Flounder

[lahai1dj]

Hey Everyone, I'm new to saltwater fishing and am learning the ropes of the Houston/Galveston area. Also, my wife is very keen of flounder and so catching flounder will help me keep my fishing privileges! Problem is, I'm not very confident in catching this fish and I've only hooked two (landed none) while targeting other species. I've watched dozens of YouTube videos and read a lot of articles on catching flounder but I still can't seem to catch any.

Does anyone mind describing their flounder setup? Tackle, line weight, technique.
Are any of you going flounder fishing and don't mind an amateur tagging along?
Any suggestions on a guide for flounder from a yak?

Thanks!

[The Angler]

flounder are opportunistic ambush predators. I like to think of them as having more of a hunting style like a diamondback rattlesnake that sits and waits for its prey to come to it rather than actively pursuing their prey( which they will do occasionally).
I have my best luck targeting flounder around tidal mud flats where the tides create more of an ambush opportunity for the fish at pinch points e.g. oyster reefs, marsh drains, rocks, etc. another good spot I typically find flounder is around grass lines around where the MLLW( average water level at low tide) is ; the flounder will wait for the bait that find sanctuary in the grass to come out with the tide.
As far as tackle goes, the more sensitive the better, as a flounder bite can often be a very subtle thump or even feel like you've just bumped on to a rock/shell or snagged a piece of grass. When you feel any of these at the end of your line immediately stop your retrieve and wait. A lot of times a flounder will bite the tail of your jig/bait outside the hook before swallowing it and even swim with it in its mouth making it feel as if there is nothing on the other end of your line.it is my belief that a flounder will sometimes bite its prey and wait for it to die before swallowing making it a little bit easier to digest. So when you feel the thump just wait keeping as little pressure as humanly possible on the line, just enough to feel what's going on at the other end.if you put too much pressure sometimes the fish will just let go.This can take a couple of seconds or a couple of minutes depending on the fish. Sometimes after the initial strike I like to pause and flick the line a little bit trying to imitate the preys futile attempts to get free while slowly getting weaker before stopping completely. Once you feel him swimming away or you feel a harder thump it's time to set the hook. I know it goes against everything you've been taught as a fisherman to not set the hook after a thump, but when it comes to flounder fishing it's the only way to go and will really test your patience.

After you set the hook and begin to fight the fish it's important that you keep him under the water; once a flounder gets to the surface they can shake violently and easily throw the hook and if he does come unbuttoned he can be caught again relatively close to where he got off. I've had a flounder get off right at the boat and just dropped my line directly beneath the kayak in about a foot of water and he ate it again.so once you've tired him out and he's ready to land just stick the net in the water and lead him in head first.

When I go out with the intention of catching flounder my go to bait is a weedless rigged gulp; it's got the scent and flavor making the flounder hold on just a little bit longer in my opinion.

Well I hope this helps.

[JimBeaux]

Everyone will argue the pros and cons but this is the way I do it. #1 rule....sharp hooks!

I use Power Pro 20-30# braid with a PLine Fluorocarbon leader. Braid is more sensitive & telegraphs better than other lines.

I like spinner baits with Pro-Cure-especially Redfish Magics. Spinner baits are pretty weedless & the hook is exposed. I can toss em in the grass and reel em into the water. (especially good for reds too)

I prefer marsh drains and cuts, especially plant outflow canals. Cast to the same area a few times then move over a few feet. Be patient. If you miss a bite or hook up, throw to the same spot; generally where there is one there is another. Tip - Look for a drop off & fish it parallel instead of across it.

I fish very slow, bump the bait a little off the bottom & then sometimes just stop for a few seconds. I hold my rod with what I call 'light hands'. This helps me from reacting fast & furious when I get a bite. When I feel the bump I relax my arms & shoulders and wait a few seconds while watching my rod tip (medium/light action) - then I set the hook smooth and firm....dont jerk

When fishing with bait I use circle or kahle hooks rigged either Texas or Carolina style. (google) When using these hooks just as often as not the flounder will hook itself if you wait long enough.

