Ur book really helped getting my first fluke and first saltwater fish on a lure.I went on a party boat trip and fishing was really slow with everyone using rental rods and bait.I was using a spro 1/2 oz chartruse bucktail and gulp mullet.The guys using bucktails were the only one pulling up fish while everyone had few if any fish,managed to keep a few monster sea robin(which taste suprisingly good).Close to the end of the last drift I had a hit,but it was so hard so I set the hook.It was a keeper 21''fluke with the bucktail wedged in the back of its mouth.Im hooked to using bucktails for fluke and will probably rarely use bait for fluke.So thank u for the tip,it really made the day a good day on the water.
i have just started to enter the world of flukeing, and have watched and learned alot from all your videos. and im now sure enough to start buying the gear i need to catch these tasty fish. thanx for sharing , great stuff :)
John great video thanks. This is similar to the Fluking that I am used to out of central/South Jersey. Question for you, if the party boat is telling you to use 10-12oz to hold bottom what would you do if the heaviest you have is an 8oz bucktail ?
John you are a courteous and polite party boat angler. I wish some of the guys I encountered on the jersey boats were more your speed haha! Another great video.
Again, You did very well. Nice video. Congrats! I'll go to City Island NY this Sunday, August 16, to rent a boat and try some flukes. You have nice tips for deep waters and shallow water. I don't have fish finder or something like that. Please, where my possibilities is bigger: close to the beach or deep water to get a nice Fluke? Thanks for all.
Doormats. Amazing. Your skill, patience and willing to teach remind me of my father. I watch these videos not only to learn, but to evoke fond memories of my father and I fishing.
Fantastic! John, I'm trying to get ready for the Fall run of stripers on Cape Cod. I'm looking to purchase the Penn Spinfisher LC (Long Caster) for mostly Surf applications. And maybe some Canal fishing. What two rods would you recommend for this reel in the 8' to 10' range? I'm trying to stay away from 11 footers. And thought that a Lamiglass might work well. You are more familiar & knowledgeable with their line than myself. Any recommendations? Thanks for all the great fishing videos and books too! Tight lines for everybody out here in 2015! Cheers! )
Your the Flounder Master! You ever try Zman soft plastics and Pro Cure instead of Gulp? Its much more durable with more action than gulp. Here in NC the pinfish, croaker, small blues, lizardfish ect will make short work of gulp. You can use 1 or 2 Zman Minnowz all day. I'm a bit surprised you took a party boat out when you can stay on them so good yourself but you did catch some huge flounder. What did some of them measure?
John, very cool. Nice to see this perspective as I end up doing most of my fluke fishing from party boats (Huntington and/or Captree). I frequently had issues using much lighter bucktails and will try to up the weight next time. Again, thanks for publishing this video. Howard
Great fishing John! Your videos and voice are very enjoyable without a lot of fluff......I'd much rather watch you than the fishing shows on TV! Keep up the great work! Larry
John- Once again, stellar work, great video. Always informative. Would you be willing to come back to Staten Island this Winter for another Fluke seminar? The guys are all asking to have you back again! Question- I noticed you had a rather large strip bait on your bucktail. I have tried the same with poor results, mainly the strip bait balls up around the hook, fouls and is a poor presentation. Any suggestion as to what i might be doing wrong? Lastly- I've been using your bucktail / gulp from the first day you showed us at the clubhouse. I seem to catch about 95% of my fluke on the Gulp teaser on the dropper loop. Very rarely do I catch fluke on the actual bucktail. Again- anything I could be doing incorrectly? Appreciate your help. Scott
Liker others have stated another great an informative video ,with useful information on line, lures, an poles. Have never caught anything on gulp till I tried after watching your videos an tried what was on your videos with success , thanks an keep it up.
Funny you said if you use fluke skin save the carcass for future DEC measurements yet you brought youR SEABASS back to the dock with the heads cut off for the bay constable to measure ..care to address that ...???
1973Saved If there's a fast drift in that deeper water you'd want to go to more lead and heavier tackle. I had a second heavier rod with me just in case.
