Fluke season 2015

[cowherder]

I'm psyched! Heard and seen some decent fluke pics already on some of the boats where the season opened already. Saw some fluke from the montauk boats. Anyone else excited? blazing420 already got a nice one. Or do you think the water in the surf is still too cold yet to catch a bunch.

[porgy75]

I am pumped too. Hope we see a lot of flatties this year and there are more keepers than shorts. I know thats an impossible dream but it would be nice.

[hookedonbass]

Yes good luck to all and may we all get a chance for some fried fluke sandwiches!

[buckethead]

You're better off near the back bays or inlets where the water is warmer. Fluke come into the bottoms of the various rivers this time of year. Find an area with shallow flats that has a river nearby and you should find some fluke.

[lostatsea]

My Uncle was on the afternoon trip of a Atlantic highlands party boat and he said the boat was railed and no keepers. I haven't started fluking yet but the start seems not so great.

[cowherder]

A buddy went on a raritan bay pb yesteday and said the same thing. Maybe too early yet. I heard they were doing better down a few inlets.

[jigfreak]

Water too cold. This S and SE wind is bad too and kills any chance of consistent bite as well.

[VSdreams]

Thanks guys. Question - when it is cold do you think it matters if you use gulp or killies? Will live bait make them more likely to hit?

[plugcrazy]

I like killies the first few weeks of the season but sometimes you can't get them unless you trap them yourself. Chartreuse gulp has been money for me when fluking. If you are using chartreuse and not catching any keepers I would assume they are just not there.

[J Barbosa]

1 really nice keeper on Friday off the yak about 5-6lbs....will upload pic another time.

Fluke skunk yesterday off the boat

few shorts and 1 keeper between 2 of us today on the boat....and a sea robin blitz.

water is still cold...you can feel it when you bring up your bucktail or a fluke it feels like they are freezing.

[storminsteve]

Good job JB.I didn't start fluking yet but have only seen a few small ones caught from the surf. what did you get that big fluke on, bait or gulp?

[buckethead]

I agree I think the water is cold in some areas. That's why the backbay flats are good. Flats in the back of a river near channel edges are good. You will also hear of some better action toward the end of the day. That's no accident. Water temps in these areas can vary as much as 5-8 degrees from sunrise to end of day. That's comparing the temps on the flats to the bottom of the river or channel. If I were fluke fishing now I would try to be aware of that. Good luck to all. Nice fish jbarbosa. A 6lb fish this time of year is a good catch.

[porgy75]

thanks for all your advice bucket head. I have learned a lot reading your posts over the years.

[buckethead]

You're quite welcome.

[porgy75]

Well maybe there is at least one big fluke around. The atlantic star got a 14 pounder on may 25.

[Blazin420]

Was out yesterday on a buddys boat we fished all around the back and tried a spot down the beach by the Hook ...Slim pickings...I managed 5 shorts and had 1 pop off at that boat that was close...But the action was VERY slow...The other 2 guys i was with only had 3 combined..They just werent there in any numbers...Finished the day jigging up some 10lb blues...Was a bit disappointed with the fluke results...I dont think that S wind was/is helping anything!....Couple more bass trips to the beach then ill switch gears to the flatties..

[J Barbosa]

Good job JB.I didn't start fluking yet but have only seen a few small ones caught from the surf. what did you get that big fluke on, bait or gulp?


Gulp/Bucktail combo

Tried killies but didn't really get any love on them which is weird I usually do better on killies early in the season?

Fluke seem to be on the same pattern as last year...shrimp

I didn't weigh the fluke but I am pretty sure he is around 6lbs....54QT cooler.

http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=19384&stc=1http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=19385&stc=1

[cowherder]

NICE fluke dude that's a fattie!

[Blazin420]

2 of the fluke i got yesterday spit up shrimp....Nice 1 dude!

[baitstealer]

Yeah that is def a beauty. Nice going!

[baitstealer]

question - it seems the jersey fluking is slow and they are catching bigger fish in long island and over that way. here is a 31 incher a guy got from a jetty over there. My biggest fluke from an inlet jetty went 21" the fluke in this pic is huge! He got it on a plain bucktail no gulp.

Does anyone know why it seems to be better for them over there right now? thanks guys

[porgy75]

Wow that is a giant fluke! don't usually see them till the summer. thanks for posting shes a beautiful fish.

[J Barbosa]

I think this is the slowest start to a fluke season I can ever remember. I've got two keepers for two trips and my brother has two keepers in one trip (he got no shorts that trip). I know of one good report from my buddy Rui who got 4 keepers in one trip. He went back to the same exact spot a week later and caught 0 fluke. Whats scary is the lack of shorts! I've caught less than a dozen fluke total in both trips. Usually I am at a 20 or 50 to 1 keeper ratio.

http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=19411&stc=1

[surfstix1963]

We usually get bigger fluke early in the season then we have to pick through shorts for the rest of the season.