When reeling a flounder keep the line tight and zig-zag it in, instead of straight up to you. Put the landing net in the water & guide the fish so that you can scoop it up with the net.

Chester Moore has a book on Flounder Fundamentals you might want to read. Flounder fishing is pretty simple if you work slow and easy. ITS NOT ROCKET SURGERY YA KNOW....

[MobyYack]

they are lazy bottom feeders ...watch an underwater video of flounder and watch how long they can track a bait....flip the bail if you think you have a bite and wait a while until you set the hook (a while can be 10 seconds up to 30 seconds)...use chartreuse gulp swimming minnows rigged tandem....im going saturday morning with my dad to the place he calls "the flounder spot" although we havent caught flounder there in a month, another guy is wanting to hook up this weekend too so PM me your number if you want to meet early ....last time we caught a small flounder on live shrimp in the 45 marsh but none in the real salt

[lahai1dj]

After you set the hook and begin to fight the fish it's important that you keep him under the water; once a flounder gets to the surface they can shake violently and easily throw the hook and if he does come unbuttoned he can be caught again relatively close to where he got off. I've had a flounder get off right at the boat and just dropped my line directly beneath the kayak in about a foot of water and he ate it again.so once you've tired him out and he's ready to land just stick the net in the water and lead him in head first.

When I go out with the intention of catching flounder my go to bait is a weedless rigged gulp; it's got the scent and flavor making the flounder hold on just a little bit longer in my opinion.

Well I hope this helps.

Ahh, this makes perfect sense. Both of the flounders I hooked got off when I brought them to the surface and they shook the hook out. Also, wrt the weedless rigged gulp, do you mean the hook is inside the plastic or is there a weedless jig you can use with it? Losing a gulp and jig every third cast because of hooking some oysters or underwater pipe is my biggest snag to catching these fish (pun intended)

[The Angler]

Ahh, this makes perfect sense. Both of the flounders I hooked got off when I brought them to the surface and they shook the hook out. Also, wrt the weedless rigged gulp, do you mean the hook is inside the plastic or is there a weedless jig you can use with it? Losing a gulp and jig every third cast because of hooking some oysters or underwater pipe is my biggest snag to catching these fish (pun intended)

You can either rig it Texas rig style or use the hooks with the spring keeper in the eye of the hook. I personally like to use swimbait hooks where the lead is on the shaft of the hook.

[kickingback]

After you set the hook and begin to fight the fish it's important that you keep him under the water; once a flounder gets to the surface they can shake violently and easily throw the hook and if he does come unbuttoned he can be caught again relatively close to where he got off. I've had a flounder get off right at the boat and just dropped my line directly beneath the kayak in about a foot of water and he ate it again.so once you've tired him out and he's ready to land just stick the net in the water and lead him in head first.

When I go out with the intention of catching flounder my go to bait is a weedless rigged gulp; it's got the scent and flavor making the flounder hold on just a little bit longer in my opinion.

Well I hope this helps.

Ahh, this makes perfect sense. Both of the flounders I hooked got off when I brought them to the surface and they shook the hook out. Also, wrt the weedless rigged gulp, do you mean the hook is inside the plastic or is there a weedless jig you can use with it? Losing a gulp and jig every third cast because of hooking some oysters or underwater pipe is my biggest snag to catching these fish (pun intended)

Here is how to rig Gulp weedless...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oeLYYCCAQGI

[lahai1dj]

Boom! Thanks guys, I had my first flounder success today. This 16 incher is definitely the first of many!

[JimBeaux]

Boom! Thanks guys, I had my first flounder success today. This 16 incher is definitely the first of many!

Love it.