Thanks for posting. I have wanted to try this method on a party boat. I think it would be more fun and productive than soaking baits on heavy, conventional boat tackle. Have you considered swapping the double handle for a power handle? I have an Abu Garcia LJ-3, which is an inshore sized reel optimized for light jigging. It came with a power handle and I am very happy with that set-up so far.
John Pendleton Hi John Pendelton - do you use the LJ-3 for fluking? Can you tell me more about it? I like the power handle feature but also want a light weight setup. thanks
Eliron O Flounder (I am way south of Mr. Skinner) jigging was my primary intention. Also for jigging anything else available (rock fish, tog, etc.). Despite the power handle and jigging bias, it cast well. I have used it for largemouth bass fishing (swim baits, Alabama rigs) and it works well for that too. Power handle + 7:1 gears makes a nice combo, IMO. Speed and torque. I have yet to land anything overly strong/big, so I can not say how it would handle 10lb + fish. I hope to find out. Amazon link: www.amazon.com/Abu-Garcia-Salty-Stage-REVO/dp/B002U28TRC Youharbor Link: www.youharbor.com/products/abu-garcia-salty-stage-revo-lj-3
+John Pendleton Does it the LJ-3 have a flipping switch similar to the Quantum Accurist? I really like that feature. Also, the price on amazon is significantly lower than I've seen anywhere is, is that a legit deal? I'm thinking about purchasing it as it looks like a sweet reel. Any other input to help with the decision?
Eliron O It does not have a flipping switch. It does have a clicker. I bought both of mine last fall on eBay for $180 each, so the price seems legit. Similar price on eBay now, but with shipping. 0 position clutch requires a half crank or more to engage, which has not been an issue for me. It does prevent sudden gear engagement when using it to cast vs. deep dropping/jigging. Seems to be built on the Revo Inshore frame, with same gear ratio.
I go off a big party boat in OC Maryland where the fish were 20 plus miles offshore and 90 to 120 feet deep. They use 8 ounces of weight and two bare hooks to put on cut bait even on pretty calm days - targeting primarily flounder but also possibly sea bass. I want to swap out their setup for my own flounder rig using your advice (I don't want sea bass), but wonder if I can use your setup in this video with two lures as you instruct here, or would it be better to a three way with 8 or 6 oz. weight and one lure? Big flounder here are 5 or 6 pounds, and I wonder if an 8 or even 6 ounce bluefrog bucktail would be too big for them to bite. Any advice on what YOU would use here would be appreciated!
tremendous catches of fluke can also be had by properly jigging well manicured strip baits fishing with mono....doesn't have to be buck tails and gulp and braid for those who prefer a more old school/traditional approach
Well I'm EXTREMELY late to this but idk it depends I like jigging bucktail for the for of it but you can still catch fluke drifting bait just not as fun and on some days jigging out produces bait
Great video John, I know the mates are there to help which is great and they are knowledgeable but sometimes when I go on party boats they act like they know everything. I use light tackle on party boats when I can as well and the mates always tell me don't pump the rod, but when i'm using a high gear ratio reel I rather not try to power that fish in on my reel but rather the same pumping motion you use to keep the wear and tear down. I also get from mates that I set the hook too fast and I am supposed to leave the bait still and motionless but with fluke I absolutely do not agree, and the evidence is true in your other video. Fluke can be down right ferocious at times, I set the hook immediately and if I miss I go right back down and start jigging 9 times out of 10 they will come back for it harder and faster than before.
carlos luna I have the smaller mold and used the smallest Gamakatsu model 604 hooks that would fit. The 1.5 ounce ended up with a 7/0. Sounds big but it's just the way they size them. The problem is with a lot of heavier bucktails is that the hook gets too big for fluke.
Hey has anyone had any luck with this in jersey? I feel like the guys that cast upcurrent do better while the other time most guys cannot donjohns method because of other people’s lines getting tangled with other people’s.
That must be fun to be there because I want to go fishing with you guys and my name is Trinity I am good at fishing I go fishing sometimes with my Dad Barry Bolton
TriniTrav We were drifting, so it is not correct that people up the boat were chumming for us. The stern has its advantages, but many partyboat sharpies prefer the bow. I would have gone for the bow but wanted to be lower to the water to shoot video.
