Still learning flounder fishing, only recently have I dialed in a few spots holding flounder in the 16-20" range. My goal is to focus on being more productive with bigger fish and what signs to look for such as structure and water current. Also, as for tackle I have just been using light rod with 2-3000 series reel and small carolia rig with 1/4oz weight small kahle hook. Still novice to this so any advice is greatly appreciated!
With flounder it all about the structure. I use that same basic setup most of the time in the creeks. If I’m around the inlets and or rock groins I like to use a white bucktail with either a strip of mullet or squid if I don’t have live bait.
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Jack Taylor
Do you notice better results with any certain bait? Lately I have been using mud minnows but have considered using larger bait such as menhaden or mullet to target larger flounder.
largest flounder I ever caught were on mud minnows for what its worth.
“mr keys”
Not really. I’ve caught all sizes on both mud minnows and finger mullet. I think finding them is the hardest part.
Jack Taylor
What kind of structure are you aiming for?
If you are shore bound, around rock groins,oyster and shell banks and anywhere you know there is even the slightest structure that you can’t see like scattered hard bottom. If you are in a boat working the mouths of smaller creeks empting out into larger ones, especially where there are oyster banks around the mouths of those creeks. Falling tide works well for this because the fish will be facing the outgoing tide waiting for the bait to exit the creeks as the tide falls. Another boat fishing method is drifting.
You can also do a search here on this site and find more info from guys who are better at it than I.
Jack Taylor
Thank you, for the majority of the time I am shore bound fishing groins or mouths of creeks. Yesterday managed 1 flounder over 20" and a 22" red on small mud minnows. The advice is greatly appreciated, now I just need keep at it til perfect it!
My pleasure. Fishing is a lifelong pursuit that I have yet to master.
Jack Taylor
My wife caught a 19" mini doormat on a chunk of ham from her sandwich. I can’t even make that up, nor will I ever hear the end of it(actually, I think it’s pretty awesome.)
I’m far from a flounder fisherman. I only catch them as by catch. But this video is great. I’m amazed how long they follow the bait and how hard they strike.
10% of the people catch 90% of the fish.
Awesome video. I know some good drift areas. When I get another boat, I’m going to try that. Very effective
Jack Taylor
Drift fishing between the inlets of the barrier islands is one of the most productive ways to flounder fish around here. Drift a incoming tide as far to the front beach as you feel comfortable with. Control your speed with a drift sock or if you’re like me, I use a five gallon bucket.
Try and stay in 12-15 foot of water. Carolina rig with a mud minnow.
Remember to count to 10 when you see the bite at the tip of your rod.
No bites in a couple of runs, move to the other side of the creek. Look for the natural current.
Good Luck!
What is life without adventure
I’ve always had the best luck by using a live mud minnow or shrimp on a popper cork and just tossing it over a shallow mud bank. In deeper water Carolina rigs are definitely the way to go.
Cpt. Jimmy Price of Southport, N. C. Has a good flounder video, for boat fishing. He likes to anchor upstream of the small creek mouth dumping into larger creek or waterway , cast acarolina rig with white bucktail, tipped with.about 2inch strip of meat, PAST the mouth, and crank slowly across the mouth on dropping tide to dead low.
He says with live bait count 1000-1 to 1000-10 VERY SLOWLY, after the strike, to allow the flounder to SCALE the baitfish, quite interesting.
“The big one’s still swimming, let’s go.”