Fat Dad Fishing Show

Fall Flip: From Sheepshead to Stripers with Capt. Scotty Sevins

• Fat Dad Fishing Show • Episode 48

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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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Capt. Scotty Sevins:

It doesn't have to be like a like a double digit sheep's head or like a a 40-inch backwater bass. Every catch is something to be celebrated, man. It you know, it's making those memories with those people and especially the important people to you, you know. That's the stuff that really matters. It really does.

Rich Natoli - Fat Dad Fishing:

Hello and welcome back to the Fat Dad Fishing Show. I'm your regular host, Rich Natoli. And tonight we're going to have on Captain Scotty Sevens, one of my favorite returning guests of all time. Trying to bribe him to come on like every week. But we'll see how that goes. I mean, he does have a job, I guess. Uh, but yeah, I I love talking to Scotty. He's just one of those guys that uh to use one of his terms, I just vibe with. And uh and he's he always teaches me something. So Scotty's gonna come on. We're gonna be talking about uh a really well-timed topic, the way that this works out, and that's going to be the shift into fall fishing. And what we all know that ever focus on strike bats is that first nor'easter, once you hit October, is typically going to be a kickoff to some some really good action. Not that there hasn't been action already, but we're just coming out of the tail end of that. And I kind of feel bad because man, the points at the shore in New Jersey, New York, even south, they're still dealing with uh, I saw 15-foot waves offshore, um, up to around 12 feet against the coast. So they're still dealing with it right now, but we're going to talk what we do on the other side of this for fishing uh because it's it's time to talk about that. Going to roll into real quick the sponsors, Great Bay Outfitters on Radio Road, the best kayak shop that you're going to find anywhere in the area. Check out uh Great Bay Outfitters for anything that you need. And uh Paul did post on Facebook as the lagoon is flooding. This is a this is an outfitter on the water, which is key because you can test out the kayaks. But it also means that Paul keeps kayaks on the floating docks. And the floating docks are, I think, above the bulkhead right now. So uh he has said if you find any kayaks floating, you can claim salvage rights. So uh maybe that'll happen. Hopefully, it doesn't for Paul's sake. But uh yeah, they're getting they're getting hit down there. But if you need anything, native, old town, and any variety of other brands that he sells used on consignment, check them out. Uh Radio Roden Tucker Tin. Quad State Tune. Kevin Driscoll is your man. If you have a Toyota truck, we're talking specifically the 4Runner Tundra, even the Lexus 460 and 470. These engine tunes are what you're going to need to improve the torque, get a better throttle response, more horsepower. Talk about the Gen 3 Tacomas. Outstanding trucks, but they have a little bit of a gear hunting issue where they don't quite shift as smooth as they should. This tune will take care of it. Reach out to Kevin, 484-633-5975. He'll he'll let you know if you need it or not. He's not just going to sell to you because you have a Toyota. He'll talk to you about what your issues are and what your hopes are, and he will tell you flat out if it's for you. So reach out to Kevin. And then the final is me for real estate. I am at Wikert Realtors Cornerstone in Bluebell and Collegeville PA. So anything southeastern Pennsylvania real estate, give me a call. Happy to help. Primary residential, can do some light commercial. And as a matter of fact, I can also help you with other states. I do have listings in other states that I work with other people on under their names. So any questions, reach out to me. I'm actually helping a friend who lives in Denver right now, just you know, as a consultant on the side for them. Happy to help you out. Numbers 267-270-1145. And as we're just about to jump in, I'm going to bring Scotty on in a second. I want to just take a second to reach out to everybody that is watching live, listening later, or watching the video later, and just say, I am really appreciative of everyone for tuning into this. This is kind of like a passion project. Not making money on this, but it's it's something I love doing, love connecting with not just the guests, but all of you out there. James Flynn was the first one in chat. He's almost always the first one in chat. And it's just great to see you guys coming back. And my brother's in there. Good to see you, Tom, even though you're there to troll. We all know that. You know, Scotty's in there. Tad, I haven't been on the water with Tad in way too long. Paul's in there for Great Bay Outfitters. Michelle and Joseph are in there so far. And there are a bunch of others that haven't chatted, but I am really grateful for everybody for kind of sticking with me over the time. This is not easy to do, especially as a solo show, but I just I love it. And the guests like coming on and connecting with all of you. So yeah, with that said, we're gonna bring Captain Scotty Sevens on because Scotty is the one that I need to talk to about this transition because you talk about somebody who is well into the summer species during season. He's he makes that big switch and then starts to dominate the fall species while he has a boat in the water. And then actually, even after that, he's been known to take other people's boats and go out and get some great footage and pictures. So, with that said, I'm gonna bring him on stage. Captain Scotty Seven. Scotty, it's good to see you again, man.

Capt. Scotty Sevins:

What's going on, fellas? Very happy to see you, Rich.

Rich Natoli - Fat Dad Fishing:

Yeah, very happy to have you on, and I'm very happy to have you on post Sheepshead.

Capt. Scotty Sevins:

So I am so happy to look and talk and do anything else aside from Sheep's Head at this point in this in the year. Yeah, I can't even tell you. It's I I gotta tell you, the last two weeks or so, I I've actually had an opportunity, a time or two to get out for a few hours myself. And I was not dropping for sheeps. I was I was I was fishing for bass, and I I like just to get my hand around some bass lips again. Yeah, I gotta tell you, I still I still have so a little bit of bass thumb, but like it just felt good. I've never been more stoked for for bass in my life. And I never really thought I'd say that. You know what I mean? Because after a while, you just kind of get a little bit jaded to things, but like super, super excited for this change.

Rich Natoli - Fat Dad Fishing:

Yeah, I I am as well. And look, full disclosure to everyone, as I get in, you know, through my recovery and back into things, Scotty and I were just talking. I've only been out five, maybe six times this entire year, which is five or six times more than last year. And I have always said striped bass is not one of my favorites. But I just I decided though, I guess the lack of fishing, maybe I took it for granted because I've been getting more and more excited for this changeover to happen and for the fall to hit. And maybe I would maybe I did just take it for granted because I am I I started the last few weeks kind of saving my time that I can get away from work and kind of stacking it later in the year. So one day is for the Fat Dad fishing get together, which we're gonna do on the Osprey. As soon as they publish the schedule, I will tell everyone live.

Capt. Scotty Sevins:

Okay, I I'm doing that. I remember we did that the last time we did that. I I think the I I think I caught the only fish. I caught a starfish. And you know what? Coincidentally, I actually saved that and dried it out and gave it to a friend of mine.

Rich Natoli - Fat Dad Fishing:

Oh, did you?

Capt. Scotty Sevins:

Yeah, yeah, that was rough.

Rich Natoli - Fat Dad Fishing:

Yeah, the starfish day. Oh, yeah, that's brutal.

Capt. Scotty Sevins:

Yeah, I try, but somebody else caught a lobster, so I think that may have superseded. I I don't know. I feel like mine was technically a fish.

Rich Natoli - Fat Dad Fishing:

Yes, there was a lot of discussion and debate about that. Yes.

Capt. Scotty Sevins:

Either way, I just uh I've never had such a fun time getting skunked in my life. It was just good vibes all around with everybody. Yeah. Ben was there, you know, Ed was there. It was just so many, so much fun with so many good people. So I am so down for that whenever it happens.

