Best Big Fluke (Flounder) Fishing in Years - After One Small Change!

Phenomenal average size of Summer Flounder (Fluke) on this fishing trip. Gulp color mattered. Never give up. Keep making small changes. Supports my new book, Fishing the Edge - Techniques and Tales from Surf, Boat, and Kayak: amzn.to/3TQtFvq.
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[@robertgerber2533]

That winter flounder is a good sign. Would love to see that fishery come back.

[@chrisgallagher3703]

Man I'm loving Rick's Boat !! " STEAL SHARK " ...Awesome Fellas as always!!

[@antidk1084]

It’s a great day when Skinner uploads

[@robertgerber2533]

You guys do everything right. You got all the bases covered. What a pleasure fishing that way. That boat is awesome.

[@gregdietz5192]

Don’t be cutting off the “That’s what she said” 😂

[@somphatphaisan6270]

If it was j&h he’d left it in but this guy don’t promote that haha

[@Tommy.OrginalvideosPhilly]

Hell of a showing. Way to fish skinner! Slow start but epic close.

[@Lauranyyfan]

Great fishing!!💜

[@charmainevandiford6622]

You stayed busy at start before the. salmon change. But that is what it’s all about. Finding what they want. If I went on a boat you was on I would just use what ever Skinner is using. Want work every time but will work most of the time. Great trip John.

[@ReelTimeCapt]

Congrats and WTG, fellas!!!

[@ejrocks10]

Amazing content as always

[@jameshill8548]

Way to go! You guys make it look so easy. 😂

[@JoseSilveira-newhandleforYT]

Another great fishing trip! I envy you guys 🙂

[@frankr9194]

Nice job, John! That's great!!! I haven't had a ton of hits off the beach with the Berkley Gulp 4" chartreuse mullet. I bought 5" Gulp salmon red grubs to try this week!! The Gulp Shrimp as a teaser is still crushing it on the NJ surf. I tried switching the teaser to a 4" chartreuse gulp mullet, and the bites slowed down tremendously. It's fun changing things up and seeing differences. Good luck out there, John!

[@jamesps7515]

I lost the fish of a life time about 3/4 of the way up yesterday in a tournament. On a skinner rod, peeling drag off my diawa lexa, hitting the hydro brakes rod was bent in half with the most aggressive head shakes I’ve ever felt, I was sick to my stomach it’ll haunt me for a really long time.

[@JohnSkinnerFishing]

Sorry to hear that. I lost one three trips ago that still annoys me.

[@christopherj9494]

😂😅 John goes from being net boy to...😂💥💥

[@LongIslandLethals]

This is what we did today and had a great day. 18 keepers to almost 8 pounds. No monsters like you though yet. I'll keep working lol

[@juanrodriguez-mu7ko]

Man wish I could fish with you guys and johnnie boy nice fishing skinner🎣🎣🎣

[@googeelou]

Enjoy all of your videos Mr. Skinner but especially those when your on the Blu J .

[@user-gt7vk9oq8l]

Very beautiful fish 👍👍🔝🔝🇬🇷🇬🇷

[@donmeola5862]

Wow! What a great day of fishing! 🎣 Dream trip for sure. Nice to see quality in quantity! You guys are the pounders of flounders! 😂

[@johnlanigan4130]

That drift was all you John, congratulations!

[@mikeknottscreek8183]

Geez...you guys crushed it that day. So many big fish!

[@BorodenTV]

Nice video. I remember too when those flounders paved the bottom. To me it didn’t seem gradual. Maybe I didn’t notice the signs, but it seems like a steep decline very rapidly. I grew up fishing Merrick Bay, Long Island.

[@FishingwithBrewski]

Did you know that all of the "NC caught" flounder are actually being caught in New York and Jersey? Our trawl fleet is going up there and raping waters off of you guys. I know it's federal waters but it just don't sit well with me. They've wiped out our flounder to the point that we have a 14 days season and then they just move elsewhere. Not opposed to commercial fishing in general but the trawls just kill way too much to justify what they're doing.

[@OCBeachLife]

I have seen many good fish spit the hook. I like flounder hooks because they almost ensure a hook set and the fish sets the hook themselves. I noticed a lot of bucktails use standard hooks, so I have just started bending the hook tip in slightly with some pliers and it seems to help keep flukes from spitting the hook so easily. Just a tip from an amateur angler........

[@franmonaghan57]

Another great trip. Any info on the boat looks really well setup

[@fhorst41]

After watching this, and given my poor luck in Montauk in June, I'm very jealous. Those were some great fish.

[@HWCism]

Another great day on the water! 🥳

[@theresafitzgerald4114]

Good grief what a great day. Only thing missing was a double-digit, but that's me being nitpicky lol...

[@vipergeddy]

Now this video title should be baby halibuts omg john great video

[@jasontownsend1985]

Hey John, i just heard that Stan will be making bucktails once again so thats good. What pound test are you using while fishing for fluke? Thanks

[@patrickgregory1078]

I remember the great south bay carpeted with winter flounder in the 70s you could catch 50to60 in an hour! And seven blowfish following it up!That all ended with lawn doctor,Chem lawn and all the bulkhead that was put up!

