Fat Dad Fishing Show

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

EP 71: Sod Bank Striper 101 with Chris Matuson

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/1950037/fan_mail/new] Striped bass aren’t magic, and they aren’t just “there or not there.” We’re bringing back a favorite throwback conversation with Chris Matuson to lay out a practical, boots-on-the-ground playbook for sod bank fishing and surf fishing that actually translates into more hookups from shore. If you’ve ever stood on a beach or a bank for hours wondering why nothing happens, this is the mindset shift: find the structure, pick the real window, and fish with intention. We talk through how to read a sod bank like a trout stream, where bass stage on outgoing tides, and why tiny changes in current, depth, and casting angle can be the difference between watching fish feed and actually connecting. Chris shares why he stays artificial-only for striped bass, why topwater is his first move for much of the season, and how larger-profile plugs like the Yo-Zuri Hydro Minnow and a properly worked Spook can turn finicky fish into violent strikes. We also get into surf structure, troughs and rips, and how to target the “one stretch that looks different” when the rest of the beach feels dead. Then we zoom out to the hard stuff: back bay pressure, spot burning, poaching, and why conservation and access go hand-in-hand for land-based anglers. If you care about striper fishing in New Jersey and beyond, you’ll leave with clearer rules for tides, wind, moon phase, bait presence, and ethical decisions that protect the fishery. Subscribe, share this with a fishing buddy, and leave a review with your best “short window” striper lesson. 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 70: 2026 Fluke Pre-Season Show with Capt. John Halkias

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/1950037/fan_mail/new] Fluke season is rolling in, and we can feel that annual shift from “waiting it out” to “get me on the water.” I’m Rich Natoli, and Captain John Halkius joins me for a fast, practical talk on early-season fluke fishing that’s built around what anglers actually deal with: cold water, inconsistent bait, and a fishery that can look totally different depending on where you launch. We dig into why some areas that once lit up with spring fluke now feel slower, including what we’re seeing around Peconic Bay and Shinnecock and how offshore pressure could ripple into inshore spring fishing. From there we get tactical. We talk structure that holds fluke early, why shallow sun-warmed water can be a huge advantage in back bays and marsh edges, and how deeper ledges can stay colder but still produce when conditions line up. Then we get into the meat of the fluke playbook: bucktail and teaser setups, why Gulp (especially shrimp and jerk shads) keeps beating natural baits for efficiency, and the confidence colors we reach for like white, new penny, glow white, and a few sleeper picks. We also cover the stuff nobody brags about, like sea bass shredding tails, skates that feel like a trophy fluke for 30 seconds, and small tweaks that help you keep fishing instead of constantly re-rigging. If you’re gearing up for opening day and want a smarter starting plan, hit play, subscribe for the opening week recap, and share this with your fishing crew. After you listen, leave a review and tell us: are you starting shallow or deep 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