Sunday off NJ
 

Ran up to Shrews Rocks for fluke but it was very slow - worse out deeper too.

Got a tip and ran the flat water tight to the beach at 38 knots the 20 miles to Axle Carlson.
Started picking shorts then a 19" ...a 22" + and a nice seabass to save the day.

SO many boats out there ...wow .

Got a wave from Step Up on way back

Shrewsbury rocks to Axel, thats a long haul for day of fluking. It was beautiful right along the beach though. I think I saw you run past Asbury Park about 10? We were catching shorts and sea robins at the end of the sewer pipe.

You were able to see me fly by ?
Wow......blink and I was already way passed !

Skunk......... ref long haul for fluking we each have our own opinion.....here's mine:
Only X number of days I have available to fish.......mostly just weekends.
Only X number of good weather that lines up with my days off.
Only X number of days with very calm ocean.

So, for me, and with the V21 as I have it rigged, a 20 mile run to get on a bite is usually fine. Running as I did .......38 knots (43.7 mph) is about a 1/2 hour ride.
Way faster than I usually cruise, but rare flat ocean and another 600 rpm left on the throttle so the engine was happy too !

That's also my policy regarding fuel burn - I mostly don't care.....if I burn 10 gallons, 20, or 30, I'm out there to fish, not count my pennies.

To me, running 80 miles/ 160 miles + for a chance at a tuna seems a tiring haul, but hey, nice adventure.

I hear you. I don't care about burning gas either. The only way to catch a tuna is to run east til your feet fall asleep standing...

With fluking though, and striper too, I find that you gotta pick a direction and stick it out. Shrewsbury way north out of Manasquan, Axel is south. Lots of good ground and historic fluke spots in between.

All the fluke are either in the bay or river or from the beach out to 70 ft (5 miles) Its really an "In/Out" fish not a North/South fish.

I keep hearing reports of Axel is hot...SeaGirt is hot...Red Church is hot... its only ever hot for the guy that was there for the hour they bit.

Axel and Sea Girt have a thousand boats on them every weekend and a hundred every day in between. Invariably, a few guys catch the crap out of them and everyone else strokes it..
I am always disappointed with Axel for fluke BUT I have a friend who seems to crush em there often. Some of the wrecks have good sea bass and tog. Stripers are there in the fall.
Sea Girt has, in years past, been great for fluke and our two biggest 8.5 & 9 pounds. Lately I have been beaten by the fluke. Used to be my favorite fish but can't seem to catch a break. Looking back at pictures, the last time fluke dominated them was 2007. Since then its mostly pix of stripers. Its not that I don't try... I have wasted many days catching sea robins, skates and dogfish these last few years at the Axel and SeaGirt.

I had to wipe dry from the rooster tail...

When my dad and I fished for fluke......" back in the day" it was killie / squid combo on 2' leader approx. 1' up from the sinker. Same every time, and 15 keeper fish days were common.

If your friend does very well on the Axle, ask him for the rigging / fishing details. He's likely doing something different.

My two cents worth is Jerry on the Fish Monger is one of the best inshore fisherman!!!!!!!!!!!!:clap:Also anyone that take's a 20 foot boat offshore and catches fish must be a good fisherman. Of course good weather makes it possible but their is still more to it. No joke. Am very happy to be still part of talking the talk and walking the walk and fishing the fish on this site!!!!!!!Keep on fishing till you die! Step Up will return to fishing this weekend after doing some major repairs.

He's been using Gulp grub on a jig with a gulp teaser 2' up the leader. Doesn't even use real bait. I resisted for a while but have been copying everything he says and still suck...

My go to rig was always a "just heavy enough" diamond jig with squid/spearing combo and a mylar teaser/spearing 2' up ( and sometimes another teaser 2' up)

I stopped using the old time "bank sinker with trailing Khale hook, squid/killie combo" when size limits started causing way too many gut hooked throwbacks.

When size limits were less than 17" great days were common. Strangely, now with bigger limits I don't even see many throwbacks, just sea robins and skates.

Skunk - you jigging the rig as shown by John Skinner in his fluke fishing video's ?
Using fluro leader of 20-40 max ?

Step Up - based on the pics the Mongers shows from their trips, got to agree with you there.