[@jamesps7515]

I work at a wastewater treatment facility and I’ll guarantee you it wasnt the lawn doctor or other lawn chemicals. It’s the amount of untreated shit going into the water and I mean millions of gallons. NYC alone has 500 million gallons of sewage a day. Nj right over the border also does 500 million gallons a day the plant right in the raritan bay does 200-300 million. everyone contributed by default. If you shower, piss, shit, brush your teeth you’re contributing to the water pollution. In the raritan bay you can see the pipe line area shoots right out by the great beds light house. I’m sure a bit of lawn care chemicals washing in from the rain doesn’t help but it’s far more than just that.

[@richardkenae459]

very true i used to fish the islip area and the hecksher flats

[@tommyo8068]

Epic drifts…

[@Noneedy]

John just curious. Why the aluminum boats most times?

[@Dill0n1]

I was wondering what line do you use? just braid?

[@user-dc9bq1nn9n]

you mentioned you used to use a boat ramp near baiting hollow, where is it? is there one at the shoreham power plant. The only one I know of is in mattituck which would be further east. thanks

[@JohnSkinnerFishing]

It wasn't a ramp. We had modified trailers and used 4x4s to launch and retrieve from a dead-end road directly into the sound. I think that parking is gone now.

[@adamaguado272]

Definitely not a dookie day! Nice job fellas! 🎣🐟🎣🐟

[@dalehawk6865]

Is there a chance you could do a video on how to master the Rick set?

[@paulthomas4173]

Awesome trip thanks for sharing. What kind of boat is that?

[@JohnSkinnerFishing]

32 ft metal shark fearless

[@williereuter6191]

Hey john what do you guys use for the recharge juice?

[@JohnSkinnerFishing]

Gulp sells recharge juice.

[@brianrichter578]

Hi John. do you prefer synthetic hair on a bucktail or Natural? Great videos.

[@JohnSkinnerFishing]

A slight preference of synthetic for fluke. Real for everything else.

[@raj14222]

Hey John, question for you on the swing hook bucktail. What’s your primary reason for using those over a fixed hook bucktail? Is it primarily related to action? I’m considering switching to a swing hook style for a very different reason. I seem to be losing a lot of my larger fluke with the fixed hook style, and I imagine the swing hook style would be able to absorb a lot more of the violent head shakes and keep those bigger fish from tossing a 4 oz piece of lead?

[@JohnSkinnerFishing]

#1 - more action as compared to fixed hook jigs, especially when using >3 ounces, #2 - much harder for a big fluke to shake off, #3 - I can change the hooks after they get beat up in the rocks.

[@JesusRodriguez-mp3pt]

my fluke team all use john skinner dark matter rods we love them we got 2 and 3 in tournaments going for 1 we hope aug 5 weekend

[@JohnSkinnerFishing]

That's awesome! Thanks for sharing that and thanks for your support!

[@user-wg4lr7wu5u]

Love the video Mr. Skinner! I've been fishing the back bays around freeport recently, fluke bite has been hit or miss. Have you ever tried using a single bucktail instead of the teaser/bucktail combo? I have had some success over the years using a white 1/2oz bucktail w/ no teaser, but wonder what your thoughts are on it!

[@JohnSkinnerFishing]

I just don't like it. I much rather offer the fish something extra.

[@user-wg4lr7wu5u]

I figured! Thank you for your input! your videos have helped me a ton in recent years! got on some blitzes yesterday evening, was a blast! hope you get on some doormats soon :)

[@duffmeister6480]

Is the water clear of all the floating logs ? Thursday the sound was a mess with it. Thanks.

[@JohnSkinnerFishing]

Plenty logs.

[@RayA-rt6tp]

Hey John...one of the commenters below said that Stan of S&S Bucktails is making them again. True?

[@passissmokes1034]

Hey John what size gulp do you normally use for Fluke on boats? I see you have listed 6inches is that the usual size you prefer? Also do you use the same size for the teaser as well?

[@JohnSkinnerFishing]

I use 4'' in LI Sound and in shallow bays and 6'' everywhere else.

[@passissmokes1034]

@@JohnSkinnerFishing Hey thank you very much for clearing that up for me.

[@tomterrific2018]

John been fluke fishin inshore from my kayak…2 oz is heaviest I use…next year planning to get on some ocean montauk fluke boats. What range weight do you use ? Will your heavy fluke rod cover it ?

[@JohnSkinnerFishing]

My fluke rod, bit.ly/3QsR6ch, has a 2-6 ounce weight range and was designed for that. You'll need 3- to 6-ounce bucktails.

[@ATC235]

Do u bring the 2 different fluke rods just in case you have to use heavy weights? Also what reel do you have on the heavier rod? Thank you

[@JohnSkinnerFishing]

This rod covers 1.5-6 ounces easily and can go to 8+ if needed. I haven't needed more than 6 ounces in several years.

[@Alan-zn5jr]

What is your opinion on using 5-6" gulp in 15' of water , on bucktails 1oz or less in the bays from a kayak . Will the gulp baits be too big ?

