I'm not sure I believe that it's a lazy man's fish. True, I like surfcasting for stripers BUT catching a fluke with bucktails involves a lot of skill and art like John Skinner demonstrates AND the bigger fluke put up a decent fight and they taste great.
Wow just seeing this out of the box ru-vid.comUgkxQr1yd4Zc6qJF-scTB6Zb9dQbVpviuRxB recommend I have yet to fish with this set up, but based on the first hands on appeal, I can tell this is going to change the way i pack and carry to a whole new level. If you fish like i do, you know the smaller and less stuff the better. I’ve added a photo of just some of my gear so you can see how serious i am about fishing.
John I have watched all your flounder videos. I appreciate everything you taught me. Your videos are insightful and exceptional. I have taught my son and his friends your flounder technique. I fish at a pier in NC and have seen guys fishing ur technique and I tell the guys"ur fishing like John Skinner!" They know who you are, seen ur videos and repeat ur video portions verbatim. Lol. Appreciate all the time and effort you put into all your wonderful videos. I have learned so much from you!!! Thank you John!!,
Man, I just got out of the hospital with a heart stent yesterday, but these Skinner flounder videos have me getting my jigs and plastics together to make a run to the coast tomorrow. Actually last summer after just watching one video I put together a couple of jig setups and tried them at San Luis Pass. After about three casts off the second bar i hooked a nice flounder. Blew my mind, as I have been fishing that beach for years and never saw a flounder caught. I'll be after them tomorrow. Thanks John for the info!!
Thanks for info. Heading down NEXT fall before i die. Biggest goal to catch a flounder and a dozen decent blue crab for me and my Dad to cook on the beach, camping in my 2000 Expedition with our dogs. Thank You SOOOOO much! We're poor, and this is our lifelong dream.
John, thanks for these excellent videos (including the underwater footage). I just moved to coastal VA and am looking forward to doing some flounder fishing from the local piers and beaches. Just curious - I see you using both spinning rigs and bait casting rigs - when do you use one vs the other? What rod action do you recommend? Once again, thanks!
John, I love all your videos, very informative. When is the best time to catch flounder in the surf, incoming tide or outgoing tide? What color Gulp minnow works best for clear water & what color works best for stained water? Thank you.
Hey John Skinner Fishing, I love your videos but unfortunately I can't exactly take advantage of your style in Oregon (or at least I don't think I can...). Do you have any friends or fellow fisherman who you can recommend for Pacific Northwest coastal fishing? Keep up the great videos!
John, I have been watching your videos for some time now. I try to adapt your style with mine. Recently I had done some surf fishing....fluke. Did the wave brake " thing"....worked like a charm. No door mats but I was catching...not fishing. Thank you.
John,I'm looking to upgrade my fluke set up, and need some advice.I'm going to go to a Penn Clash 2500 or a Penn Clash 4000 (haven't decided yet).For a rod (my main concern), I'm looking for a good graphite rod (6'6-7ft) needs to be 2 pc (travel in car), for salt water/inshore, I'd like a fast action in a medium - medium/heavy rod.I've found several Penn rods I like, but they are not offered in 2 pc.Suggestions on rod? reel suggestions welcome also...Thanks.
What a doormat. It took me until yesterday 8/15 to land a keeper, and nothing like that one. Brings my ratio for the summer up to approx. 147-1! Thanks John, definitely re-energized me to get back out there. BTW, I'm using your rig, love it.
Another great video John ! Any reason you changed to a lighter line rating Regiment then in your previous beach fluke fishing video ? They do both sport Extra fast actions although this particular regiment differers by having a medium light power compared to the other you used (medium), and a different length grip. look forward to your next video !
Charles Zaglin On the open beach I know I'm not using anything heavier than 3/4-ounce, and the 8/15 Regiment is an excellent match for that and certainly will handle any fluke easily. The lighter the better I figure, and that rod with the 3000 Conflict is very easy on the arm despite my constant jigging. Good question.
