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The fastest way to waste a night bite is to treat it like daytime fishing with a headlamp. After dark, the rules change and that’s exactly why it can be the most productive window for striped bass, summer flounder, weakfish, bluefish, drum, and even inshore sharks across the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast.

We walk through nine practical night fishing tips you can apply immediately: how darkness funnels fish toward structure, why ambush points near bridge pilings and channel edges get even better at night, and why “slow down more than you think” is the advice that pays off when predators rely on vibration instead of pure sight. We also talk tide timing, because full dark only becomes magic when you pair it with moving water, especially around tide shifts that push bait through predictable lanes.

Then we get tactical with the details most anglers skip: using your ears to locate feeding fish, choosing nights based on moon phase and cloud cover, and dialing in lure profile and color for a strong silhouette (black, purple, dark blue, blurple). We close with real-world safety and planning, from scouting spots in daylight to fishing shadow lines instead of standing in the brightest light.

If you fish from shore, kayak, or boat and want more consistent night bites, this one is for you. Subscribe, share it with a fishing buddy, and leave a review with your go-to night lure and why it works.

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Fluke season has anglers arguing like it’s a sport of its own, especially along New Jersey from LBI down toward Cape May. One crew posts double digits, the next crew calls it a ghost town, and the comment section jumps straight to blame. We slow it all down and ask a better question: what if the fish are here, but the conditions are forcing you to fish differently than last summer?

Dave and I dig into the “tons of shorts, barely any keepers” reality and why that alone can make a season feel terrible even when fluke numbers are solid. We talk commercial fishing myths versus how quotas and permits actually work, then pivot to what consistently moves the needle for summer flounder: water temperature, upwelling, and the way yo-yo conditions stall migration and pin fish tight to structure. When the water cools, they get lethargic, bury in sand, and tuck behind wrecks and reefs, so sloppy drifts and fast jigging miss the zone that matters.

We also get into practical fluke fishing tactics you can apply right away: slowing your presentation, controlling drift speed, spot locking tighter, and leaning into natural bait and scent like whole squid, strip baits, minnows, and fresh Gulp. Heavy rain and runoff change salinity and clarity, so we cover when to slide toward inlets, when to wait for a couple tide cycles, and why deep water can be the answer during the hottest stretches.

If you fish Mid-Atlantic fluke, Barnegat Inlet, LBI back bays, nearshore wrecks, or the surf bite later in the season, you’ll walk away with a clearer plan and a lot less noise. Subscribe, share this with a fishing buddy who’s struggling, and leave a review with your best fluke adjustment this season.

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Weakfish are one of those fish that can make you feel like a genius one night and completely humbled the next, and that’s exactly why we love chasing them. Rich Natoli sits down with returning guest George Bucci to get practical about what actually changes your results when you’re targeting weakfish in summer on light tackle, especially in New Jersey back bays, inlets, bridges, and jetties where current and structure decide everything.

We dig into why weakfish are still listed as overfished, why the best guesses point to natural predation and changing ecology, and what that means for how we handle fish in warm water. Then we get tactical: slow retrieves, staying off the bottom, reading current seams, fishing the last of the incoming and first of the outgoing, and working shadow lines near dock lights where bigger fish often sit just outside the bright water. If you’ve ever felt that “tick” and swung too hard, we also talk paper mouths, drag settings, and the gentle hookset that lands more fish.

George shares his confidence setup, the jig head weights he carries all the way down into “freshwater gear,” why he ties direct instead of using a clip, and how counting the fall helps you dial in depth without snagging. We also touch bait options like grass shrimp and peanut bunker under a float, plus what to expect when the fall mullet and peanut bunker runs turn everything into a different game.

If you’re ready to turn random weakfish into repeatable weakfish, hit play, subscribe for more, and share this with the friend who always reels too fast. After you listen, leave a review and tell us what your go-to jig weight is when the current starts ripping.

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Fat Dad YouTube Channel: (569) Fat Dad Fishing - YouTube
Fat Dad Instagram: @fat.dad.fishing
Fat Dad Facebook: (7) Fat Dad Fishing | Facebook

Email: rich@fatdadfishing.com