I would like to get some input on flounder fishing. I am hoping that some of you with a lot more experience will chime in.
I have trolled for flounder in the creeks since I can remember. I want to try something different this spring. I want to anchor up and cast for flounder. I know flounder hang around oyster banks with ditches waiting to ambush bait. My question is this, when fishing these little ditches, do the flounder move up onto the oyster bed or do they hang out where the oysters meet the sand/bottom? Do I need to cast up into these ditches or fish the outside where the ditch drains to the main creek?
Reading some old posts, there are some that say you will lose lots of rigs trying to catch flounder. That is probably my answer.
I have been looking at some of Stono’s posts from last year with the colorado blade. Fishing this rig, how fast do you reel this in to make the blade spin? I have also been considering using a float rig drifting a mud minnow down the bank at different intervals, any thoughts?
I am really looking forward to spring time fishing.
As far as catching flounder… I am certainly no expert. But it seems that structure is key. That is what I’ve been told over and over again. For the blade… You will feel it spinning in the line as you reel. I just bought a few Chatterbaits and am looking forward to trying them out with flounder as well. Best of luck to ya!
I’ve had my best luck with a mudminnow on a plain jig head or bucktail jig fished slooooooow on the bottom close to structure for flatties. The edge of the cover is the prime spot. IMO
To fish over the oysters go with the popping cork. That usually gets more reds and some trout.
I’m a northern boy but I’ve done quite a bit of fishing in South Carolina too. I can give you some tips I’ve learned up here and some that I’ve learned down there. Keep several mud minnows in a white bucket, they will lighten up in color and stand out more. I took the Carolina rig back to NJ and caught 18 flounder from shore one day. I used 3 fresh dead spearing and a 2/0 Kahle hook with a little piece of rubber worm to hold in place. I casted over a deep sod bank and made a slow slow retrieve with 3/4 oz. egg sinker. Guys out in front of me in boats couldn’t catch a thing because they were drifting right by too fast:smiley:
In Summer and Fall in NJ, spot are flounder and striper candy. I fish these on a Gammy cobra jig head hooked through the mouth and out the top so they can breathe. In SC I cast net near the inlet in the shallows for the striped minnows…flounder and redfish candy. Fish creek mouths, deep creek bends, docks, ledges, depressions, moving water, you get the hint. I also like Gulp shrimp on a 1/4 oz. jig head, experiment with different colors. I like New Penny in the Spring and Molting in the Fall. I’m no expert, plenty of skunks, just a few tips that I’ve learned…good luck!
I have flounder gigged a lot and I have never seen a flounder lay on expoesed oyster shells. They are an ambush preditor and will often cover themselves in sand or mud to hide and ambush. they couldn’t do that amongst sharp hard oyster shells. I have seen them near oyster shells and their color pattern will change accordingly. I anchor and hand troll quite often and have had good luck doing it. I sometimes use a carolina rig with a single MM. but this year I am thinking about going with a calcuta jig head or a Fishizzle meal ticket jig with live minnows. But for motor trolling I like a double carolina rig that I get from perry’s bait and tackle. They have caught a lot of fish.