Fantastic 2 Fishing in Shark River Inlet (under the bridge) was always a hot spot. Always fished there as a kid with my dad. At the mouth of the inlet, fishing off of the jetty was always great for catching blowfish. They were gone for a while and as of 2012, I hadn't seen them come back. Has anybody noticed if the blowfish have returned yet? They surely tasted great and were a cinch to clean, they looked like little chicken legs after they were cooked.
David Menchini lol I doubt that. but the fact that he is a good fisherman just makes it worse if he's enough invested in fishing he wrote a book I would think he would want to have better gear. when I think of shitty reels one of the first brands that comes to mind is quantum I would never buy one.
John Skinner Fishing lol if that's your reason for using it than whatever. but I would just not be lazy and turn the handle instead of relying on some silly uncommon feature.
Hey John, Congratulations on yet another successful trip. I've read all your books and learned a lot from your videos. Is that a Quantum Accurist or a Quantum Energy? Do you have any advice on what depths should be fished for fluke based on water temperature?
Remind us toLIKE! i always forget
Ur book really helped getting my first fluke and first saltwater fish on a lure.I went on a party boat trip and fishing was really slow with everyone using rental rods and bait.I was using a spro 1/2 oz chartruse bucktail and gulp mullet.The guys using bucktails were the only one pulling up fish while everyone had few if any fish,managed to keep a few monster sea robin(which taste suprisingly good).Close to the end of the last drift I had a hit,but it was so hard so I set the hook.It was a keeper 21''fluke with the bucktail wedged in the back of its mouth.Im hooked to using bucktails for fluke and will probably rarely use bait for fluke.So thank u for the tip,it really made the day a good day on the water.
Very professional John, thank you. Not like some idiots that start screaming about their line
i have just started to enter the world of flukeing, and have watched and learned alot from all your videos. and im now sure enough to start buying the gear i need to catch these tasty fish. thanx for sharing , great stuff :)
Very nice as always! Keep up the good videos!
Mr Skinner you are the best thank you for making these videos
John great video thanks. This is similar to the Fluking that I am used to out of central/South Jersey. Question for you, if the party boat is telling you to use 10-12oz to hold bottom what would you do if the heaviest you have is an 8oz bucktail ?
John you are a courteous and polite party boat angler. I wish some of the guys I encountered on the jersey boats were more your speed haha! Another great video.
Nice catch
Would that Tsunami rod have handled the larger 8 to 10 Oz lead if need be?
Nice videos
Again, You did very well. Nice video. Congrats! I'll go to City Island NY this Sunday, August 16, to rent a boat and try some flukes. You have nice tips for deep waters and shallow water. I don't have fish finder or something like that. Please, where my possibilities is bigger: close to the beach or deep water to get a nice Fluke? Thanks for all.
great video, thanks for sharing
Doormats. Amazing. Your skill, patience and willing to teach remind me of my father. I watch these videos not only to learn, but to evoke fond memories of my father and I fishing.
Great day of fishing and really nice fish! Thanks for sharing with us! W
Fantastic! John, I'm trying to get ready for the Fall run of stripers on Cape Cod. I'm looking to purchase the Penn Spinfisher LC (Long Caster) for mostly Surf applications. And maybe some Canal fishing. What two rods would you recommend for this reel in the 8' to 10' range? I'm trying to stay away from 11 footers. And thought that a Lamiglass might work well. You are more familiar & knowledgeable with their line than myself. Any recommendations? Thanks for all the great fishing videos and books too! Tight lines for everybody out here in 2015! Cheers! )
That is a kid of fishing that I would love to do.
Chears from Portugal
Your the Flounder Master! You ever try Zman soft plastics and Pro Cure instead of Gulp? Its much more durable with more action than gulp. Here in NC the pinfish, croaker, small blues, lizardfish ect will make short work of gulp. You can use 1 or 2 Zman Minnowz all day. I'm a bit surprised you took a party boat out when you can stay on them so good yourself but you did catch some huge flounder. What did some of them measure?
hampton lady is the best boat ever great captain and crew....pretty much only fish with Jimmy now
John, very cool. Nice to see this perspective as I end up doing most of my fluke fishing from party boats (Huntington and/or Captree). I frequently had issues using much lighter bucktails and will try to up the weight next time. Again, thanks for publishing this video. Howard
Great fishing John! Your videos and voice are very enjoyable without a lot of fluff......I'd much rather watch you than the fishing shows on TV! Keep up the great work!
