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Boats piled on a blitz, motors roaring, and someone floors it straight through the bunker. We’ve all watched the bite die in seconds. This week, we break down the most common saltwater mistakes and share the simple, high-impact fixes that turn chaos into confident results. Rich is joined by Scotty Sevins to dig into smart stealth around bait, how to plan by tide and wind, and why “following the fleet” is a shortcut to nowhere.

We get practical about what actually moves the needle. You’ll hear how to approach pods without blowing them up, use your senses in the dark to find life before sunrise, and tune your side scan to spot bait rather than just admire your screen. We talk knot choices that hold under load (FG done right), when to retie, and the hidden costs of gear neglect—from rusty hooks to kinked soft plastics that swim wrong. We also go deep on rod angles, drag settings, and why overpowering fish leads to more pulled hooks, broken rods, and stressed releases.

Precision matters. We explain the difference between fishing an area and fishing the spot, how small edges on current seams and structure create bite zones, and why a five-foot miss on a flat can spook the entire school. Plus, clear guidance on handling and reviving stripers the right way: keep them horizontal, wet your cradle, cut deep hooks, and swim them forward to push water across the gills.

If you’re serious about catching more and stressing less, this is your playbook: plan A through D, approach quietly, read your electronics with intent, tie clean knots, and respect the fish. Enjoy the stories, the laughs, and the field-tested tactics you can use on your next tide. If this helped you fish smarter, subscribe, share with a buddy who needs it, and leave a quick review so more anglers can find the show. Tight lines!

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Cold water finally clicked the “on” switch, and we leaned all the way into it: a full tautog system that works from New Jersey reefs to Rhode Island boulder fields. We brought Frank Mahalik on to open the tackle bag and the playbook—how to lock your drag without popping fish, why a mono top shot turns a broomstick into a shock absorber, and the exact V-rig that puts a whole white crab in the strike zone without helicoptering in heavy current. If you’ve ever wondered whether weight spooks fish, you’ll love the segment on fishing a true slack line with a 10 oz sinker so the bait sits and the tog can move it like a fluke drift.

We get specific about hooks because that’s where heartbreak lives. Heavy-wire, short-shank cutting points—think Owner octopus and the promising SaltX and Z Blade styles—pair with a Century Pro Togger and a star drag you can crank to “murder.” That combo wins the first 20 feet, holds fish off the wreck, and ends fights fast. We talk jigging in shallow, oxygen-rich water where nine-pounders pull like teens, why Rhode Island barnacles demand 60 to 80 lb leaders, and when to swap to a single-hook, small-crab rig to beat ripping current. Add the red sinker trick to cut dogfish and protect your next legit bite.

Bait logic stays simple and honest: whites offshore, greens inshore, hermits only if you love a single tick and a reload. We wrap with two pillars that matter just as much as your knots: cold-water safety—dry suits save lives—and conservation that’s easy to follow. We keep males under seven pounds, release big females after a calm livewell ride, and respect the fishery we love. Come for the gear talk, stay for the mindset: fish like a system, not a guess, and surround yourself with anglers who make you better.

If this helped you dial in your next tog trip, follow the show, share it with a fishing buddy, and drop a review telling us your go-to crab and hook combo.

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Schools of bunker once blacked out our bays; now many anglers chase scattered pods and skinny bass while ospreys circle empty water. We sat down with Captain Paul Eidman of Menhaden Defenders to unpack what changed, why the new ecosystem science calls for much tighter quotas, and how a single industrial fleet can reshape an entire food web. This is a straight look at menhaden—the forage that fuels stripers, birds, whales, and the bait that keeps lobster and crab fisheries moving.

We trace the cascade: Atlantic herring collapsed first, industrial capacity slid into menhaden, and pressure concentrated on the biggest, most nutrient‑rich adults. The result shows up everywhere—fewer “horse bunker,” shorter runs, predators forced to eat less‑dense prey, and even failed nests for ospreys and eagles. While managers acknowledged errors in the old models, the vote still landed well above what the corrected ecosystem approach recommends. If you’ve wondered why the on‑water story doesn’t match the policy, this conversation bridges the gap.

We also separate fact from fury on fleets. The reduction sector harvests at industrial scale for fishmeal and oil, targeting the oldest fish that anchor resilience, while small bait boats supply working waterfronts with a fraction of the impact. If we care about rebuilding stripers and restoring coastal wildlife, we have to start by rebuilding their food—setting a hard, science‑driven cap, reserving a cautious bait quota, and pausing reduction catch until adult age classes rebound. Abundance is the goal, because abundance feeds everything else.

