Flounder

            Here in the spring of the year I’ll generally target flounder at some point during my charters.  They have returned to their summer homes after the winter spawn and are one of my favorite species to fish for.  Reasons for this is they are a good pull on very light tackle, require some finesse to hook up, and are excellent table fare with firm, white meat.

            Many folks that fish with me want to catch a flounder just to get a look at one because there are no flounder where they live, and a fish with eyes on one side sounds pretty weird to ‘em I guess.

            As I’m generally accused of saying, understanding your target will make you more consistent in catching, so let’s talk a little flounder to get an idea of what these guys are up to and then we’ll talk about the catching.

            Flounders are hatched off-shore and at first swim in an upright position with eyes on either side of their head.  As they grow, the right eye begins to move to the left side of their head.  This move is completed when they are about a half-inch long and they will live left-side up for life.  They move in-shore and live around grass flats and shallows until they reach size enough where they aren’t on the menu of everything that swims, crawls, or hops.  You’ll find flounder around piers, bridges, jetties, oyster reefs, inlets and in holes.  They can also be found up rivers and bayous.  October through December they begin their migration to spawn off-shore again (I’ll talk about that this fall).  Males are the smaller of the species and don’t get much more than a foot long.  Females can reach 25” long.

Catching the Flatties

            Live as well as artificial baits work well on flounder.  Good live baits include bull minnows, mullet fingerlings, small croakers and menhaden.  Live shrimp are not really a good choice and before a whole bunch of you guys, who consider live shrimp to be the end-all of baits start jumping up and down wanting to lynch me for such sacrilege, let me explain.  Pin fish and the rest of the bait stealing species down there will clean a live shrimp off your hook before you can get another one out of the bucket.  You’ll wind up baiting more than fishing and that sort of thing can make you say things your Mama would be extremely perturbed about.  The longer your bait’s in the strike zone the better your chances of a hook-up.   Use a Carolina rig (1/4 ounce slip sinker above a No. 4 or 5 swivel with a mono leader to a 2/0 hook). Bait up with the hook through the lip from the bottom up. Make your cast and let the bait settle. Begin a slow retrieve lifting your rod and taking in slack.  Now pay attention!  At the first thump stop. Give the fish just a touch of slack (lowering the rod a little will be enough).  Give it time enough to position the bait in its mouth.  This will take a little while and this is when a lot of fish are lost.  Setting the hook too early will snatch it right out of its mouth.  Until you get used to the routine, count to ten slowly then set the hook.  Now when I say set the hook I’m not talking about like on the bass shows on T.V. where they look like a crazed Samurai warrior on opium beheading the enemy.   A firm wrist action to the side will do the trick.  Play the fish from side to side keeping the slack out of the line.  Have the net ready and lead him into the net head first. 

            Artificial lures are effective and are my bait of choice.  Deadly Dudleys, stingray grubs, D.O.A. Shrimp are a few that I use but there are a host of soft bodied lures out there that work well.  Use what you’re comfortable with.  Chartreuse, root beer, fire tiger, white with colored tails, and salt and pepper are good colors.  There are a lot of choices but these are some that work well for me.  Use a 1/8 or ¼ oz. lead head.  Make your cast and slowly bounce the lure through the target zone.  When you feel the strike use the same method as I’ve described above.  This should help a bit if you’re looking to get a flat fish.  For you guys who are already accomplished, time’s a-wasting go get ‘em.

            On the subject of what’s being caught, here we go. The recent weather (wind, cold fronts, even more wind) had slowed things down a bit, mainly because it’s hard to fish in a lot of wind and the drop in temperature has been a factor to the fish that gather on the flats (mainly trout).  The weather is evening out now so look for everything to be picking up quickly. The big redfish are not as numerous in the bays, but are still doing well at the passes and on the beaches.  Slot-sized reds are showing up in the grass..   Flounder are picking up around structure, holes and inlets.  My off-shore counterparts say things are doing well and getting better outside and they’re chomping the bits waiting for red snapper season to begin.  Spanish mackerel are really strong and a bunch of limits are being caught on the beaches as well as in the bays and lagoons.  I’ve been catching blue fish in the around the flats trolling as well as casting.  Cobia mania is still present,.

            When people are happy it makes the world a better place.  Fishing makes you happy, so there is a direct correlation between fishing and world peace.  Do your part!