Larry
Great video, very nice fluke on the still picture
How big was the last fish
Partyboat fishing out of New London for fluke in the Sound, I have visited Heaven!
Awesome videos John. I am opting for you're book. I feel that I have become a better informed fisherman already and am learning from a Master.
John- Once again, stellar work, great video. Always informative. Would you be willing to come back to Staten Island this Winter for another Fluke seminar? The guys are all asking to have you back again!
Question- I noticed you had a rather large strip bait on your bucktail. I have tried the same with poor results, mainly the strip bait balls up around the hook, fouls and is a poor presentation.
Any suggestion as to what i might be doing wrong?
Lastly- I've been using your bucktail / gulp from the first day you showed us at the clubhouse. I seem to catch about 95% of my fluke on the Gulp teaser on the dropper loop. Very rarely do I catch fluke on the actual bucktail. Again- anything I could be doing incorrectly?
Appreciate your help.
Scott
Liker others have stated another great an informative video ,with useful information on line, lures, an poles. Have never caught anything on gulp till I tried after watching your videos an tried what was on your videos with success , thanks an keep it up.
A party boat? John, say it ain't so! Tell me you haven't gone over to the Dark Side. ;)
John I can't tell if you use sinker weights. Every boat I've been on in NJ uses weights. Do I need one if I use your method?
Great trip, John. Does the Hampton Lady offer 1/2 day and full-day trips... and what is the price? Thanks from Louisiana.
John Echterhoff half-day on weekends. This was a fullday trip that cost me $85 (before pool and tip).
That's very reasonable!!
Funny you said if you use fluke skin save the carcass for future DEC measurements yet you brought youR SEABASS back to the dock with the heads cut off for the bay constable to measure ..care to address that ...???
The heads were on. They were cut across the gills to bleed out.
What about during a faster drift using 6-10 oz jigs, can you still jig them? Thanks.
1973Saved If there's a fast drift in that deeper water you'd want to go to more lead and heavier tackle. I had a second heavier rod with me just in case.
What's your recommended rod/reel set up for faster drifts?
Butter...butter...slip
Thanks for posting. I have wanted to try this method on a party boat. I think it would be more fun and productive than soaking baits on heavy, conventional boat tackle.
Have you considered swapping the double handle for a power handle? I have an Abu Garcia LJ-3, which is an inshore sized reel optimized for light jigging. It came with a power handle and I am very happy with that set-up so far.
John Pendleton
Hi John Pendelton - do you use the LJ-3 for fluking? Can you tell me more about it? I like the power handle feature but also want a light weight setup. thanks
Eliron O
Flounder (I am way south of Mr. Skinner) jigging was my primary intention. Also for jigging anything else available (rock fish, tog, etc.). Despite the power handle and jigging bias, it cast well. I have used it for largemouth bass fishing (swim baits, Alabama rigs) and it works well for that too. Power handle + 7:1 gears makes a nice combo, IMO. Speed and torque. I have yet to land anything overly strong/big, so I can not say how it would handle 10lb + fish. I hope to find out.
Amazon link: www.amazon.com/Abu-Garcia-Salty-Stage-REVO/dp/B002U28TRC
Youharbor Link: www.youharbor.com/products/abu-garcia-salty-stage-revo-lj-3
+John Pendleton
Does it the LJ-3 have a flipping switch similar to the Quantum Accurist? I really like that feature.
Also, the price on amazon is significantly lower than I've seen anywhere is, is that a legit deal?
I'm thinking about purchasing it as it looks like a sweet reel. Any other input to help with the decision?
Eliron O
It does not have a flipping switch. It does have a clicker.
I bought both of mine last fall on eBay for $180 each, so the price seems legit. Similar price on eBay now, but with shipping.
0 position clutch requires a half crank or more to engage, which has not been an issue for me. It does prevent sudden gear engagement when using it to cast vs. deep dropping/jigging.
Seems to be built on the Revo Inshore frame, with same gear ratio.