Charles Zaglin on another note, would you stick to this set up for fishing the shore like in the previous video ? I've been fishing Breezy Point, Jamaica Bay side. outgoing to low, walking out to thigh high water, casting out to the channel. I'm using a 9 foot surf rod with your fluke rig, oddly though I found fish really swallowing the 4inch gulps and 3/0 gamakatsu bait holders, so I bumped it up to a 5/0 still produced a few fish. No keepers as of yet.
Hey John, really appreciate this perspective on fluke from shore! Many of us don't have the means of fishing consistently via boat. Not sure if this was asked previously but do you find it best to tie directly to the jig or is it ok to use a tactical anglers clip or similar in order to change jig sizes to match the conditions? Thanks.
Hey John I'm Will I'm 14 and have a very strong relationship with fish and passion for fishing and in about a week I'm going to myrtle beach, South Carolina to fish for flounder on the shore. Any Idea for like what use how to use it what kind of rod and what kind of rod movements to attract the flounder or to stay in one spot what time of day and the tide levels any thing and everything from the smallest thing to the biggest thing and if you respond to this please tag my name so I know your talking to me. KEEP up the great work your my role model!!!
Hey John, I was just thinking about how you're catching flukes so close. I wonder if you ever thought about casting horizontal to the beach and covering more water near the breaking wave?
coldfeet With the rig I'm using I'm not getting a lot of distance to begin with, so I feel like I'm never too far from the influences of the breaking waves.
Hej John, Thanks for the great videos. Here in Denmark things seem a bit different. Our beaches mostly has the 3-4 channels, with 1-2 meter depth, before the real drop. Usually the flatfish are lurking around in the second or third channel - but has absolutely zero interest for jigs or gulp - here only one thing truely gets their attention, and that is Sandworm. Sadly I havent been able to figure out where to get my hands on a bucktail - no shops here has em, but I would love to try em out here on our beaches. Any idea where to get these shipped internationally?
John, I read Striper Pursuit and FlounderBook but two questions remain: what style of shoe do you wear when beach fluking? And what do you throw for fluke when snappers are decimating your Gulp?
Great video, have you ever noticed if the presence of seals in the surf hurts the bite?? They cruise that same area that the fluke like to hang out in.
John, I just discovered you. Thinking about buying and reading your book. Thanks for sharing all your knowledge. What needs to change in this rig for the Winter? Also can I use this rig in SoCal (bucktails, tipped, not tipped w/mullet)?
If it's for halibut, yes! I know that because at the last show I did I met a guy from California, a little south of SF I think, who was doing well on legal halibut with exactly this technique and setup. I was excited to talk firsthand to someone who was successful there. Before that I had a couple of followers from CA comment the same.
+Thomas tressler Sun protection all the way, man. It's how I fish now. Hat and face gaiter, too. Was out all day on the Gulf with no burn whatsoever. (And if he WAS overdressed, it sure doesn't make him less of a fisherman!)
Hey John, i used to pound flounder on bucktail and swimming mullet in Jamaica Bay, I'm in florida now and i cannot catch any with same setup. I know flounder is there because I've caught them on live finger mullet. Any suggestions?
So you are doing this with a 7' medium action Rod? I got some of the Spro 3/4 and 1 ounce jigs in today and ran some rigs like yours from the other video and with the 3/4 ounce it seems a little heavy on my Rod. Not sure that I can run 1 ounce with the two swimming mullets and not overload the Rod. Rod is a 7' medium/fast action for 3/8 to 3/4 lures.
If I am not mistaken, most fishes were caught by teaser, not the bucktail. Generally speaking, what's the hookup ratio between teaser and main lure(bucktail)?
@John Skinner Fishing … I know next to nothing about flounder fishing, so these may be dumb questions. I notice you are fishing in the middle of the day, but do flounder feed in the evening, say from dusk through the next 2-3 hours, and would this technique work then?
Being from Louisiana the Gulf of Mexico is where I salt water fish and I prefer surf fishing. Usually I walk out into the surf because I've always thought that's where the fish are. And I've never caught a flounder surf fishing. Now I know why; I was walking on and right past them. There's been a few times when walking out into the water something would slip from under my foot when I'd take a step. Well, next time I go surf fishing I will certainly be more equipped after seeing your video. Anyway, thank you for the info and video.
