one piece of gear you’ll never travel without? 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 77: Spring-To-Summer Saltwater Fishing Playbook with Badfish Charters OC

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/1950037/fan_mail/new] The water can be 61 near the beach, 68 a few miles off, then colder again on the next turn and that one detail changes everything. We’re in that messy spring-to-summer window where anglers either adapt fast or spend a lot of time wondering why yesterday’s “pattern” died overnight.  I’m joined by Captain Brian Williams of Badfish Charters (Ocean City, New Jersey) to break down what he’s actually seeing on the grounds right now: delayed warming, upwelling, inconsistent bait, and how those shifts ripple through back bay fishing and nearshore structure. We get tactical on fluke fishing, including when he prefers casting over jigging, how he uses the trolling motor to work small holes and edges, and a straightforward bucktail plus dropper-loop setup built around Gulp. We also dig into color, silhouette, and hook choices without the usual superstition.  Then we pivot into the tougher stuff: summer striped bass and conservation. Warm water, low dissolved oxygen, and stressed fish make catch-and-release a gamble, and we talk honestly about when to back off, how incoming tides and upwelling can change activity, and why “fish the conditions” beats fishing the calendar. We also hit sheepshead pressure and size decline, plus habitat realities like eelgrass loss and how oyster programs might be the long-term path to cleaner water.  If you fish New Jersey inlets, marshes, bridges, or back bays, this one will sharpen how you think on the water. Subscribe, share it with a fishing buddy, and leave a review if you want more practical regional breakdowns like this. Richard Natoli Real Estate [https://richardnatoli.com] Helping PA homeowners buy & sell with confidence. 267-270-1145 or NatoliRealEstate@Gmail.com 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. 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 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