Rich Natoli - Fat Dad Fishing:

Yeah, and I'm just waiting for the Osprey to publish their schedule because look, we could just rent the whole boat, but it's too much. I just I can't do that. Solo, I'm not gonna be able to do all this and then collect money and do all this stuff to get it set up. So we're gonna wait for the schedule to come out. Okay, and then as soon as that happens, the next Monday, I'm going to announce live and I will let people know in the social media post what day it is so that people can jump in and get their spot. Um actually we ran out of spots. Good, good. The more, the more the better. I remember the last time we did it, I was not feeling well, but I had such a good time because everybody else was having such a good time around.

Capt. Scotty Sevins:

That's all that matters, man.

Rich Natoli - Fat Dad Fishing:

Yeah, yeah. It was it was great. And uh and I'm really looking forward to it. I keep getting texts. When is it? When is it? And I there's nothing I can do unless maybe I can call the captain and just say, Hey, uh Amanda.

Capt. Scotty Sevins:

Yeah.

Rich Natoli - Fat Dad Fishing:

Yeah, what when can we get this thing set up?

Capt. Scotty Sevins:

Yeah, she's the best. She really is.

Rich Natoli - Fat Dad Fishing:

Yeah. Behind the scenes, she's doing everything.

Capt. Scotty Sevins:

Oh, I know, I know. She she she's a bad hun. She really is.

Rich Natoli - Fat Dad Fishing:

Yeah. So so that'll be coming up. But let's let's start talking a little bit about what we have in front of us because you know, I mentioned it at the at the open. It seems that every year it's a storm that kicks it off. It's a nor'easter or a hurricane that comes through, and it has similar effects on the water. It just blows away the coastline, but then right behind it, you start getting the more the bigger volume and the bigger fish coming in. Do you see that happening this time or do you think it's earlier?

Capt. Scotty Sevins:

A thousand percent. And I I'll tell you this. So, and I'm going to have to back up from this, but there was there was fish up in Long Island. I mean, this stuff kicked off like this week ahead of this storm. So those fish that were up in Long Island, I guarantee will be down in after this flow here, they'll they'll they'll be they'll be right in our lap already. Yeah, they really will. So, but going back to that, you were right, we like there was signs of fall all over the marsh starting back in August. It really was. And you see this bait starting to move around. And and in my brain, because I am forever in never-ending summer mode, you know what I mean? Like, I I'm still rocking my flip-flops heavy. Like, you know, it's funny. My last trip, uh, just Friday, my guys were like, I can't believe you're still in shorts and flip-flops. I don't know how you're doing it. But but so anyway, but yeah, there were signs of fall all over the marsh, even going back to August. And I will tell you this that Eren, Eren was like the third week of August. Erin changed the entire trajectory of this early fall fishery. Completely. Yeah, it completely did. And uh few weeks after Erin, we got this nor'easter, I think it was like second week of September. Again, it completely changed the entire trajectory of the fish that I saw, what was here, what moved out, and what moved in. Yeah, um, and I and I gotta tell you, like, we like those those storms, while it it it put a damper and killed one fishery, it brought like uh a whole realm of new possibilities. And and I'll tell you what, it really brought with it even those those earlier storms, and I'm gonna I'm going back with Aaron, it really brought in a lot of big bass into the backwater.

unknown:

Yeah.

Rich Natoli - Fat Dad Fishing:

Well, how have you been doing on them in your personal time? You're not you're not chartering for them yet, are you? Or have you already made that?

Capt. Scotty Sevins:

So I always I always bring spot with me, no matter what I'm doing, and I always bring that as a backup. That's always my just in case anyone that's been out with me knows, because there's usually an opportunity within, like, say, like a normal trip, where you have the opportunity to drop and hook into some really quality bass. Like, I'll tell you, we broke off, and nobody wants to hear about the ones that got away, but we we broke off some real monsters the last few weeks, and it's just based on what you're trying to pull them out of. You're just trying to pull them out of wretched, wretched, wretched rubble. And you know what I mean? And and I'll say this people say, okay, we'll scale up the tackle. Well, you do, but there's a very there's a very distinct like correlation between the size of your tackle and your leader size, and the amount of bites that you get. You know what I mean? So if you're throwing down 50 fluoro, you're not getting the same amount of bites as you are with 20 fluoro. It's just a fact of the matter.

Rich Natoli - Fat Dad Fishing:

Really?

Capt. Scotty Sevins:

A thousand percent, yeah.

Rich Natoli - Fat Dad Fishing:

I I haven't really tested that. I I would say that I don't feel that they're well, let's qualify this. It it does depend on what they're doing at the time. In a blitz, I think you're fine with whatever.

Capt. Scotty Sevins:

Yeah, and we're talking, um we're talking strictly back bay right now.

Rich Natoli - Fat Dad Fishing:

Yeah, so you're you're talking some holdovers and some of their their early arrivals. Yeah, so yeah, so you're definitely gonna want to lead her down where you can. The other thing is it gives you better action when you have the lighter leaders on there, yeah, it does and for the spot too.

Capt. Scotty Sevins:

The bait, the yeah, the bait swim sprayer. Like, I'm constantly looking for new ways to present like a live spot to make it look as natural as possible. Like for the longest time for years and years and years and years and years, but actually before anybody else was doing it, like I was live lining lining on bottom sweeper jakes for years, man. Even eels included. Like, I I was dropping the one ounce 3-0. That was that was that was my my eel, my eel reg go-to. And of course, you can't do that anymore because uh, you know the circle hook. Circle hooks, exactly.

Rich Natoli - Fat Dad Fishing:

Yeah, which which I was shocked that I suspect it, but I I would I was still shocked that they don't have any updated mortality rates based on circle hooks. And not only do they not have them, they they haven't studied it.

Capt. Scotty Sevins:

Yeah, and uh listen, I'll I'll say this, and like, you know, like I I really do try to follow the regs, but I was one of those I did not want to switch over, and I switched over, and I will say the next 10 fish, uh, eight out of ten were all gut hooked with on circle hooks.

Rich Natoli - Fat Dad Fishing:

Really?

Capt. Scotty Sevins:

Uh yeah, absolutely. Man, back when I used to live line with the bottom sweepers, it was it they were always caught in the same thing, uh, same place, right in the right in the tip of the uh. Yeah, right at the top. Ne never I never had a swallowed uh hook uh live lining on a bottom sweeper, not ever.

Rich Natoli - Fat Dad Fishing:

Yeah, I think you know, one of the things is that I think I think circle hooks work, however, it doesn't matter what the shape of the hook is if you're letting it eat it all the way. Yeah, it's gonna it's gonna circle its way into something on the way out. I mean, that's soft, soft tissue it's going through if it if it gets down into the stomach. You know, and and when you think about it, people that are using circle hooks may be dead sticking. And if they're dead sticking it and they they inhale the thing, all it takes is that second gulp of it. You know, it inhales it and then it gulps it all the way down. Yeah. And then you know, on the second or the third time, once it's turned right in its mouth, and that's it. You're you're gut hooked. But if you're using the bottom sweepers, you're not doing that. You're actively.

Capt. Scotty Sevins:

I mean, really, and and the fish, the fish would always hook themselves, yeah. Really, you know, there wasn't a whole lot. Even back when you could use, you know, the snag hooks, a lot of people made the mistake of, you know, letting that bass like like actually swallow the bait. But no, you don't even have to do that. Like back back when you could use the snag hooks, if you just kept that thing locked up, that as soon as they grabbed that bunker, there there's no getting away from that. And they were always they were always hooked in in some not not deep in their throat and somewhere where you could grab them.

