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Winter shut down the ramps, so we opened the map. We brought on traveling angler and musician Justin Lerner to chart a course from Florida inlets to Northeast canyons, with a hard left into South America where Golden Dorado blow up topwater like it owes them money. Justin grew up in New Jersey, lives on Florida’s east coast, and treats tactics like a universal language: fish the environment first, species second. That lens reframes snook as trout with palm trees, explains why reds and specks share the same points, and shows how a three-inch paddle tail can be a passport.

We go deep on bucket-list planning without the fluff—what windows to pick for summer beach snook from Jupiter to Sebastian, where to find trout in grass-rich stretches of the Indian and Banana Rivers, and when to aim for giant redfish schools in the Chesapeake and outer banks. Offshore, the talk turns to yellowfin and bigeye, translating trolling and jigging to poppers and spinning gear when conditions allow. Then we fast-forward to true giants: Columbia River white sturgeon on whole shad in 70 to 200 feet, seven- to ten-foot “dinosaurs” that jump slow enough to film. Justin also shares quick hits on Australia’s GTs and southern bluefin, plus a sleeper pick for trophy pike in New Jersey’s Passaic.

It’s not all grip-and-grin. We pull apart the water quality mess behind Lake Okeechobee releases, red tides, and failing sewage systems, and compare Florida’s proactive FWC management with the Northeast’s council tangle. The bottom line: closures and net bans can rebuild stocks, but habitat and runoff still decide the ceiling. If you’re plotting a dream trip, this conversation gives you a clear, seasonal roadmap, gear guidance that travels, and a mindset to read current, edges, and forage anywhere.

If you enjoyed this one, follow the show, share it with a friend who needs a winter escape, and drop a review to help more anglers find us. What fish are you chasing next?

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A bucktail can be the most forgiving lure in your box—or the most finely tuned instrument—depending on how you build and fish it. We sat down with Ed of Captain Hank’s Tackle to break Bucktails 101 into practical choices that catch more fish: the right head for your water, the right hook for your bite, and the right hair for your target.

We start with head shapes and what they actually do underwater. Ball heads ride clean and keep the point up for back bay fluke. Minnow heads shift weight forward for a nose-down stance offshore. Skimmer heads shine on shallow flats, and smiling bills rule the surf for stripers with that subtle V-cut swim. From there we get into hook geometry: eye angle, shank length, and forged strength. Longer shanks and quality black nickel hooks convert more short-striking fluke, while stout wire prevents heartbreak when a striper, tog, or even an unexpected shark shows up.

Hair volume and profile decide whether you’re teasing or feeding. Sparse top-and-bottom ties streamline the silhouette for fluke and put steel in the mouth faster. Bulked-out striper ties leverage hollow hair to flare and control sink rate. We talk trailers and action—why grubs and paddles outfish static plastics—and how season and clarity change the playbook: light heads and four-inch baits in spring backwaters, heavier jigs and larger profiles as fish slide deeper. We compare real bucktail to silicone skirts for durability around blues and offshore work, and we touch on glow paints, strategic flash, and color-matching jig heads to Gulp favorites like new penny and nuclear chicken.

If you’ve ever wondered why one “identical” bucktail outperforms another, this conversation gives you the blueprint: pick the head for your hydrodynamics, the hook for your hookup, and the hair for your fish and water. Plus, we swap stories on tog jigs—including the surprisingly deadly “dirty diaper”—and share when to go plain jig head to save gear on wrecks. Subscribe for more practical tackle breakdowns, share this with a bucktail-obsessed friend, and drop a comment with your confidence color and head style so we can test it next time.

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The mics may be scratchy and the coughs unavoidable, but the mission couldn’t be clearer: turn a growing fishing show into a real-world family. We kick off 2026 with an honest 2025 recap, a salute to the Osprey party boat trip that brought chat names to life, and a peek at the download surge that pushed the pod into the top 25% across 64 countries. Numbers aside, the heartbeat is community—connecting anglers, lifting small businesses, and making space for the kind of days you remember years later.

We lay out a season shaped by intention. Scotty opens up about guiding at full tilt and the toll it took, then sets his north star: more days fishing with his dad, more room to explore new water, and a stronger Sevens Fishing brand that stretches beyond the wheelhouse. We talk sheep’s head roots and the double-digit fish his dad stuck first, then pivot to the bite that surprised us: brackish back-bay stripers loaded with sea lice miles from the inlet. From there, we map real meetups—Fat Dad Fridays before striper opener, late-spring fluke on a party boat, and casual dinners where stories and plans take shape.

Ambition shows up offshore. We outline a mothership mission that ferries kayaks to mahi pots and football tuna, with safety-first captains, clear skill checks, and spots for boat-only anglers who want in on the action. Add a renewed push into freshwater—trout, muskie, even a noodling idea from the chat—and you get a season that blends salt and stream without losing focus. We also spotlight small-business heroes: Great Bay Outfitters’ serious kayak rigs, smart jig boxes that fix the rig mess, and regional makers worth your dollars before you click any big-box link.

If you’ve been waiting to jump from comments to real rail space, this is your year. Tap the polls for meetup dates, bring a friend to the fluke trip, and send us the names of local captains and shops we should feature. Subscribe, share this with a fishing buddy, and leave a review to help the Fat Dad family grow. And tell us: what’s your boldest fishing goal for 2026?

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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