Post your 2019-2024 Fluke Pix & Trip Reports Here!

[captmike28]

My faith in the North Shore fishery has returned!! After picking a keeper fish here and there for the last month I limited out in the last hour of the ebb off Lloyd Point this evening. Three fat 21" clones liked my bucktail with gulp and gulp teaser. Two other keepers and about 6 shorts went back. A strong south wind helped by pushing me at 6 MPH as the tide died. Life is good!
regards Holty

Great job, Holty!

However, is that a misprint about your drift speed...6mph!!! I think you would need a good-sized Danforth to hold bottom at that speed!

 

[captmike28]

I was able to get away from work on Friday and had the honor and privilege to have a very special guest and friend join me for a day of skinny water fluking in Shinnecock Bay. We had steady action through the entire ebb tide even with a less than ideal wind and tide combo in the bay. We had many nice fat just short fish in the 18” range. Was very surprised at the amount of dogfish we had to contend with deep in the bay in shallow water. My friend got a nice hit that peeled line and ran different than he is used to in deeper water that had us wondering what it was. As it came to the boat I grabbed the net and slipped it under what turned out to be a nice fat keeper in the 23”-24 inch range. Soon as it hit the deck it spit the hook
After more shortsI landed a keeper in the 21-22” range

Although I didn’t get us on as many keepers as I would have liked we had a great day with steady action and a couple for the table

Sorry, no pictures

Kudos to you Mitch for putting us on the skinny water Fluke! A very welcome change of pace for me

 

[holty]

Correction, it was .6 MPH

 

[Leprechaun]

Maybe an improvement?

If you can call it that. Sailed solo yesterday on a really nice ocean. Tried some open bottom drifts for nothing at all, then over to some rough bottom that I rarely fish for a bunch of short fluke and biscuits - nothing flat over 17", nothing black & blue over 14". Went over to my usual office and joined the fleet. Actually, sailed thru the fleet to the far eastern portion of the grounds. Found PLENTY of bait, and had a good day with the fluke. Unfortunately 99% of which failed to meet the current NYSDEC minimum.

Had it had been last season, or maybe if I docked in Jersey, it would have been an outstanding trip. Unfortunately it's 2024, and I dock in Freeport. And so after a long pretty fun day, ended up with one 23" fluke, an 18" C-bass and a dozen or so ling in the box. Enough for a modest dinner, but that's about it. The results weren't there, but the quantity of "almosts," along with the large amount of suspended bait seems like a positive indicator of better to come in August. Maybe.

 

[holty]

A consistent bite has developed for me off Lloyd Point in the last few weeks. Another limit this morning with many throwbacks. No monsters as the biggest was 22". It happens at the very beginning or the very end of the ebb. After that, the shorties take over. A bucktail with a dark 6" gulp grub and a light-colored 4" teaser is working.
regards Holty

 

[george]

A consistent bite has developed for me off Lloyd Point in the last few weeks. Another limit this morning with many throwbacks. No monsters as the biggest was 22". It happens at the very beginning or the very end of the ebb. After that, the shorties take over. A bucktail with a dark 6" gulp grub and a light-colored 4" teaser is working.
regards Holty

That's great news Holty! Thanks for the update.

 

[hartattack]

Truth in reporting: 5 keeper fluke yesterday for 70+ fares on popular Brielle NJ party boat. NJ minimum size is 18", NY is now 19.5",,, there was only ONE NY sized keeper.
I went on morning trip: Good conditions, light W wind, good drift, very few bites. Everyone blames the cold water from sustained S wind and it is a headscratcher to catch inshore ling in August. We were catching nice fluke in May in cold deep water and now it's mostly shorts - what happened? This downswing was touched on in George's post : Thread 'The Unpredictable Fluke Season: What's Really Going On?' The Unpredictable Fluke Season: What's Really Going On?
I feel that rec regs that target breeders combined with the notion that commercial fluking during the winter spawn is destroying my favorite fishery. I hope I am wrong but it seems that larger local fluke are scarce. Tournament winner 2 weeks ago was 7.6 lbs, that fish usually isn't in top 5.
We still have Aug and Sept to salvage 2024 fluke season, I hope it rebounds.

 

[Leprechaun]

My buddy had a very good day yesterday fishing relatively inshore off LI. More than a two man limit to 24". So maybe there's hope for August.

 

[OVERBORED]

Some boats seem to be doing better than others.

https://m.facebook.com/100063739025738/

 

[Leprechaun]

Yep. Not me though. Not yet anyways. We’ll see what’s what mañana.

 

[OVERBORED]

Yep. Not me though. Not yet anyways. We’ll see what’s what mañana.

Soon enough. Once you zone in it'll be game on!

 

[Snapprhead27]

Jumped onboard Salty Dog Charters for a shot at some ocean fluke. On the way out, we stopped at a bunker pod and tried for Cobia but no takers. Ran to AB reef and fished it till the south winds started to really crank. Headed back into the bay and fished a bit more. Lot of sorting, out of 4 people, 3 keepers. Heartbreaking having to throw back fish that were legal yesterday. . Saw 2 NJ party boats fishing the reef as well. Must be nice to keep 17 inch fluke, while us NYers deal with the new regulations.

 

[Chinacat]

Got a pair of keepers in skinny water in Shinnecock today along with another that was over 19” but under 19-1/2” and went back swimming
One is just over 21” the other between 22-23”. Lots and lots of very short shorts as well

 

[Crabman]

With the Fire Island Reef dead, I ran west to the Hempstead Reef. Caught a lot of shorts but only one keeper between three of us. Didn't see anything worthwhile happening with other boats around us. All and all, with a good crew, we still had a lot of fun.

 

[Leprechaun]

Well, so much for the best laid plans. Broke the inlet this morning with Capt. Mike and KenScot aboard, got off a few miles and made the call to turn around - haven't done that in at least 8 seasons. A really confused ocean, 3-4's, with occasional 5's and the forecast calling for a worsening breeze as the day progressed. My boat is tougher than I am, but a naval Destroyer it ain't.

I can live with taking a beating when the fishing is good, but this season has been the opposite of good. Not to mention the inlet will be a genuine nightmare this afternoon as the big swell, pushed by a 20+kt breeze, piles up against the New Moon outgoing. Sometimes it's best to live to fight another day . . . And, now off to tune up the mower - that lawn ain't gonna cut itself.

 

[OVERBORED]

Good call cap!

Especially since you mentioned in another post that you've tempted fate twice already and you shouldn't push your luck!

 

[Crabman]

I blew off fishing today also. Found a sink on Craigslist and over the past few days ran electric and water. That was the biggest output of effort. The heat and digging suck the energy out of me. Sink came out nice along with two HDPE cutting boards.

 

[longcast]

I blew off fishing today also. Found a sink on Craigslist and over the past few days ran electric and water. That was the biggest output of effort. The heat and digging suck the energy out of me. Sink came out nice along with two HDPE cutting boards.
View attachment 83161
View attachment 83162

Fantastic setup!!!

 

[captmike28]

Got a pair of keepers in skinny water in Shinnecock today along with another that was over 19” but under 19-1/2” and went back swimming
One is just over 21” the other between 22-23”. Lots and lots of very short shorts as wellView attachment 83122View attachment 83123

Outstanding, Mitch! In a season with many really tough trips, you actually exceeded the total catch of some much larger vessels with a crowd aboard!!!

 

[Chinacat]

Outstanding, Mitch! In a season with many really tough trips, you actually exceeded the total catch of some much larger vessels with a crowd aboard!!!

Thanks Capt Mike!