Rich Natoli - Fat Dad Fishing:

Yeah, I'll I'll tell you this though. As far as the snag hooks, for me personally, I I didn't see any issue with saying, you know, with the no snag and drop part of it, you know, because look, my snag rigs are not the the rods and the the tackle that I want to use to actually catch and fight a fish. Yeah, you know, they're typically heavier with that real heavy tip, they've got a heavier leader on it, and I'm just cranking that thing out as far as I can because often you're doing it offshore or out front, and the bunker is not right next to you. Now, now in a kayak like in the Raritan, you can literally just toss five feet and just snag something most of the time. But back then it was you're pulling the boat up and you see it 50, 60 yards away and you're hauling to get it. So I always, always from day one, would snag and bring it in and just transfer it onto a regular hook and then toss it out. I just I honestly I think that works better than having that big heavy snag hook on there. It just to me, it's not the same thing, it's an easier fight with that big snag hook on there. And to me, that's that's not what I'm looking for. I'm looking for some fight too.

Capt. Scotty Sevins:

Yeah, no, I I get it. Yeah, and there's there's a lot of different schools of thought, and there's a lot of guys that agree with it, and some that don't agree, but yeah, you know, I I don't want to get into the I I I don't judge the guys that still do it, and I don't judge the guys that you know that do the transfer, you know what I mean?

Rich Natoli - Fat Dad Fishing:

Yeah, um I don't either. I like I said, it was my personal preference to do it that way. If other people are like, no, you just snag it and let it go. I'm like, that's cool, that's what you like doing, just do it. You know, now you can't anymore, or at least don't get caught doing it. But I just didn't think it was that much fun. So for me personally, I was like, yeah, I don't care, no big deal. Yeah.

Capt. Scotty Sevins:

But so I'm hoping that back into like the whole backwater piece of things, because that's that's what I'm most excited with. Like, Rich, when I tell you, like uh anybody that's that's known me for a while know knew how much, especially my sophomore Sundays, how special flats fishing for striped bass was to me. You know, like that was my peace, that was my serenity, that was my church. And you know, the last few years I haven't had a chance to do that, but like I'm really excited to start doing that again. In fact, that's real, I'm more excited to start doing that than I am chasing, you know, like the fall ocean bass, believe it or not.

Rich Natoli - Fat Dad Fishing:

I I prefer the I do prefer the backwater. I think it's and actually, why don't we do this? Why don't we go through and we'll both kind of throw out how things are changing between the summer bass fishing and and the fall? And listen, everybody, I I totally realize tog, blackfish, is a big part of this fall transition. That's not going to be really what we're focusing on right now. It's really the transition from you know, away from fluke and away from some of the other species and into striped bass as king, and it is king through the end of the year for most people, for most people, not everybody, but most people. One thing I do want to mention is the where you're going to find them is going to expand. And what I mean by that is in the summer, when you're fishing, yes, there are certain well, let let me just start here. It's very much a time of day dependent fishery. So there are certain spots that you have to be at certain times. And if you're not there, the fish don't leave, they don't leave the inlets, but they're not going to be feeding. And what they typically do is they get down deep and they just kind of hunker down for the day in the heat of the day because the water's a little warm for them.

Capt. Scotty Sevins:

And yeah, that's changing. I totally I totally agree with you in a lot of different scenarios with that. But believe it or not, like even the last few weeks, like the bass that I'm I've been plucking, even bigger bass, believe it or not, is like midday stuff. Right.

Rich Natoli - Fat Dad Fishing:

But what is what's the water temperature right now, though?

Capt. Scotty Sevins:

Yeah, well, before this, like I was still plucking them in like 73 degree water temp, believe it or not.

Speaker 3:

Okay.

Capt. Scotty Sevins:

Yeah. I mean, I think my last trip out Friday, yeah, Friday, I think it was like 68 or 69, believe it or not.

Rich Natoli - Fat Dad Fishing:

See, that to me is perfect. That's that to me is where the transition happens once it gets below 70. That's where you start seeing like the wholesale change of behaviors and locations. And it's it's almost like they wake up.

Capt. Scotty Sevins:

It is, it is. And I know a lot of guys like like I am not, and and I've often said this, but like, I am not a purist by any stretch of the imagination. Uh purist meaning like artificial purist. Right. I I I I like doing what works, you know what I mean? And and the one thing that I always said, sometimes you have to feed them what they want to eat and not what you want to feed them.

Speaker 3:

Yeah.

Capt. Scotty Sevins:

You know, and that that's that's my big that's a quote that I I've been saying for years, and it's really the truth. You know what I mean? Because a lot of these bass, uh, and even stretching back into August, they they've been here, they've been here for a while, and and sometimes you're you're not gonna get these bigger bass to eat like an artificial, and it takes things like live mullet and live spot or live eels to get these bigger backwater fish to eat. You know what I mean?

Rich Natoli - Fat Dad Fishing:

Yeah, I I agree. You know, it's it's like the uh, you know, when I worked for Salt Storm, it was like all artificial. I was like, fishing with minnows. Um, it's like you can say that, but when the tournament comes up, guess guess who's going out with live bait or dead baits in variety, and guess who's at least gonna have something to weigh if he wants to. Exactly. And it was me. Exactly. You know, it was me and everybody that was open-minded. It's the guys that go out, I think, and are and look, if you if it's just what you want to do, you just hate bait fishing, more power to you. Just then then don't do that.

Capt. Scotty Sevins:

I get it, and and you know what? In a lot of ways, it's not the cool thing to do. You're not you're not throwing the uh the the cool new bait companies, you know what I mean? You're not repping them, and uh it's not the cool thing to do. But guess what? Lifelining puts up more numbers than anything, it really does, especially in the back bay, hands down. And and and I and I real I really stick I stick by that. I really do.

Rich Natoli - Fat Dad Fishing:

I I would agree. It it's you know, again, if you can bring yourself to do it. I've said before, and John Creeley was on recently, and I I always joke with him that he's a good dude.

Capt. Scotty Sevins:

I I've I've been thinking about him a lot lately.

Rich Natoli - Fat Dad Fishing:

I I always tell him, I'm like, you know, you wear your your gear like fashion accessories. Yeah, and he's like, I know, I know. I'm like, you got you got your van stall over here, you got your whatever rod here, you got this, you got this beautiful pink reel. And he's like, I know, I know. I'm like, it's nothing wrong with that. But then you have me on the opposite, like one of my most used reels over the past five, six years is a what is it? It's a pen pursuit. It's like a it now, it's like a $20 to $30 reel. But I've caught more striped bass, more actually, that's my sheep's head rig. I've caught more sheep's head, striped bass, and fluke on that than all of my others combined. And I don't go really expensive for the kayak, but I just don't do it.

Capt. Scotty Sevins:

You can't take the chance. And and you know, it's funny, like people think like, oh, I have all this expensive gear, and I do for like my fall run ocean bass, I do have my really not nice setups, which are I'll go over shortly. But if people looked at my backwater setups, they'd be like, What even is this? It's it's destroyed, it's literally destroyed. Like, I haven't bought myself a new backwater fishing reel in probably six years. Yeah, and and all my backwater rods, my my tackle is just trashed. It's it it really is. I gotta, but you know what? Uh it's it's funny when people say like when people have like really nice things. I was like, I'm a boat guy, I can't afford nice, nice tackle. Yeah, you know what I mean?

Rich Natoli - Fat Dad Fishing:

Uh it's but look, there there's nothing I again, there's nothing wrong with that. I gotta show this comment. This is this is freaking hilarious. What's this? All right, check on the screen of Jeff DiDario. Got a lot of product in that hair. I do it. I do have product.

