Going to break free from the lucas area crowd....headed offshore to get some elbow room and look for a big fluke hiding off some drop offs I have marked, the day looks perfect for that...may stop to pick up a few striped fish on the way out:)

Don't be specific but how far off shore and how deep?

Good luck!

I have about 6 spots to check out...the deepest is about 115 but most are about 60. They are not that far off shore some are in nantucket sound...I need to hone in on a couple honey holes for a very competitive local contest here in a couple weeks. I know most of the places the locals fish in vineyard sound I just need to break out of the rut. I may come home with squat but it will be an education. It will take a 14#+ to win and since my largest *ever* is 12 so I have some work to do. I was amazed how many guys caught 12 and 13# fish on a given weekend last year. I just need to break away from the fluke pack that targets vineyard sound. I can fall back on that if I need to. I want to check out some spots in nantucket sound off some of the shoals (they look prime for fluke) and I want to run out by nomans as well. I have a full tank of fuel and the day off with 5-10 kn wind predicted....look out.

Have you been coming up with alot of dog fish at that dep?
Couple weeks I was drifting in 125' and coming up with dogs....expermenting with mackeral fillets w/ squid strip and 3ozs
How much do you upsize when targeting slabs?

thanks Tony

Jim look for my yeller barge out there on the sw corner of that area we like :D

Goose,

I find I get more dogs when the tide slacks in deep water....

I was able to get my hands on a good amount of big local squid this spring...so I use that mostly, sometimes with a sand eel or somtimes a nice slice of Fluke belly. That is my bait. I have tried other bait but squid and fluke belly work the best for me. IMO fluke will eat anything fresh, a great bait is a live snapper but I can't get them easily and I am out of live herring now. I know they love quality squid and that is what I use...bellies lasts longer though.

My new rigs seem to be working well. Those chrome fluke balls are taking more then half of the fish. The stronger hooks help a ton...esp when you hook a big dogfish...they can twist the hell out of a cheap hook.

As far as my up size rigs, I use the larger VMC wide gaps (4/0 and 5/0(mostly)) with very large spinner blades with an entire small squid or large strip..some of my rigs have a stinger hook for a big bait.. or I also use the 4" rubba squid with a medium size strip bait. all on a 4' 50# floro leader.
Last trip my son had a glow-in-the-dark 4" rubber squid with a squid strip bait and was out fishing us 3:1. The trip prior the chome ball was the killer:confused:

You need to try those chrome balls with the green eyes that have the gamigatsu hooks, those really work well. I have them up to 8 oz. But mainly get by with 4-5 oz. on a 30# braid boat rod. (in really deep fast moving water you will need more weight)If you have a nice drift replace the sinker with these. My yongest son had a double header on on the ball and the other on the bait!! I couldn't get them both in the net, and lost the larger one and I am still getting grief about it!

Did you see that article in the fisherman a couple weeks back about targeting big fluke? I thought that was pretty good and is one of the reasons I am breaking from the pack now. I just think Vineyard sound spots are pounded too hard. There are a lot of fish in the sound but there are a lot of pressure on them.
comm rod and reelers, draggers, you and me....

I was actually thinking of booking a fluke charter and see what some of these pros do that consistanly exceed 10# fish.


Salty...you going out that way tomorrow? The weather sounds decent...I may be out that way if we strike out to the north of you. I had been thinking of working a spot out that way for a while now but I keep my boat on the oppisite side of the island now close to my home...(it might be Sat befor I get down that way) I will keep an eye out for you if I make it down that way. Bringin your fishin buddy?:)...good luck...I hear what your looking for is there.
;)

I KNOW what I'm looking for is there Jim :D They be almost 2 weeks late!

T will be with me, low incoming all morning should be killer tide cycle.

Yeller boat white hard top with simrad dome...gray mota