Fishing in the stern corner, best spot on a boat
John we have to go fishing on the Hampton lady. I've gone multiple times and I fish were you fish lets meet up and do some flukin' next summer
Hey John, love your videos. Going to be in Long Island around the Captree area, recommend any headboats for flukes?
Man, i would love to go on a fishing trip with you!
I go off a big party boat in OC Maryland where the fish were 20 plus miles offshore and 90 to 120 feet deep. They use 8 ounces of weight and two bare hooks to put on cut bait even on pretty calm days - targeting primarily flounder but also possibly sea bass. I want to swap out their setup for my own flounder rig using your advice (I don't want sea bass), but wonder if I can use your setup in this video with two lures as you instruct here, or would it be better to a three way with 8 or 6 oz. weight and one lure? Big flounder here are 5 or 6 pounds, and I wonder if an 8 or even 6 ounce bluefrog bucktail would be too big for them to bite. Any advice on what YOU would use here would be appreciated!
+dmger14 If you're using 8 ounces on 30#braid, you'll almost certainly be fine with a 6-ounce bluefrog or spro on 20# braid. The thin line is the key.
Thanks!
+dmger14 Haha that's cool I have fished there too!
Lol I went on that boat when I was in ocean city. The rods are way to heavy for fluke! You could catch a shark on that. And 40lb test lmao
Are they still as good to eat in the larger sizes?
Dude, what a trip!
Hey john, great video. Are you feeling for bottom with every motion of the rapid jigging?
bklyncg No, but touching occasionally to make sure I'm close.
What ounce bucktail is it and what feet of water
2.5, 85
Awesome video as always! The audio is much better on the narration, is it a new microphone?
***** Yes. If you're the guy who suggested it, then thanks.
I never suggested it, I always thought it sounded fine. Now, even better. Great videos. The fluke at the end was a doormat! :)
tremendous catches of fluke can also be had by properly jigging well manicured strip baits fishing with mono....doesn't have to be buck tails and gulp and braid for those who prefer a more old school/traditional approach
Well I'm EXTREMELY late to this but idk it depends I like jigging bucktail for the for of it but you can still catch fluke drifting bait just not as fun and on some days jigging out produces bait
How big was the fluke in the still picture?
If I am fishing off of a jet ski in the bay what ounce should I use?
have you ever a time run into a situation going out on a kayak and the fluke just wont hit the gulp?
When your on a charter do you prefer fish in the front or the back of the boat?
John how do you stay in contact with the jig with rapid jigging. I'm always getting slack on the party boat?
Duck Island Thin line and a sensitive rod are the keys. I could easily feel the jig even in deep water.
What action is the rod u are using it looks so awesome
Thanks
Hi John, Did you choose your placement on the boat? Stern vs bow? Any preference? thanks.
That you caught
how does a 3 ounce hold in 80 feet of water??
Probably not much current. In NJ you'd need probably 6-8 oz at least.
Great video John, I know the mates are there to help which is great and they are knowledgeable but sometimes when I go on party boats they act like they know everything. I use light tackle on party boats when I can as well and the mates always tell me don't pump the rod, but when i'm using a high gear ratio reel I rather not try to power that fish in on my reel but rather the same pumping motion you use to keep the wear and tear down. I also get from mates that I set the hook too fast and I am supposed to leave the bait still and motionless but with fluke I absolutely do not agree, and the evidence is true in your other video. Fluke can be down right ferocious at times, I set the hook immediately and if I miss I go right back down and start jigging 9 times out of 10 they will come back for it harder and faster than before.
beast mode 🔛
How big we're the fish
Where can I buy that fishing pole? and how much would expect it to cost?
ejrocks10 Tsunami TSAWIC-661HF $130
How many fish were caught on the dropper loop gulp?
Hey John! Is 10-20 medium heavy rod and a baitcaster with 30 pound braid fine for that? (The rod is pretty stiff)
Yeah puss 30-pound braid is much too heavy for the 10-20 pound baitcaster that I use. You want as thin a line as possible. I use 15.
Okay, and also would a diawa lexa HD 300 be a good reel?
do you think that vertical jigging on the ocean side out of Jones beach will work for fluke?
Artie Bellini Yes. I'm on the ocean side of Shinnecock in this vid.
+John Skinner Fishing can rapid vertical jigging work with spinning reels?