Capt. Scotty Sevins:

Yeah, yeah. Oh, okay.

Rich Natoli - Fat Dad Fishing:

Yes, this is where I spend my money.

Capt. Scotty Sevins:

Oh, Keith, Keith Alanardo, what's up, Keith? That's Hip Fish. How you doing, buddy?

Rich Natoli - Fat Dad Fishing:

Yeah, and Keith, Keith has some a good point that I I also started to bring up. I just had to bring up the the hair product thing first. Yes, I do spend money on certain products.

Capt. Scotty Sevins:

I I I gotta tell you, Keith is one of those guys that flies under the radar and he doesn't get enough acknowledgement as he should. Keith is an OG in this game.

Speaker 3:

Yeah.

Capt. Scotty Sevins:

And I I have so much love and respect, and I'm I'm just giving them a shout-out right now, Keith. Uh you you are the man, and you are inspiring. And like I remember when I was coming up, I would watch Hit Fish all the time. And man, he just he he knows. He is he is really dialed in, and he's another guy with no ego, and just I don't know, just can't say enough good things about him.

Rich Natoli - Fat Dad Fishing:

I I've never I've never met Keith. It sounds like my mystery.

Capt. Scotty Sevins:

I've never met him in person, but I've always I've been dying to fish with him and even just kick it at a restaurant and just have you know have a good meal with him. Him and him and his wife, Amy, man, they're always on some sort of cool adventure.

Rich Natoli - Fat Dad Fishing:

Well, so maybe, maybe, you know, that's what that's why we do the uh the annual fishing trip so that people can see each other in person. You know, it's funny. And I I I joke around with my wife. She's like, Are you going fishing? I'm like, I don't have anyone to go with. And she's like, Really? Out of all those people, I'm like, no, but I know that so and so is going with so and so, and so and she's like, she's like, You're not included on the no. It's but it's but a lot of I've I've gotten a lot of messages from people that met each other in person. They know each other from the chat, right? Yeah, sure. And and they got to know each other on the talk trips, and now they go out and they fish together all the time. I think that's awesome. That's one of the best parts of this book.

Capt. Scotty Sevins:

I can't say enough good things about Ben Barber too, crabbing and fishing. Yeah, it's been so nice to see his rise. Like that man, he just he I met him in the chats and through this, and you know, met him on the on the top trip, and I've just seen him accomplish so many great things. Like, and it's it's nice to see, man. Shout, shout out to Ben Barber. He he really put his time in, he really put a lot of time and hard work in, and I'm glad to see it paying off for him.

Rich Natoli - Fat Dad Fishing:

Yeah, he he's done, he's done a good job. Yeah, yeah, he was on recently. Uh yeah. There are a couple we're we're starting to get some questions in there. Yeah, sure. But one one thing I do want to, it's good that you mentioned Keith because I had starred one of his comments to show, and I'm gonna show it right now. And I think this goes to where I was I was talking about how the fish in the warmer waters will get down deep and kind of hang there until it cools off. Yeah, and that goes directly with this comment. The oxygen levels have a lot to do with it as well. And yeah, what people don't always know, I think, I think a lot of people know. this most people know this but maybe not everyone is that when you have the warmer water it's holding less oxygen and just think about it think about it this way it it's if you think about sports and playing at Mile High Stadium and how that can impact the fitness not the fitness but the the stamina an athlete now and you're talking athletes I went I went once to out to the Rockies and we hiked a mountain and it was absolute insanity.

Capt. Scotty Sevins:

I couldn't catch my breath and that's what it can get like the hotter the water gets and that's why you have to be a that that is a really great point and that is and that's why like OGs like Keith like they know that stuff. Me like my simple mind I I equate oh the bite shut down because the because of the moon phase that we're in you know what I mean or the time and I don't think about important things like that that really do have a lot to do with it.

Rich Natoli - Fat Dad Fishing:

Yeah and that's what a lot of the temperature is is it's it's really an oxygen level for for some fish. You know like you can see a speckled trout is good up to like 95 degree water. Well it it's not necessarily the temperature of the water it's what happens to the oxygen levels in there combined with the temperature that can really go.

Capt. Scotty Sevins:

Yeah and that's and I know even even for a sheep's head like you know you people would think there are warm water fish but like even this year when the when the the water temps went like tropical like that even shut them down.

Rich Natoli - Fat Dad Fishing:

Yeah you know it's because they're the there's not enough oxygen it's too stagnant and they probably all disappeared and ran off you know yeah or they sit in the cooler water until nighttime and then you know they wake up and they get more active because it's easier for them to move around. Again it all goes back to the the the simple fact every fish is eating only to stay alive right so every calorie that they expend to get that meal is is precious to them. So if they're expending more calories in the hot water with less oxygen because you know they're doing the equivalent of gasping for air, well it's it's less appealing to them. They'll still do it they'll still eat you know all day long if they can if it's an easy meal but you know I I think that does have a big a big role in it.

Capt. Scotty Sevins:

So and and and I'll I'll even say this and and I might get a little bit of hate for this but you know like I've I kept a few bass over the last few weeks you know just for for people that I had out and with the amount of bait I'm telling you the backwater is teeming with bait. You can walk across the water and most of these fish that that I had whacked up had nothing in their belly and they're they have every reason to be feasting and gorging on all this all these resources that that are there to them. So it's really interesting.

Rich Natoli - Fat Dad Fishing:

Yeah it really is so so what are you what are what are the sizes that you've been seeing so far in the backwaters?

Capt. Scotty Sevins:

Oh my God kind of all all over the place like yeah you I'm seeing some like smaller like 26 inch fish but like I'm telling you especially live lining like most fish are going to be in that slot range or above like I'm I'm seeing fish up to 36 inches like and that's like on the norm. It really is so I mean and when you you you think about and you know I know there's probably a lot of North Jersey guys that think about what will hear this and be like oh you know like 36 inch bass or a slap bass but you know for us South Jersey guys that is an incredible backwater fish. You know what I mean? Yeah yeah even th 30 inches is a is is an amazing backwater fish.

Rich Natoli - Fat Dad Fishing:

It is I I remember my biggest I was so excited back in the day when I caught a 37 incher I was so excited you know because it was back it was a giant backwater fish.

Capt. Scotty Sevins:

Yeah you know what's funny and it just makes you reminisce on things like I remember like my when I really first started getting into backwater fishing I remember my first like actual keeper bass and the the regs back then it was two fish over 28 inches or whatever. And my first keeper strike bass and looking back on it I wouldn't have kept it these days but was probably like 33 inches or something like that.

Rich Natoli - Fat Dad Fishing:

That's a good one.

Capt. Scotty Sevins:

And it is and but I was so proud and like I I remember that there's a picture of me with it and the look on my face and just the excitement like I was shocked that I was even able to do it. And you know it's funny in in his belly he had one big giant shrimp like a prawn size shrimp in his belly. Really? Yeah yeah I was actually just talking with a buddy of mine about that the you know I but I believe that it's this time of year that we actually do get a huge flow of uh of shrimp of like big shrimp that come into our back bays this time of year.

Rich Natoli - Fat Dad Fishing:

Really? Okay. So I did not know that. And yeah so that that's key. I mean you know knowing things like that I mean that's important because that changes your tactics right there. It does. It does. And I'll tell you one thing I'm just gonna mention this one of my favorite lures to use when fishing artificial is a a shrimp lure. And I'm not saying gulp you know gulp work by the way a lot of people won't use gulp for striped bass. They work they're fine you don't need them but you start looking at any of the larger shrimp patterns and throw those up along a sod bank and just let it kind of you know knock down the ledge that to me is is a great way to do it. I do I do put some procure on it but I I found that the best way to work a shrimp in the backwater is in the shallower waters under a what's it called a popping cork.