If this mattered to you, share the episode with a fishing buddy, subscribe for future deep dives, and leave a quick review telling us where you’re seeing (or not seeing) bunker this season. Your on‑water reports help shape what we tackle next.

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Cold air, numb hands, and a white crab that changed everything. That’s the scene Chell Baybay paints as she walks us through the drop, the thump, and the surge that sealed her first double-digit tautog—a moment that turned a late-start angler into a fixture on New Jersey head boats.

We dig into why tog fishing hooks so deep: the fight starts at the bite, and winning is all timing, patience, and feel. Shell breaks down the quiet focus she brings to crowded rails, how she reads taps without overreacting, and why stillness beats motion when you shift from summer fluke to winter wrecks. If you’ve ever struggled to switch gears seasonally, her approach offers a clean reset.

Then we get practical. Shell’s setup is brutally simple—low-profile reel, strong bottom stick, 40–50 lb braid, and a Belmar slider rig—so the work goes into reading current and controlling scope, not chasing gear. We compare jigs and rigs honestly: jigs shine shallow and in backwaters when you can stay vertical; rigs dominate offshore head boats where depth and drift punish light presentations. We cover bait strategy with green crabs and white-leggers, when to use halves or whole, how to crack shells for scent, and why subtle colors and dark silhouettes often outperform flashy paints that invite dogfish.

This one also stretches beyond tog. Scotty shares the guiding mindset that keeps anglers in the game when conditions blow out, plus the sheep’s head lessons that translate to better timing and lighter hands. Most of all, we come back to the memory fish—the one that locks in every detail and keeps you grinding through cold fronts and tough tides. For any angler chasing tautog, winter wreck fishing, or just more consistent results on party boats, this conversation delivers tactics you can use on your very next drop.

If you enjoyed this, follow the show, share it with a fishing buddy, and leave a quick review—your support helps us bring on more sharp voices like Chell’s. What’s your confidence setup for winter tog?

Richard Natoli Real Estate
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Miss the shoulder-to-shoulder blitzes where bass erupted at your feet? We dig into how to make moments like that repeatable by reading the beach, timing the wind, and picking simple surf lures that just work. With surf-casting standout George Bucci, we go past reports and chase what truly moves fish in the fall: weather windows, bait behavior, and structure.

We start with the forecast because it decides your odds. The first punch of a nor’easter can be electric, and a crisp northwest wind often drives bunker straight into the sand—exactly when you should clock out early and hit the open beach. George breaks down how to spot life quickly with birds, wash tells, and subtle color changes, then shows how to pattern it: find one cut that produces and expect the next cut to set up the same way. We talk practical scouting at low tide, using landmarks to fish the dark, and why moderate whitewater outperforms flat conditions.

Gear and lures stay refreshingly simple. A nine-foot rod with 20-pound braid and a 30-pound leader covers most scenarios; an 11-footer waits in the truck for distance plays. On top, pencil poppers own visible feeds thanks to a surf-friendly cadence that throws water and calls fish. When it’s quiet or current gets tricky, SP Minnows, Mag Darters, and bottle plugs track true without digging, and a humble black hair teaser often outcatches the main plug at night. We also get real about colors (bone by day, dark by night, chartreuse sometimes, gold is underrated), bluefish etiquette, and the hookless gaff trick for jetties.

Zooming out, we compare Raritan’s strength to the struggles in Delaware and Chesapeake, and why massive menhaden schools can keep bass offshore until wind and tide crack open beach opportunities. If you’re willing to walk more than you cast, scout smart, and fish those precise windows, the fall run still rewards the stubborn with unforgettable sessions. Enjoy the throwback, take notes, and if this helped you line up your next trip, follow, share with a surf friend, and drop a review with your favorite tip—what will you try first?

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The surf is alive, the foam lines are loud, and the biggest stripers of the season are sliding into casting range. We invited Bayside Dave to dig into a land-based masterclass: how to read Long Beach Island’s sandbars, troughs, and rip seams, and how to choose baits and lures that turn those spots into steady hookups. Whether you fish beaches, jetties, inlet edges, or bayside docks, this guide puts you exactly where the fish want to feed.

We start with structure: spotting the whitewater that marks a bar, identifying the darker “hole,” and finding the openings where current and food funnel together. Then we get surgical with timing and placement—why casting to the bar tip and trough mouth out-produces bombing the second bar, and how many big bass eat shockingly close, even in ankle-deep water. For bait, we break down bunker heads and chunks, salted clams, and mullet pieces, plus practical drag and sinker tips that stop your rig from skating and keep circle hooks pinning cleanly.