[lahai1dj]

Hey everyone, I've got some follow up questions after a week of implementing these ideas (and landing a second flounder). I've got PowerPro on my flounder rod and have plenty of Gulp! swimming mullet and shrimp and Carolina rigs etc... For those with experience fishing around Galveston can you comment on the following choices in fishing locations (I'm not asking for anyone's secret spot!). Attached are two map screen snaps of places I'm considering using for practice grounds and I just want to make sure I don't spend hours fishing dead water. From the insights you provided I was using Google Earth (and Hook N Line maps) to find areas that look like they have current, drop off, etc.

The first is Moses Lake where I suspect the region due west of the flood gates looks like it would be teeming with flounder during tidal movements and the second is the entrances to Pierce marsh at the North parts of Jones Bay. Am I on the right track?

[The Angler]

Looks good to me! When working the shoreline focus on the little pockets in the grass no matter how small.
Bait will sometimes congregate in these little pockets and the flounder will wait to ambush them just outside the pocket.make casts as tight to the grass as possible.

Good luck!

[Crusader]

Pierce marsh -- look under and next to railroad bridge when water is moving. All other spots -- look for areas that congregate and disorient bait. Usually these are some sort of choke points, marsh drains, bayou mouths, guts on the bottom (usually 6-8" deeper than surrounding bottom), etc. In areas without current -- look very close to grass (provided there is a nice 1' dropoff next to it). Once I found flounders crushing shrimp right in the grass on very high tide -- I got out of kayak, waded very close to them (like 10-15 yards) and was pitching my lure between grass stalks into 3-6" of water. It was fun and easy. I don't know what concentrated fish in that particular spot -- just 10 yards away there was a mile of the same grass without any sign of flounder.

[lahai1dj]

Pierce marsh -- look under and next to railroad bridge when water is moving. All other spots -- look for areas that congregate and disorient bait. Usually these are some sort of choke points, marsh drains, bayou mouths, guts on the bottom (usually 6-8" deeper than surrounding bottom), etc. In areas without current -- look very close to grass (provided there is a nice 1' dropoff next to it). Once I found flounders crushing shrimp right in the grass on very high tide -- I got out of kayak, waded very close to them (like 10-15 yards) and was pitching my lure between grass stalks into 3-6" of water. It was fun and easy. I don't know what concentrated fish in that particular spot -- just 10 yards away there was a mile of the same grass without any sign of flounder.

Very insightful! Is there a good way to tell a 6''-1' dropoff without a depth/fish finder? That might be my next kayak investment if there isn't some high resolution map or something else available. Thanks Crusader!

[JimBeaux]

You can determine water depth by using a sounding line, anchor rode, pole or wading.

[Crusader]

Is there a good way to tell a 6''-1' dropoff without a depth/fish finder? That might be my next kayak investment if there isn't some high resolution map or something else available. Thanks Crusader!

The only way to feel these is wading. Dropoff next to a grass line is easy to check with paddle or (in clear water) visually.

Fish finder doesn't really work in waters shallower than 6-7 feet -- in bays you mostly need it only to tell you how deep it is under you. I use it to find edges of channels before positioning myself near one and working my lure from deeper water up (if I can't find flounder in shallow water). Cheapest one will work just fine. Freshwater (or bluewater) is completely different -- get yourself very good down imaging or (if money is not a problem) good side imaging. I recommend against cheap SI units -- mostly useless in my opinion (they still help you find structure, though -- but you won't see any fish on it).

[The Angler]

I agree that wading is a great way to get a feel for the bottom (no pun intended). If you can't wade, fan casting a 1/4oz jig head on the bottom will give you a good idea of the bottom contours and even what type of structure lies beneath; I've been doing this for years and have gotten quite good at it.

Sometimes you can tell by looking at how the waves act, kind of like reading the surf for guts; looking for slicks, eddies, color changes, variations in wave movement, etc. this takes a lot of practice and depending on conditions won't always tell you much; just something to keep in mind.

Heck, you can always check out a nautical chart to give you a basic idea of the topography of the area you plan to fish...

Good luck!