Flounder behavior question

[Prof. Salt]

I waited until the thunderstorms cleared last night before hitting packery channel for flounder. I walked it for 2 hours and every fish I came up on would swim off before I was close enough to gig it. I'm curious, what conditions make the flounder more prone to running at the first sign of an approaching light? Anyone else experience this behavior?

Sunday night they were acting normally and there was time to size them up and gig'em.

[quincyraybon]

Maybe put on a mullet costume

[Matyyaker]

I do like the mullet custome idea, but not positive it's gonna work. Sorry no clue.

[richg99]

Is it possible that the water was clearer ( or even dirtier) than Sunday night? Perhaps the clarity (or lack there-of) had something to do with their behavior.

We just went through a full moon. I have yet to figure out fish and their actions around the full moon times.

Rich

[Yaklash]

I can't say for sure but I wonderr what direction the tide was running with respect to the direction you were moving. The way I understand it, flounder generally face into the current. If you would typically walk into the current - to perhaps avoid your trail washing over your target - and you were walking with the current.....maybe?????????????

[kneekap]

Another mystery of life here! Have not had that ever happen to me.

[vanjr]

Supplemental question-wouldn't doing the sting ray shuffle also prevent me from gigging any flounder? If I have a choice between no flounder and no ray barb I will choose that over lots of flounder and 1 ray barb. (And I must admit I don't think ray guards are full-proof (or is that fool-proof)

[RedWolf]

Supplemental question-wouldn't doing the sting ray shuffle also prevent me from gigging any flounder? If I have a choice between no flounder and no ray barb I will choose that over lots of flounder and 1 ray barb. (And I must admit I don't think ray guards are full-proof (or is that fool-proof)

When gigging, your light will typically light up the area enough that you don't have to worry about stepping on a ray thus eliminating the need for doing the shuffle and stirring up unnecessary amounts of silt and sediment to further impede visibility.

[surfpunk]

Supplemental question-wouldn't doing the sting ray shuffle also prevent me from gigging any flounder? If I have a choice between no flounder and no ray barb I will choose that over lots of flounder and 1 ray barb. (And I must admit I don't think ray guards are full-proof (or is that fool-proof)

My ray guards have taken a few hits and left me unscathed.

[AcousticTennis]

My ray gaurds have saved me 7 times now...welll worth the money i think

[RedWolf]

OK, back to the original question, I have noticed when approaching the fish from the backside (tail end) they tend to spook more often than when approaching from the side or front. Also, the clearer the water, the more skittish they tend to be. Up here with our chocolate milk water, I have stepped on them many times, especially when they are buried deep in the sand or i am fighting water with really poor clarity.

[TKFusedtobegreat]

I grew up floundering on the SE Texas coast and I've never got hit by a ray. But, if you can't see the bottom you have to shuffle. And sure, if you can't see the bottom you can't gig any flounders. If the water's clear, you will see the rays. They are often distracted but THEY shuffle off when you get close or nudge em (politely) with your gig. You can also gig THEM, but obviously you better be committed to the task. The old timers used to cross-gig rays (my grandpa taught me that), but you're making a calculated risk.

As for the OP, Prof, sometimes you git the bar (bear), and sometimes the bar git you. I've had the same problem at times and it just seems random.

[Prof. Salt]

Thanks for the responses guys. I was heading with the slow moving tide both directions (by luck, it switched about the time I turned back) and every fish I saw was either facing me or to the side. I was walking the channel shortly after the lightning storm cleared, and the fish were just laying up as I was walking. I think it might mostly be due to the fact that there is a lot of pressure in that little area. It was a weird night for flounder, but I'm gonna try the Sunday spot again tonight. I'll post if I gig any, and man that little flounder light is working well!

[quincyraybon]

Let me know if you come up north! (midcoast) I've never been gigging

[dr.flatfish]

Prof.Salt, That's a rather ingenious rig you have there . After watching your video using it in action it came to me that your light beam is too narrow and could be scareing them away. If you could find some way to defuse the light beam so that you had a broader beam.That would illuminate brighter over a larger area and not just consentrated directly in front. Just a thought that wouldn't hurt to try. Love your idea when are you going into production?

[Prof. Salt]

Prof.Salt, That's a rather ingenious rig you have there . After watching your video using it in action it came to me that your light beam is too narrow and could be scareing them away. If you could find some way to defuse the light beam so that you had a broader beam.That would illuminate brighter over a larger area and not just consentrated directly in front. Just a thought that wouldn't hurt to try. Love your idea when are you going into production?

Thanks, doc! We picked up fish easily the first night (when I made that video clip). We were able to size them and carefully gig them in the heads. The next trip was totally different... spooky fish that fled very quickly.

My time is pretty limited, so production would be too... that's why I just made a video to show others how to make one for themselves. I made a smaller lens and used steel wool on it. I can drop it in before placing the flashlight, and it diffuses the light nicely. I like it because it allows me to use it either way, depending on conditions.

If anyone really wants one and doesn't have time to fool with it, send me a pm and I'll see what I can do.

[Prof. Salt]

I floundered the spot that was great Sunday night, and there were footprints everywhere, but no fish. Go figure. It was like combat floundering everywhere I went. A truck would pull up as I was getting rigged up. When I would get into the water, they would walk ahead of me and get in, allowing me to test the cloudy water performance of the light.

I finally tried Sunset Lake, just south of Portland. When I was a kid we gigged some nice ones in that little piece of water. I walked at least a mile in nice water, but didn't see a single fish.

I think I need to capitalize on the convenience of this light system and combine it with my kayak to get where the walkers can't go.