+Artie Bellini yes
thank you for your help
hey john i make my own bucktails and have the spro mold for the 3oz jig you using do you know what size hook it is thanks
carlos luna I have the smaller mold and used the smallest Gamakatsu model 604 hooks that would fit. The 1.5 ounce ended up with a 7/0. Sounds big but it's just the way they size them. The problem is with a lot of heavier bucktails is that the hook gets too big for fluke.
+John Skinner Fishing thanks for the tip great video watching you got me to do my own bucktails it feels good catchinh fish with your own creations
Hey has anyone had any luck with this in jersey? I feel like the guys that cast upcurrent do better while the other time most guys cannot donjohns method because of other people’s lines getting tangled with other people’s.
From August on this summer..... this method was very productive for me. Lot of decent fish ranging 5-7lbs were pulled up
Hey John, I have a ton of snapper bluefish and I've heard they might work as fluke bait... Do u think they'll work?
Did they provide the rods or did you have to bring your own
Where are you fishing
with the amount of fish you catch, you should just go on party boats all the time and win the boat pool! Hustle the boats lol your a master fisherman
CS91 Never thought about that. He could probably make a ton of cash winning the pool every time lol
What is a Boat Pool?
Robin Hoskins everyone on the boat throws in an extra $5, and whoever gets the biggest fish gets all that money.
That must be fun to be there because I want to go fishing with you guys and my name is Trinity I am good at fishing I go fishing sometimes with my Dad Barry Bolton
I doubt he will win every time on a party boat too many people reduces his chances
John nice video as always. Is that bucktail you are using have a swing hook?
Andrew Reichel yes
John could you give me the model number of the rod. I wasn't sure which one you were using.
What is the biggest Fluke you have ever caught
What rod and reel is that and where can I buy it
who in the heck dislikes a fishing video....
Where were you fishing? Long Island Sound?
The boat is called the hamton lady in shinocock
Nice, thank you. I fish L.I. sound a lot. Boat from Connecticut. That looks like some really good fluke fishing.
do you change the speed of your jigging at all? colder water, eariler in the season? faster or slower drift?
thanks
Is the back usually the best spot on the boat?
TriniTrav Yes, because the boat is always headed into the tide/current so the folks on the sides are effectively chumming for everyone on the stern.
+tolpacourt thanks
TriniTrav We were drifting, so it is not correct that people up the boat were chumming for us. The stern has its advantages, but many partyboat sharpies prefer the bow. I would have gone for the bow but wanted to be lower to the water to shoot video.
Does the blue frog bucktail have a swing hook?
Yes.
Do you know of any good fishing piers for fluke in NJ?
Mantoloking bridge
There's a bridge connecting Avon and Belmar like off of 1 ave go there I went there and caught 6 fluke in 1 and 30 hrs
longport
Fantastic 2 Fishing in Shark River Inlet (under the bridge) was always a hot spot. Always fished there as a kid with my dad. At the mouth of the inlet, fishing off of the jetty was always great for catching blowfish. They were gone for a while and as of 2012, I hadn't seen them come back. Has anybody noticed if the blowfish have returned yet? They surely tasted great and were a cinch to clean, they looked like little chicken legs after they were cooked.
can I have one of your reel
Lol you have 100000 subs and you use a quantum reel and a tsunami rod. you should upgrade bud
McEnroe could beat almost anyone in tennis with a frying pan. Skinner could out fish almost anyone with a broomstick and some dental floss.
David Menchini lol I doubt that. but the fact that he is a good fisherman just makes it worse if he's enough invested in fishing he wrote a book I would think he would want to have better gear. when I think of shitty reels one of the first brands that comes to mind is quantum I would never buy one.
Let me know what other baitcasting reel has a flipping switch and I'll consider it. Until then, the Quantum Accurist is a solid reel.
John Skinner Fishing lol if that's your reason for using it than whatever. but I would just not be lazy and turn the handle instead of relying on some silly uncommon feature.
👍
Hey John, Congratulations on yet another successful trip. I've read all your books and learned a lot from your videos. Is that a Quantum Accurist or a Quantum Energy? Do you have any advice on what depths should be fished for fluke based on water temperature?
Francis Kasprzak Accurist.