[@JohnSkinnerFishing]

I'd use 4''.

[@johntuttle9544]

I'm going with its a stretch to say the Salmon color was what it was all about. Humans way over estimate color as that's what we use to hunt. There is zero statistical evidence with real power that fish hunt by one color to the exception of others on a given day. Down in the deep Salmon is closer to gray anyways. Use your camera some day to "see" how little difference the colors appear to have at the depths and clarity you commonly fish. When the bite turns on for us we convince ourselves that it was a particular color lure so we can claim understanding. Fact of the matter, we don't have a clear idea why the bite turned on. You'd need hundreds of hours with the fisherman fishing side by side "blinded" to what color they were using to control for just some of the factors and collect real data. Regardless, thank you very much for the content! You definitely had the hot stick there for a good streak.

[@jbones2422]

Hey John is your buddy in the other boat at the beginning “jigging jerks”? I’d love to charter with him is he out of greenport?

[@JohnSkinnerFishing]

Yes. And yes, greenport.

[@1BigMistakee]

What's a boat like that cost?

[@johnfishing2195]

I like fishing

[@DHSFEMA]

Gunnna have to get a bigger net lol

[@michaelfoley1966]

I caught the “that’s what she….”😂😂

[@yagottabelieve5116]

Even getting skunked on gulp this year. Not great with spearing/squid but noticeable better.. How often do you change out your gulp? Do you use there recharge products in your container, or just the juice from the bag?

[@anglerissues2309]

Quality and quantity, I’ve been dodging debris just to get out. 👍

[@davidkuperschmid5274]

Just curious.. you remember the water temp? Was 80 degrees in Gardiners at 5 pm last night.

[@JohnSkinnerFishing]

74 ish

[@tmik7864]

How many mackerel did you guys catch that day john ?

[@JohnSkinnerFishing]

1

[@leeheckrote9923]

Hi what water depth are you fishing average.

[@JohnSkinnerFishing]

75'

[@user-ug4ge9vv6s]

beautiful job! why do you keep grabbing the stern net to bring it foward when there is already a bow net at the bow? Just an observation

[@JohnSkinnerFishing]

Because it's there.

[@user-ug4ge9vv6s]

@@JohnSkinnerFishing lol

[@clementgoetke2385]

where was this?

[@Fluke17]

What lb braid do you use

[@JohnSkinnerFishing]

15

[@Fluke17]

@@JohnSkinnerFishing I am on the star now it’s kind of slow

[@Well_Edumacated]

do you guys even throw any big ones back?

[@JohnSkinnerFishing]

We never keep anything over 10#.

[@dylanvanbuskirk926]

what is his charter name. I would love to try getting out there

[@paulthomas4173]

Interested in this as well!

[@JohnSkinnerFishing]

justfishinglongisland.com

[@fishin4life]

Who makes that boat and can I get one built ?

[@JohnSkinnerFishing]

Metal Shark Fearless 32

[@1996xela]

Any surfcasting for big bass videos in the pipeline?

[@chazbickel4518]

John, Why dont you guys net your own fish?

[@davidkuperschmid5274]

That last line about draggers is so true... you know that commercial guys can keep flounder as small as 11 inches and can take 420 lbs daily? Do the math and one can understand why there are no fluke in the bays.

[@flukekiller1882]

Start putting em on the ruler

[@RichardErickson-fp2wg]

Can I have your autograph John

[@comfortablynumb9342]

I see why I'm not catching flounder in the Chesapeake, y'all are calling them fluke and keeping them up there apparently. 😂 I just got my first kayak so I can get away from the piers. On my maiden voyage I caught the target species, a flounder. But it was way too small. That's okay, I had never been kayaking before and I went alone. No problem. I stayed close to the ramp. The fish I caught ate a Gulp jerk shad on a strange weedless hook made for bass with a swinging weight. I need a weedless rig for the sea grass. I'd be interested to see how you deal with floating weeds and seaweed on the bottom when you fish shallow water. Might make a good video for others too. Thanks for all the stuff you've taught me. I feel like if I can get near flatfish I'll be better at catching them because of your help. I'm told that the fish are in deeper water now around the artificial reefs and wrecks, so I got the yak. I'll get on them.

[@TamponTea]

fluke love structure, steep banks and creek mouths. i try to avoid grassy aeras at all cost. use the lightest bank sinker on the bottom and 18in up a teaser with 4in gulp mullet. i cast all my sinkers and bucktails myself and have 10 colors to choose from. i usual start with white and then move to orange then yellow then to blue if there not biting. i catch my limit of 4 every time and there all 20in and up. use a 7-8ft mh fast action rod rated 3/4 - 1.5 oz with 10 lb braid on a 2500 reel. use a 4-5 foot fluro leader. im eastern LI hope this helps you.

[@malcolmcook2213]

big ass fishlol

[@ragnarragnarsson3128]

First

[@jpstanton3223]

Do you and your buddies ever get sick of eating flounder sandwiches????

[@JohnSkinnerFishing]

no

[@younglink6863]

made sure to dip the gulp in the juice before you get the net i fuckin love it lol