[fishinmission78]

^^^^^ Bingo I think it's the same for a lot of places. The big ones come in early and depending on the water temperature if they are active or not. The fleet starts fishing for them hard and every day you hear of a few big ones. Once pressure increases the harvest increases and then you hear of a lot of shorts until they doormats start arriving from offshore in June or July. Its the same thing with seabass as well. Opening week of seabass season you hear of a lot of larger humpbacks caught. 2 weeks later its slim pickins because the fleet has fished most of the good holes.
For anyone whos interested there has been some decent fluking near the channels back side of Barnegat Bay this year. A few friends have been out and doing ok with a few keepers. It seems like a better year in the bay for them than usual. I don't know why.

[J Barbosa]

We usually get bigger fluke early in the season then we have to pick through shorts for the rest of the season.

I agree with you but this year the overall number of fluke have been down and the number of keepers just sucks in the Raritan Bay. I hope this picks up because as of now its looking very dismal.

[bababooey]

Its July and still looking dismal. The guys I know all say they are working twice as hard to catch keepers this year. Should try looking into the commercial catches more aggressively. They keep 14" fish. Seems totally unfair. I bet they throw back a lot of dead fish too.

[finchaser]

One word

Sucks

As far as the commercials the 14" gives the right size fillet for plate coverage in restaurants

[fishinmission78]

^^^^^I agree its a crapshoot. Plenty of shorts in the surf. If you want action you can pull in an unhook all day long. Thank God IBSP is a special fluke zone or you wouldnt be bringing anything home. Heads up in the last few days lots of weeds and dirty water in case anyone is thinking of fishing the surf here.

[hookedonbass]

One word

Sucks

As far as the commercials the 14" gives the right size fillet for plate coverage in restaurants

Nicely put and honest. Another guy I find to be honest is Capt Ron of the Fishermen in Highlands. He says this is the worst in years
"I don't care how anyone sugar coats it and we all try to make the best of a bad situation to stay in business, but this is the worst Fluke fishing I have seen in 36 years of running a boat.

Yes, we do have our moments and catch some very nice Fluke, we do have days where the action is good, but to cover the miles I have the past month, always searching for that great bite, it's not happening."

[J Barbosa]

Hookedonbass, you beat me to it!

FISHERMEN/Mondays Fishing report.....

Yes, the fishing is "ALWAYS" good in this business. Any day, any conditions, just to be out on the water is your personal day to get away from it all, yet, the "catching" happens to stink right now.
I don't care how anyone sugar coats it and we all try to make the best of a bad situation to stay in business, but this is the worst Fluke fishing I have seen in 36 years of running a boat.
Yes, we do have our moments and catch some very nice Fluke, we do have days where the action is good, but to cover the miles I have the past month, always searching for that great bite, it's not happening. My customers expect the truth no matter how good or bad, that's what they get, that's why they come back.
Never had to work so hard in my life to try and find a bite, everyday is a new adventure. Conditions seem to always be wind against with no drift. When we fish the current, the slide is a killer....Gonna get a tattoo on my chest that says "Perseverance", it's what I live by, keeps me going......
Tried to fish the Ocean this morning, with the wind against in the bay once again, I just couldn't start the day like that. Still a big heave out there and we only caught a few small Fluke and short Sea Bass. Ran to the back bay, caught the change of tide had a shot of nice fish and thought the bite was on. No such luck, it died as fast as it started. Fished several area's, even with a good drift, it didn't happen for us.........Tom Krako took today's pool with a nice keeper at 4 pounds.
Tomorrow looks like a much needed day off with the weather predicted.
Chartered Friday AM and PM and Sunday Morning this week.
Capt. Ron


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I have a lot of respect for Captain Ron. Never sugar coats the truth, not easy to do considering that might keep a lot of people home tomorrow! If you read the bluefish boats reports you would think they are crushing the bluefish but in reality they are lucky to be catching one or two fish per fare.

I was just talking to Dark yesterday and complaining how bad the fluke fishing sucks this year.

At least in all of the areas I have tried I can't find them in numbers. I've probably averaged under a dozen shorts each trip which is the scary part.

If it wasn't for the couple of bigger fluke we have caught the past two weeks (two 8lbers, a 9lber and a 7lber) I would be tied up to the dock right now saying its not worth burning the gas.

[fishinmission78]

Well said. If it wasn't for the special fluke regs at IBSP a lot of folks would of been going home empty handed this year.

[williehookem]

Something interesting I read today. I didn't think they followed fluke numbers like they did with stripers. Apparently they do.

"2011 was a poor spawning year, and an 18 inch fluke is going to be about 4 years old. So you're not going to see too many of the barely-legal fish that usually fill up the coolers. 2014 was average, which is why there are so many small shorts, but 2010-2013 were well below average, with 2011 the worst recruitment year of all."