# Flounder help please



## WATERWAYZ31 (Mar 29, 2009)

Ive fished here all my life and respect others and our heaven so hopefully someone will help me out a bit. Where can I catch flounder on a rod,ive caught allmost everthing else! Ive done some bait and rigging reasearch,i just need to know a couple good spots to focus on. All is greatly appriciated! See yall on the water and thanx again. Richard


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## wetley49 (Sep 25, 2010)

They're in the pass right now. Use bull minnows or shrimp on the bottom. Hope this helps.


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## Ocean Master (May 20, 2008)

Flounder are everywhere around structure. Flounder fishing is different than fishing for other fish. Use a fishfinder rig and a Kayle hook or circle hook. A short leader will be best if using live bait and slowly drag or bounce the bait you are using around the structure. If you are using a jig head do the same. The flounder bite is also different. Most of the time you will get a hard bump from the fish. Then the flounder will sit there a minute with the bait in its mouth. Slowly raise the rod and you feel the weight of the fish. Drop the rod back down and wait a little. Flounder are "usually" slow to swallow the bait when using live bait. Now lift up on the rod and get ready to hook him up. Allot of times when you lift up on the rod you will feel him and see the line moving away. He is ready to hook. Bull Minnows I think are the best. You can also use finger mullet, (harder to keep alive) and small pinfish. When I use Pinfish I trim off the dorsal fins.


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## Flatspro (Oct 3, 2007)

I prefer a 3" white gulp shrimp on a 1/8 oz jig head. Fishing docks and structure with a sandy or muddy bottom. There are alot of fish around right now.


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## WATERWAYZ31 (Mar 29, 2009)

Thank you all for the imfo...im excited to try again!


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## Ruger7mmmag (Jun 3, 2011)

I only target flounder and very good tips above. Flounder CATCHING is very different than anything else you've hooked. I've taken friends of mine along and we'll fish side by side and I'll limit out and they won't put one in the boat as it's alot of technique. The best was I can describe it is when you're dragging the bottom, if it feels like all of a sudden you get "hung", then wait, try to lift it slowly and if you feel any movement, just hold the rod tip up, keep the line tight and wait. That little pressure of trying to lift him up will piss him off and will trigger more movement for you to figure out if it's a flounder or an oyster! 

I've found the most successful combo for catching them are light tackle, spider wire (8 diameter) line, egg sinker (as light as you can get away with, but heavy enough to keep you on the bottom, then you have your barrel swivel, then I go with a red leader about 12-18" long with a Kahle hook. I keep various sizes, but #2s work pretty well. If the flounder are 12-16" in the area, then go small, if there are 20+" ones, go up a size. 

As far as baits, it all depends. Some spots they'll hammer live shrimp and not dead ones. Some they'll only bite bull minnows/ finger mullet. I try to have both. When I can't get live bait, I go with chartreuse green 3" swimming minnow Gulps. Some folks put these on a lead head jig, but I've found putting them on the kahle hook works too and keeps you from having to rig, rerig alot if you want to switch things up easily. 

As far as areas, look always to be on the edge of bottom changes. Edges of channels, bridge pilings, docks, sea walls, where grass changes to sand, from sand changing to oyster. 

Don't know if you deer hunt, but flounder operate the same way. They are ambush predators. Figure out how the bait travels in the area you are in and then set up where you can let your bait float the same path.

I'm no pro and still learning, but these are a few things that seem to help us end trips with at least a few in the boat and on occasion a nice "mess" of decent size fish. 

The key is technique though. GO SLOW, LIFT SLOW, WAIT FOR THEM TO PULL BACK. Even when you get what you think is "good", you will still be "too fast" and miss fish. That's how slow you need to go.


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## redfish0102 (May 25, 2011)

they like shallow water and i catch them mostly by bridges and docks. Use shrimp on a jig head or for lures I like gulp new penny shrimp =]


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## catchin em (Mar 10, 2011)

best way to catch them is on a fishfinder rig in the pass using live pinfish or bull minnows preferably bull minnows for flounder


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## Lyin Too (Aug 31, 2009)

whats a fish finder rig


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## devndeb (Mar 16, 2008)

Also called a carolina rig...googel them both...there's variations on each, but they are basically the same...some sort of slide sinker above a swivel...then about 18-24" leader attached to a hook...while alot of people like the Kahle hook, I personally prefer either a size 1 or 1/2 light mutu circle hook for live baiting flounder...but I do use a carolina rig for that...or a 3" New Penny GULP with either a 1/8th-1/2 oz. red jighead...all the above posters are correct in presentation...once you feel that initial bump, GENTLY come tight and feel if there's weight there...if there is...WAIT...when you think you've waited long enough...wait a little bit more...then set the hook...if there's a flounder there...you will know it IMMEDIATELY!


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## kingling (Apr 10, 2008)

i try not to use shrimp due to everything else that swims will eat it, i like using jigs when fishing docks or structure and live bait in the pass, fishing in the pass is idiot proof, anyone can do it, live bull minnow on a carolina rig with appropriate weight to fit the the conditions and on a decent day you will catch enough to eat, also braid helps in the pass due to no strech in the deep water. one of the biggest factors is the tide, if the tide isnt right then you will not catch very many. an incoming tide is ok sometimes but i prefer post high tide when the water is running out. i doubt many people will come off of their spots due to the fact that most people have worked to find them so all i can say is go where structure is and eventually you will find a few


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## Ruger7mmmag (Jun 3, 2011)

I agree on the outgoing tide. That always seems to be best for me as well. I also agree on using shrimp. However, it's funny, in most spots they will only eat bull minnows, gulps or my favorite, finger mullet, but we have one spot where they won't eat anything but shrimp which makes it tough bc we lose ALOT of shrimp along the way to crap like croakers. We put up with it bc the flounders at that spot are usually 18-22".


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