Capt. Scotty Sevins:

Yeah so that is a great way now we're getting now we're getting into the weeds with things because this is something that I've been I've I've started to implement and I'm starting to use this in a lot of different ways with the popping corks and everything and the floats and being able to set afloat at a certain distance I gotta tell you the guys up in Jersey that is something that is not utilized nearly enough and can be absolutely deadly especially with flounder striped bass I'll even go as far as to say as your barnacle eaters so to speak the yes now you're getting somewhere.

Rich Natoli - Fat Dad Fishing:

Yeah I really like them and a lot of people think oh it's a it's a bobber but it's not like you actually work it and there is a way to work it and if it it's just that noise that clack for some reason it brings them in I've heard everything from it mimics an injured bait fish to a crab whatever you know the sound a shrimp makes when it takes off I don't know what the hell it sounds like but I know that I've caught a lot of different species of fish everything from redfish to specks to weak fish to fluke to strip bass on it. I don't know I can't recall anything oh bluefish obviously catch bluefish on on a bottle cap. Yeah but it it it works and you can put artificial or you can put natural baits under it too so it's it's really up to you.

Capt. Scotty Sevins:

And you know what I'm just sorry if I'm looking away I'm just looking through like the chat and like there and like this is why I love the chat in this community so much. Like like look looking at Keith uh just said my biggest backwater bass is 42 inches in like oh one maybe he said he never beat it and that was on a clam haha but like a 42 inch striped bass in the back bay that's a monster man absolutely that's a monster and that's something to be proud of it is yeah Ben crabbing and fishing I believe any catch for a given person might be their personal best and it will always be celebrated on my boat. And you know what Ben there's no better there's that that is truly beautiful because I totally agree. It's man any catch like be proud of anything you catch. It doesn't have to be always the biggest it doesn't have to be the greatest you know it doesn't have to be like a like a double digit sheep's head or like a a 40 inch backwater bass. Every catch is something to be celebrated man it you know it's making those memories with those people and especially the important people to you you know that's the stuff that really matters.

Rich Natoli - Fat Dad Fishing:

Yeah my my uh good on you Ben yeah I I agree me personally my favorite catch ever was a six foot Mako I've caught bigger yeah but it was the first one I caught with with my grandfather sure that's the only fish that I have tattooed on me. That's awesome that that is really awesome I have that on on the back of my shoulder and you know it a lot of people would look at that if I don't I don't even know if there are any pictures around anymore.

Capt. Scotty Sevins:

We did by the way eat it back when pictures were actually pictures.

Rich Natoli - Fat Dad Fishing:

Yeah they were pictures we did eat it for dinner well many dinners but it it was yeah I'll never forget that um and that actually got me into a decade of just constant shark fishing.

Capt. Scotty Sevins:

Uh obsessed with sharks exactly and and I I everybody I if you've been following me you've hear heard me tell to tell this story but my one of my earliest fishing memories my dad had me on a boat I I think I was two years old and they took me Mako fishing for my first time at two years old and they proceeded to hook into probably a 10 foot Mako and I just remember being in awe and watching this thing somersault and jump. Yeah just they're like Scotty get in the cabin and and I just remember climbing up on the helm seat and watching this thing swim by but you know what watch I that is burned in my memory forever. Yeah like I don't I don't know these days who would take a two year old make of fish and shout out to Nut for doing that that was epic.

Rich Natoli - Fat Dad Fishing:

That's awesome but that's that's what that's what got me bit yeah that's what got me bit and I was obsessed with sharks after that yeah you know I I'm still obsessed with them I I forced myself not to go for them but honestly and we'll get back on topic in a second but honestly what I want to do is do a mothership kayak trip if I can find somebody to do it at an affordable price to take us off you know 30 40 miles maybe out to the cigar or something like that drop the kayaks in the water you just mothership around you do your own fishing do hang out and on the kayaks go shark fishing. Yeah and then you know when we bring it in if it's you know a certain size then obviously we can land it and they can they can boat it from the the actual boat and they can take care of it.

Capt. Scotty Sevins:

You know what Rich, if you're serious about doing that I know some guys that have boats that would actually love to make that happen. And even you know like a thresher or something like that. Yeah I actually do know some guys that would be that would be happy to to would probably love to make that happen.

Rich Natoli - Fat Dad Fishing:

Oh well we'll talk about it then I just got to find a couple of other people that are willing to do it. Yeah I I think it would be great. I think it'd be so much fun to to go out there and do that. All right well we got to jump back while we've been talking there's been a conversation in the chat that I think is worth bringing up and it's about different we were talking about the different brands and the the the pricey equipment and everything. So Jeff started off the conversation said well how do you guys feel about pen so I'm gonna start off and I'm gonna say Penn used to be in my mind the best that was available we're talking 30 40 years ago right yeah and that's all that and look full disclosure I was brought up on pen. That's all that we ever have and they're heavy as hell the old ones I still have old ones and I still use them when I'm surf fishing for with bait you know if I'm sticking it in a rod holder that's what I'm using. I still use pen even though they're made in China they're not of the same quality and a couple reasons they are still more reliable in my opinion than most other brands they're less expensive and any shop can fix it at a reasonable price. Yeah you look at Dio I absolutely love Dio. You break a Dio you're never going to get it fixed.

Capt. Scotty Sevins:

I mean you're talking years to get new parts I think the real seat actually works on Dio but same yeah it's it's very difficult to get that stuff worked on. And it's funny that you say that because I remember when I first got into backwater fishing my first real good reel that I bought was the Pen Spin Fisher V a Live Liner 4500. I still have that and you know what it's something that I use for my charters now for live lining. Yeah and that thing has never once been serviced the the paint is peeling off it has been abused I used to use it for uh my ghetto shark and I would call it and it it just keeps working yeah so I mean pen stuff is great it really is yeah the other other things I so Stratic is probably my favorite reel.

Rich Natoli - Fat Dad Fishing:

It's a little pricey for me in a kayak I have dropped just being an idiot I've dropped you know rods overboard and watched them sink. So that's the reason I don't spend money on them. It's not because they get abused by the salt because every single one including that pursuit I talked about that is literally on every kayak trip that I take and that little $30 reel has been going for since before my actually it was in the first video I ever made for this channel was that run.

