Travel & Places Fly Fishing

Flounder Fishing Tips

    Hook and Line

    • Hook, line, and rod and reel can all be used to catch flounder. Flounder will hit on nearly anything you present close enough to their faces. Cut bait, plastic grub or even live bait can draw a strike from a hungry flounder. A plastic grub with a bit of cut bait or the swim bladder from a cut-bait fish on the hook make a very popular combination. Flounder lie on the bottom and face up-current. They then wait for food to be carried over them by the current. They can frequently be found congregated around gaps in breakwaters and under bridge lights and any other place that would concentrate their foodstuffs, which include larval crabs, shrimp, menhaden and other small baitfish. Cast your bait up-current and allow it to drift over such areas. This is a very effective way to hook up with some nice flounder.

    Gig

    • Flounder can be taken with a gig or spear and a light at night at low tide. Mainly in the summer months into early fall, the flounder will migrate onto broad shallow areas. Wade into the water up to your knees or less, then shine a light onto the bottom. The flounder will be visible and blinded by the light, so you can walk right up and spear the fish in the head. Spearing the fish's head instead of the body ensures you will not introduce sand into the meat. Run a stringer through the fish's mouth before withdrawing the spear so the flounder doesn't escape.

    Caution

    • Be careful when wading for flounder. It is common to find stingrays in the same areas as flounder. Take care to drag your feet over the sandy bottom; don't pick them up to take steps. If you slide your foot into a stingray, chances are he will be startled and swim away, and you will be unharmed. However, if you step on a stingray, he will most likely barb you, and that is a most unpleasant situation.

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