Artificial addicts get a full spread: half- to one-ounce bucktails with trailers for the lower column, SP minnows and Hydro minnows for midwater, and mag darters when you need that hunting wobble. On top, we swear by Tsunami Talking Poppers and bottle poppers for explosive eats after the pause. Metals have their moment when sand eels stack—diamond jigs with a sand eel teaser above, and Hopkins for speed and lift. We also cover metal lips in inlet current: cast across the flow, feed line, and let the plug swim itself tight to the rocks.

We finish with fish care that actually matters: surfing fish in with the wave, supporting big bass horizontally, and reviving forward—never backward—until they kick strong. If you’re eyeing the LBI Surf Fishing Classic, we hit rules, prizes, and land-based access points. Fall run surf fishing rewards anglers who read energy and fish the first ten yards with intent. Subscribe, share with a buddy who needs more tight lines this season, and drop your confidence lure in the comments—what gets you bit when the surf is churning?

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We step through the storm gate into fall fishing, trading summer sheepshead grind for backwater striped bass, smarter leader choices, and tactics that work when oxygen rises and bait stacks. Gear gets practical, lures get both bigger and smaller, and we keep the focus on memory, community, and respecting spots.

• nor’easter as the real seasonal trigger and oxygen reset
• back bay bass patterns as temps drop below 70
• leaders, live bait, circle hooks, and bite trade-offs
• why smaller profiles often catch the biggest fish
• popping corks and shrimp patterns for shallow structure
• gear that lasts: rods with parabolic bend and reliable reels
• bunker pod strategy: center, edge, and below
• bluefin “ghost” reality: capacity over max drag and boat handling
• photography basics and no spot burning ethics
• community trip plans and upcoming tog offerings

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We unpack the proposed 12% striped bass mortality cut, why “closure” likely means a short seasonal window, and how flawed MRIP effort estimates are steering the debate. We compare regional impacts by month, weigh status quo against quick fixes, and argue for better data, smarter timing, and real habitat work.

• What a seasonal closure actually means and when it would land
• Why MRIP effort overestimates cast doubt on a 12% cut
• Spawning stock biomass context and the 1995 comparison
• Regional wave closures and uneven impacts by state
• Harvest vs release mortality and circle hook credit gaps
• Chesapeake, Hudson, and Delaware recruitment uncertainty
• Bunker abundance, migration shifts, and shark depredation
• Bonus tags, commercial quotas, and cross-state consistency
• Enforcement realities, court follow-through, and compliance
• Tagging tech limits, acoustic arrays, and funding needs
• Vote timing, state politics, and what happens next

Subscribe for new episodes on Thursdays. “Get out there, get on the water, and get some tight lines.”

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We confront the push for “no targeting” on striped bass, challenge shaky mortality data, and argue for smart, consistent rules that protect spawning fish without killing access. Then we spotlight the Barrier Island Beach Brawl—part surf tournament, part charity engine—that brings anglers together and feeds local families.

• status of striped bass regs and the risk of no-targeting
• why bad data and unclear methods undermine policy
• smarter closure timing around spring spawn
• need for consistency across states and sectors
• early guardrails for the fast-growing sheepshead fishery
• the Barrier Island Beach Brawl: purpose, prizes, and giving back
• catch-photo-release for stripers to reduce stress
• fillet donations to St. Gregory’s Food Pantry
• spot burn etiquette: share patterns, not pins
• Saltwater Underground season preview and ethos
• how and where to submit ASMFC comments by the deadline

Send your comments to ASMFC by October 3rd—go to the striped bass addendum page and click “leave comment”

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Richard Natoli Real Estate
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Rich and Jay explore the differences and surprising similarities between freshwater and saltwater fishing, proving that techniques from one world can successfully translate to the other.

• Jay discusses his journey from casual angler to creator of the 45,000-member Kayak Fishing Dads Facebook group
• Detailed breakdown of transitional bass fishing tactics as summer gives way to fall
• Why suspending jerkbaits often outperform floating models for subsurface presentations
• How freshwater bass tactics can be effectively applied to saltwater striped bass fishing
• Candid conversation about whether forward-facing sonar and spot lock technology constitute "cheating"
• The pros and cons of baitcasting versus spinning gear for different fishing scenarios
• Jay's experience transitioning from GoPro to Insta360 cameras for fishing content creation
• Recommendations for must-watch fishing YouTube channels including Christine Fisher and Greg Blanchard

If you're interested in joining the Fat Dad Fishing Show for a tog fishing charter out of Atlantic City this December, stay tuned for more details coming soon.

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Richard Natoli Real Estate
Helping PA homeowners buy & sell with confidence. 267-270-1145 or [email protected]

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

Support the show

Fat Dad YouTube Channel: (569) Fat Dad Fishing - YouTube
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