Capt. Scotty Sevins:

And and and that and that stuff like my 4500 live liners it becomes very very sentimental and some things just have the mojo but I was going to get into some of like my fall run gear I have yeah let's roll right into that. So my fall run gear this is my hands down my favorite rod so this is built by House of Rods shout out to Uncle Chuck he is the best this is a what is it black hole Suzuki blank and it's rated to half ounce to two ounces but you can do a lot with it I have it set up to where it's got like the surf handle grip and on it I have my viscer. Now this is the Gem1 Visser and I've had a lot of issues with with this but I will say the company has been very very stand up and they were great to deal with amazing customer service but I do have 30 pound braid set up on this and this is eight foot like even fishing from the boat for fall run stuff like I I really prefer eight foot rods. And just real quick going into this so and this is my one heavier back water setup that I use now this has uh I'm a huge fan of the VRs I know that we're getting into expensive stuff but these VRs are incredible and this is a VR 50 but I will I will tell you this so for me the perfect boat reel that you can do anything with for the fall run would be a VR 75 which my dad has. I have the VR 50 which is a little bit smaller but what most people don't know is the only difference between the VR 50 and 75 is spool size. So if you're somebody that has a VR 50 and likes it all I did is I bought a VR 75 spool and I can I and I can swap them out. So I have my 50 spool on right now for the backwater but when I switch over the fall run I have my 75 spool which fits right on the VR 50 body filled with 30 pound braid that I can do whatever with you know what I mean so so yeah so you don't have to so if you do you don't have to spend the money on an extra reel like that because I don't have that like extra money. So that is a great little trick and a lot of the VR stuff is sized like that. So so yeah so I'll be putting my 75 spool back on the 50 now that we're getting into like the fall run stuff then going into like my heavier outfit and this is another one my this is my it's my my my pink my pink rod made by House of Rods with the my little pony spec in it yeah I love it I love it but this has the VR 125 on it and I will say this again I'm a huge fan of the VRs because you they they don't need service they don't break down and you can just beat them up and beat them up and beat them up. However the 125 I do not like because it's geared a whole lot lower so if you're gonna try to work like topwater plugs with this you're cranking out it yeah it's just like turn and turn and turn and that's why that's why I think the the VR 75 is like the perfect backwater or you can the if you get the 50 and get a 75 spool you can do anything in the backwater with that like heavier bass work or and you can go out front and you can live line 40 pound bass on it with the 75 and the the the gear the gear it's a lot faster gear ratio on the 75 and 50 they have the same like quick pickup. So believe it or not the the 50 the VR50 and VR 75 the pickup and line return is a lot faster than even on the bigger wheels.

Rich Natoli - Fat Dad Fishing:

So yeah the the gear ratio is the gear ratio is important and a lot of people don't think about massively important. Yeah yeah yeah and I I I want to bring up a point we're getting into the season where you are going to start getting some 40 pound fish even if you're in the backwaters and one thing that I I did so look you you have those bigger reels and those bigger rods and I I want to say you don't have to have the big equipment to get those my personal best striped bass I didn't take it out of the water but very easy to tell it was well over 50 inches by where it was alongside my kayak I caught it on a TFO Pro 76 medium heavy 15 pound braid love it. Yeah but it took too long right yeah it was 14 feet of water and it took it took 20 minutes to get it that's awesome up 14 feet and it was a fight and everything so I I'd want to caution people don't go too light. I thought I had a snag when I hooked it and then it moved and it was insanity after that. That's awesome.

Capt. Scotty Sevins:

Yeah I was I was ready to break the rod that you that you say that too because honestly I used I used to use my little noodle lamaglass TFX uh it was 6615 S. It was a little six foot six carbon fiber noodle rod and all I had was a 2500 Dio on that with 15 pound test and I would live line with that and my biggest backwater bass even back then I I 40 plus inch fish like like 30 plus pounds I've caught on on that that setup on a 2500.

Rich Natoli - Fat Dad Fishing:

Yeah if you work it right you can I I will let let's qualify it a little bit. So I did I had a a Penn Fierce 3000 and by the way once you get to the fierce model and above they have the same drag system so the the the fierce which is around $90 is the same drag system that you're getting on the $200 reels. So just so that people know that I was in a kayak which makes it easier because it was pulling me. So it wasn't you know you're on a big boat it's not pulling the boat so it puts more strain on the rod and the line a lot of times you have to do a lot of fancy boat work in order to even land a lot of these fish because they're they're going ballistic well exactly but with a kayak it's more of just turn the rudder and let it kind of pull you so you have your weight plus the rod and the line and all that stuff helps out. But I think the one thing I want to make from that point is yes you can land really big fish with really small gear. Yeah but you shouldn't necessarily do that right because that fish was played out when I let it go. Now luckily it was really cold water it was I think it was late March up in the Raritan Bay or Raritan River a couple years ago and it it swam off really strong. I'm hoping that she stayed alive I'm pretty sure she did the re the way that she got free was as I grabbed her mouth I I went to knock the hook out of the lip and she thrashed once and just snapped the the leader. So like right at the hook almost so I think she was okay she took off what pound leader was it? So it was 15 pound braid so it was probably it was probably 20 pound liter yeah but it broke the it broke the leader not the line because I was holding the leader with my left hand and I had the the mouth with my right and it was a perfect spot that I could put my thumb to kind of like knock the lure out.

Capt. Scotty Sevins:

And as I did that she thrashed I dropped it and it just kind of snapped so real quick so James Flynn was asking about uh ghost bluefin setups. Yep so and of course everybody knows the debacle we're in right now with them closing down the bluefin fishery in fact that killed a lot of my motivation for this ball I'm going to be honest with you it's a shame because it's always been my dream to land one solo but anyhow so I don't have I'm still working through like my preferred setup I know for for real wise I have an 18000 Saragosa and that that reel has been through a lot of stuff the rod I'm not very happy with and I'll just call it out is it's an OTI it's like a it's like it was like a cheaper I don't know introductory setup but the rod's like a it's an eight foot rod it's like a broomstick all of the pressure goes on to the angler like the like the rod doesn't eat up any of the any of the pressure of of the fish so you all that is going like weighing back on you which is really really difficult. So I would suggest getting something more with a parabolic soft bend and parabolic bend especially like with bigger fish that's that's what I need these days. Even like my bigger setups for bigger bass I don't like this fast action stuff. I like stuff with a real nice parabolic bend where the rod just heats up all that pressure.

Rich Natoli - Fat Dad Fishing:

Right. So it gets into the backbone and it's a it's a long backbone.

Capt. Scotty Sevins:

Exactly exactly and as far as my 1800 ghost so what I have I have 65 pound braid on that and I choose to go with the 65 because I wanted more line capacity than I did with the drag because here's the thing man I know with me these days I'm getting older like I'm not I'm not fighting a fish on maxed out drag anymore. I I can't like in fact the last bluefin from last year my uh that blew it blew up my my elbow yeah like I see Rothman and all like I was on that fish like full locked like Saragosa for an hour and 20 minutes and at one point I had to put the rod in the rod holder as I'm maneuvering the boat and that rod is just buckling and popping and creaking and like the real seat was like I thought the rod was going to explode it never did but but yeah so that's that's just like a fun little story.

Rich Natoli - Fat Dad Fishing:

I forgot where I was going with that well I'll tell you what those those videos when you're hooking into those fish solo and you've got that 360 cam are insanity.

Capt. Scotty Sevins:

Yeah the stoke the stoke is just unreal when you're chasing a feed for six hours and you've you get one bite or two bites and you finally get one to stick it's just like the this there there is nothing fishing wise that could ever compare to that. Truly I mean it and listen I am not the authority in ghost hunting at all there's these young kids that I that I have a tremendous amount of respect for in their earlier 20s mid-20s especially a lot of local kids to hear I mean they they put in some work and shout out to them I'll say it right now shout out to Thomas shout out to Connor like you guys you guys got your stuff figured out big salute to you guys I mean yeah the it's it's incredible the kids these days like just you know there's there's two different schools of thought there's the ones that just want to watch YouTube and don't want to put in their time right and then there's the dudes like like Thomas and Connor that they're out there grinding their chase they're they're making reports they they're not posting they're they work really hard to like figure the fishery out you know what I mean and I I'm just I'm just honestly I'm just a lone wolf with a dream I don't have the knowledge of the ghost I I just I'm out there just doing my thing like a lone wolf hoping that I could score on something. So I just want to like pre-qualify myself that I am I am nowhere near any sort of expert on this subject at all.