Have you or can you do a video on my old favorite? Large Peruvian Spearing and Squid Strip combo on a Bucktail Teaser? Also one on using Whole Squid?? Thanks. Enjoy the underwater videos. Very informative.
Hi John, Quick question: in your videos you have mentioned you use different Penn reel models like Clash, Conflict and the Spinfisher. If I want to fish from the shore, with possibility of getting the reel in the water, what reel would you recommend (lower than $200)? I have been very tempted to go for Spinfisher (I think is black & gold).. but not sure is that will deal well with occasional saltwater splashes. Thanks for your advice!
John, this video was helpful as I am looking forward to surf fishing for the first time. I have caught fluke out a little ways on a party fishing boat in cape cod numerous times. I am hoping to catch fluke from the beach (Mayflower beach) in Dennis, MA, which is part of The Cape. Do you recommend this? Is it likely to catch fluke on the Cape's beaches? Thanks so much from a total newbie. -Bethany
Hello Mr. Skinner. My mane is Jessie Gelsebach. We will be holding an outdoor expo sometime in 2018 and were hoping that you could be a guest speaker. This event will bring together the entire outdoor community, from fishing to skiing, we would like to be the first to hold this type of event. We also want all ages involved, so we will have something for everyone.
John, what size tactical anglers clips do you use? Thanks. Enjoyed a lot of success this summer on the surf in NJ (fluke, snapper blues and a northern stargazer) thanks to your videos and books. Hoping to catch my first striper in the coming weeks.
gave this a go last night (hampton bays) caught one within 15 minutes. he was only 14-15". gave up in the darkness and all the bugs out. will try again in the early morning/late afternoon.
Hi John, I was out there today in my hometown of Manasquan, NJ If you are familiar with the Manasquan Inlet I wasn't on the ocean side of the inlet(or near the jetty but I was on a small stretch of beach in the inlet. I'm new to fishing and was trying to mimic you.. I can see it takes a ton of practice to get that rapid jigging motion while reeling in but first cast, wham! right near the beach. Unfortunately it was 17 and 18 is a keeper in NJ. Caught another at 15 about 45 minutes later and that was it. I love your filet video but I was wondering when you catch a keeper, do you immediately throw it in a cooler of ice? I noticed you didn't gut the fluke in your filet video.
thanks for the video John. can you compore bucktails with dead bait. i'm fishing in Blacksea and here everyone use dead bait especially for bluefish. can bucktails have a chance against dead bait? thanks in advance
Gökhan Telatar Wow, I looked it up, you have the same bluefish we have. Bluefish devour just about every lure we use over here, including bucktails. In fact they can be a nuisance eating our bucktails when we're flounder fishing.
Look youre a pretty good angler, but come on man. If youre doing catch and release, dont drag the fish across the sand like that. Once they come out of the water, they instantly begin to dry out and the protective slimy layer on the fish easily comes off. That protective slime prevents infections and diseases. If youre fishing to keep, than it doesnt matter, but you can seriously harm the fish when you drag them around like that.
What do you do if there is a lot of kelp or eel grass in the area? I had assumed if I could cast farther, I could reach deeper water, and have more time to jig before I get tangled up in kelp close to shore. From the sound of your advice, that may be counter productive. I fish a beach in jamaica bay, should I look for a different beach without kelp? What do you recommend?
Here in North Carolina on a incoming tide before the sun breaks the horizion often flounder will wash up on the shore feeding as you are saying and wash back on the next wave. Nice flounder, and thanks for your videos!!
There were bunker pods or something in front of my house all day yesterday in the ocean and I couldn't get any bass to commit I had two follow my plug basically onto the sand but no actual fish on lures the guy next to me caught 2 on clams, any idea of what I should throw?
Typically when I go surf fishing I cast off from a random spot on the shore and catch many small bait sized fish and the occasional kingfish. How do you find spots to fish In places you haven't fished often, what signs tell you that there are fish there?
I target calif halibut from the surf here in northern California. with much the same techniques just heavier hooks and bigger plastics. like zoom flukes. We like to cut the gills on our keepers for two reasons. 1.) it makes for cleaner fillets with less blood to deal with and second it kills the fish quickly avoiding any nasty bites from sharp teeth .