Rich Natoli - Fat Dad Fishing:

But um just just a kid with a dream that's all yeah but we've all we've all seen your video your videos of when you hook into those things and did you get spooled on you got spool almost spooled on one yeah the the last one the last one from last December December 7th and like I remember the dates it's like crazy.

Capt. Scotty Sevins:

Fact in fact that day I actually did hook a thresher on a jig believe it or not too I didn't even believe what I was seeing but I I I saw fish of all sizes that day Rich and I was like man I'll just be happy with a 200 pounder. Fish of all sizes I think I I hooked up and pulled hooks on too rolled up on this last feed and I'm like dude I don't even want to cast into this I don't even want to cast into these fish they are not manageable they're like five six eight hundred pounds are absolutely freaking huge and and and like I hesitate and I cast and I'm like kind of wincing and of course that's the one that stays pinned it's always the one that and I gotta tell you from initial hookup it was like 20 seconds and I saw silver on the spool and you can hear me like I run around the boat start the engines up yeah um start chasing it down and you can hear me say oh oh shit and that's because I'm seeing silver on the spool like that fast that fast and I got 500 yards of uh of 65 pound on my on my GOSA 18k you know what I mean there's nothing there's nothing worse than hooking into a a fish you know a a great fish and hearing that ping at the end where it breaks oh no there there is no hearing that ping and let me tell you I was full throttle up on plane chasing that fish down because there was no way I was getting dumped yeah you know what I mean not only that but like come on man like I'm not made of money that's 80 bucks worth of line that's going like I want to get some of it back. Yeah and also like if I got spooled I didn't have another rod to continue fishing with like you better get that back.

Rich Natoli - Fat Dad Fishing:

Yeah I've I've been spooled I've been spooled surf fishing sucks. It's the worst it's the worst although the last time that I was spooled I was young enough that my grandfather was still paying for the the line yeah so let me tell you let me tell you something about being

Capt. Scotty Sevins:

spooled and being spooled close. So in my marina this year, everybody's familiar. Well I'm not gonna say the name. So there's there's a big charter guy, very well known, well very well respected. I have a tremendous amount of respect for the guy. They went sea bass in every sea bass scrap that through got thrown into the water they had a hundred pound bluefin eating it eating it eating it eating it. Well they end up catching it and who would have thought in my marina just right right here in South Jersey there would be a hundred pound bluefin tuna lurking around in my marina that's awesome. You know it's it's crazy but it really makes you think like in the back bay here in you know in Ocean City or wherever you get picked up by something and you get spooled you just never know what that could actually be. Yeah yeah you know and that that to me is a big appeal for saltwater fishing because you you pretty well know for fresh that's what keeps us all coming back you know yeah yeah that's that that is for me so yeah we're Jesus we're already at our hour I know what what have we what have we missed what have we missed that that we should really just throw out there right now you always have a list of stuff did we cover it so yeah so just some things if you guys are looking for like fall run fishing and like stuff that's in my bag and this can go for tuna or best wolfpack tackle these ahi jigs man I can't say enough good things about these they look like an eel they can look like a bunker they got tuna grade hooks on them in fact this is what I hooked my last bluefin on back in the fall but I love these wolf pack tackle and it's another it's another company that like kind of flies under the radar that's not well known they make these jigs in all sizes I cannot say enough good things about them and these are not going to get destroyed on you. I don't I don't even know if these are I think there might even be bluefish proof so I got those when it comes to like everyone needs the big walking spooks in their bag this is one of my favorites shout out to Ahern Tackle I don't really care for some of the bigger well-known companies I'm not gonna knock them but Ahern Tackle Bobby from Back Bay uh plugs did uh did a run alures with these can't say enough good things and they're not expensive at all there's some of my my favorite go-to grabs of course you always gotta have the white storm shads in the collection I will say this though one of my favorite companies and I don't have one out now but shout out to slab zone man slab zone makes killer killer killer products and if you're looking for jigs like that that aren't gonna like you may pay a little bit more money for them but uh slab zones don't get torn up like I remember my slab zones from the back bay I used to catch a hundred fish on one slab zone and that's that's no joke. Yeah so I would really look into slab zone Aaron is a great dude he's a West Coast guy you know some you some uh he just did a a slab zone version too you could they track incredibly well whether you're reeling them fast or deep jigging working them slow they they they they track truer than any shad that I've ever used so definitely slab zone also shout out to Hokahe I love the the plugs that Hokahe makes this is a jointed swimmer here he's got a little tail on it Hokahe is he's an incredible guy Jonathan he was taught by Mike Fixter and Mike Fixter was the godfather of the Pikey yeah and Jonathan shout out to him big respect for Jonathan I love all of his products again backbait plug company I can't get say enough good things about Bobby this is the jersey killer here everybody knows has seen this color if you're familiar with them love these jointed swimmers by backbait plug company can be worked just a thousand different ways and one of my all-time favorites that I don't throw enough because I'm so scared to use it but is the Larson Lures uh jointed swimmer yeah I am a huge fan of these jointed baits man nothing swims like these guys and Larson Lures they they just have it dialed in I mean you throw this in the water it looks so good you would pile on it you really would and I got I got I got two different two different kinds of these I got a bunker color and the white white has always been my favorite but big shout out to Larson Lures because he really does make some incredible stuff and his join at stuff amazing also I haven't even mentioned them but personal best lures can't say enough good things about their top water plugs man I've been using personal best for years for the fall and love their stuff.

Rich Natoli - Fat Dad Fishing:

So there's so there's a great list of things to go for I'm gonna throw something out there that's a little different. Yeah you've covered all of the the hard baits and those artificials but for those that are watching those that are listening didn't see this but every one of those was a large lure. Yeah I'm going to throw in I don't know if there's science behind this or not there's my experience and my results that I'll just share I often catch the biggest fish on the smaller profiles. So yeah so something like that. So I I'm talking now when I say smaller I'm saying you know like a soft plastic that is you know I wouldn't go under necessarily five and a half inches but up to like eight but something with a small a thin profile so think about any type I I don't care what brand throw whatever brand you want if you think you have to do no live bait needed then just do it whatever. But a soft plastic with a low profile in the midst of a bunch of large profile natural baits can stand out. It's sure can and when I caught that when I caught that fish that that the biggest one that I caught that I talked about earlier the 50 plus inch one that was 14 feet of water it was on a just a regular jig head with a what is it it's the a Z-man plastic. Yeah the diesel size yeah so it wasn't big and what I did though is it was very bright outside. So I changed it up and I went with a darker color. So it was like a root beer color in the middle of the day and I fished it right there.

Capt. Scotty Sevins:

And now you're getting into my favorite color right there. And a lot of people are gonna hate on me for that but go ahead. Well I I like I love the root beer sparkle.

Rich Natoli - Fat Dad Fishing:

I love yes so it has to have flex in it. So this had silver and gold flex and it I actually it wasn't root beer it was it was almost like a a really dark green with a little bit of purple in it. So it was like this really ugly combination but the profile was going to stand out amongst other things. So I have found that when there's a ton of bait in the water change it up and look different. So I like using the shrimp because the shrimp are always going to look different because they're typically not going to be in mass in one area. So if there's a you know a million bunker going by and one really nice sized shrimp, you figure they're at least going to see it. Right. If there's a lot of bunker going through and I throw a very low profile thin soft plastic in there in a different color so it's going to have a different contrast a different silhouette I'm gonna throw that out there and I have caught almost not all not all but I would say I would say over half maybe almost 70% of my biggest fish were when I was not matching the hatch but they were active they were actively feeding that that's an incredibly good point.

Capt. Scotty Sevins:

And it just reminds me of uh going back to Keith you know hit fish the day that he is on the jetty working his his fly rod and ends up catching that 50 pounder on a fly. Yeah I I think we all remember that I mean that that day went down in history and I he wasn't matching the hatch.

Rich Natoli - Fat Dad Fishing:

No no no that's why one of the best things you can do if you're if you're live lining spot or bunker or whatever you're doing a snag and drop when you go to drop it after you transfer it onto that circle throw it literally into the center of the bunker because it'll scatter them and all what they do is they'll make a big circle around it and there's one fish in the middle and it's your fish. That's how you get if you're gonna have the same profile of everything that's out there make it stand out and you can throw it along the edges and just sit next to the blue fish that are on the edges or you can throw it into the middle scatter everything and be the only thing sitting in a 15 foot area. So as soon as a bass comes through the middle there they're gonna see one bait and that's how you you got to find ways to stand out when there's tons of bait in the water and that's that's just another way to do it.

Capt. Scotty Sevins:

You do you do and it's a good point there too because it reminds me of you know fishing the bunker pods and things like that. Like and shout out to humpback Zach and his dad Doug I have a tremendous amount of respect for those guys. And again not guys that post or do anything he he does make rods crazy face customs love his rods but man they have their system and they had they for years all they had was a little 18 foot aluminum boat and they would crush fish. Yeah and they're I mean I don't want to give away their secret but their their secret was always getting their bunker below that bunker pod. Yeah you know what I mean that's where the big fish are sitting they're sitting on the outsides and they're looking for something that's you know different if they're in the middle and even down on the bottom right uh like underneath like waiting for just all the scraps to fall down because they're the laziest fish. Yep. And let me tell you something those two guys have caught more big fish and not even posted it or talked about it than than anybody I know really I I was I don't I don't think I posted a fish picture this year.

Rich Natoli - Fat Dad Fishing:

Yeah I didn't have any like outstanding ones but it it was nice.

Capt. Scotty Sevins:

Yeah I I hear I it it it hurt my heart because like I genuinely love the photography and videography end of things. And that was my biggest reason why I would post because I always wanted to get a good shot of something. It wasn't always about hey look at me look what I caught it was more like look at the I I I put a lot of effort into getting that shot or capturing that moment. And and it it really bothered me this year that I I didn't post hardly anything because I didn't have any of my own personal material.

Rich Natoli - Fat Dad Fishing:

Well it if anyone's interested go back and look at Scotty's Instagram at the beginning and you'll see exactly what he's talking about. It was more go back to like 1920 yeah yeah it was more like an art page you know of a photography page than anything and just amazing stuff and that's the I actually followed you back then because of the pictures were so awesome.

Capt. Scotty Sevins:

Like great angles great lighting it was just I always tried to do and get angles and of things that that nobody else was getting you know what I mean yeah well now they copy you and and that that's why going back to what Ben said like it doesn't matter every catch should be celebrated. Every catch should be and I gotta tell you like I've I've always said that small fish take take nice pictures too you know what I mean some of my pictures that got the most traction were of small fish yeah you know what I mean yeah and yeah just I don't I don't know that's getting into the whole photography end of things but yeah well from every cat should be celebrated.

Rich Natoli - Fat Dad Fishing:

Yeah from the photography end Steven Dude is asking do you use a cell phone or a real camera?

Capt. Scotty Sevins:

I know you use a real camera real camera yeah but there I but I gotta tell you like my my first magazine cover came from an iPhone 10 shot yeah you know what I mean cameras especially these days can can go a long way if you get yourself a tripod and a shutter remote and proper lighting and the biggest thing is too that people don't think about this is background a background is what makes the picture it's not the it's not the focal point of the picture it's the background like you people don't want to see like nets and rods and all this crap and garbage in the background and you know like setting yourself up with a nice background backdrop that that creates that creates the picture it really does. Yeah and then there's a lot of theories that go into that because I'm a freak about it but the angle of the sun versus what way the direction the wind is coming from there's all that stuff that goes into it but the then I could we'll be here for another hour.

Rich Natoli - Fat Dad Fishing:

Yeah we'll get my brother on for that too he's a photographer yeah he can he can educate us all you two can share share tips with each other so well look Scotty thanks for coming on I'm really excited I can tell by the chat that they're excited for this this changeover once this weather gets out hopefully I see a bunch of you in the chat and I've gotten some texts from some folks that I know live on the barrier islands in New Jersey yep Stephen Duda then there's no spot burning that is key yeah no spot burning that is key watch the background and with the amount of technology these days that gets me started on a whole other thing it is so easy to blur a background or to remove or conceal a background these days like there is no excuse to have backgrounds in your pictures or whatever.

Capt. Scotty Sevins:

I got yelled at before for using a blurred background blurred background AI AI does incredible things with backgrounds and like you know I do it the old fashioned way like I can conceal a background to where nobody would ever know just from like post photo editing type stuff.

Rich Natoli - Fat Dad Fishing:

But it's easy in in post-editing I mean you can remove anything make it look however you want you can put a water tower where there is no water tower. Exactly you can put a you know a fat guy in in a in a thong in the background if you want you can put whatever you want to to throw people off the the thing I might be in a thong in the background oh man all right well hey thanks for coming on yeah yeah no thank you so much and thank you to to the chat you guys like this is why I love this community because this community is family it is it is and I'm just so glad that they that the the show is back and and Rich you mentioned in the beginning I am definitely down to be a weekly guest or a co-host for this all right there we go there we go open invite happy to do it I would love it all right you know it's gonna happen now yeah no I I'm totally good with it I'm telling you right now I'm good there we go I'm ready to go you guys heard it here first you heard it here first um yeah so uh we're gonna I I will announce who's coming on next week uh later in the week that's up in the air at the moment um it's really tough to get people that have time to come on at a certain time because we do it as a live stream and as a podcast uh but we have a few guys that said look I can't ever make a Monday but we can we can do a pre-recorded I'm trying not to do those until you know later in the winter you know when other things are going on but uh all right so who is it I I can't take it anymore. No I don't I I don't have it locked in otherwise otherwise it would I I will tell you that Frank Mahalik's going to come on in a couple weeks. We're gonna talk you know the opening of the big top season in New Jersey. It's already going on up and down the coast but it's gonna get it's it's about to get good.

Capt. Scotty Sevins:

So Frank's gonna come I'm actually believe it or not on that note um I am when top season opens I am going to be doing uh backwater top trips for this year. So um it's something and the and the bite should still stay good um uh so that's something that I'm going to be offering this year. So keep me in mind if you don't want to do the deal with big party boat head boat six pack um you can have a lot of fun in the back of the bay with Todd.

Rich Natoli - Fat Dad Fishing:

Oh yeah yeah I mean we we did videos kayak fishing uh Christmas week catching keeper tog in the back you know if you know where the pieces are you're gonna know where the fish are and you know where they are when you fish them yeah all right everybody thanks for tuning in we'll be back next week much love nothing but pineapple vibes to everybody exactly oh yeah and we'll talk about the pineapple next time yeah all right everyone after this weather gets through everyone get at that get out there oh I messed it up Scotty I messed up the the last line I say the same thing every damn week all right ready let's try it again after the weather clears after everybody's house is dried get out there get on the water and get some tight lines

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Rich Natoli

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