# Flatties gone extinct??



## mssbass (Nov 23, 2008)

Tried it again last night between midnight and 3 am in orange Beach. Launched at Boggy Point. Didn't see the first flounder. A little breezy but otherwise perfect conditions. The water is so much clearer than Wolf Bay or Little Lagoon. We just can't find them! Tried Wolf Bay Saturday night too and saw 1 small one. May try Fort Morgan tonight but don't have my hopes up! I keep wondering what I'm doing wrong? Tide seemed right and just coming in from low tide. 6 led lights on front of Jon boat just pushing along. Any tips out there??? Please help a flounder gigging newbie&#55357;&#56836;


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## bowdiddly (Jan 6, 2010)

Sounds like you did everything right and the conditions were good as well. That is just part of the learning curve. 
You will just have to keep moving and trying different spots until you find where they are in that area. Make sure you are in areas where there are bait fish and deep water nearby. They also like to lay around structures which also attract bait. Check around the mouths of creeks, canals and bayous.


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## drifterfisher (Oct 9, 2009)

Went last night and stuck 18-20 not sure. My brother took this batch home and is supposed to text a pic. These came from around FWB.

Saw well over 100 small 2"-10" fish.


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## dsar592 (Oct 12, 2007)

Thanks for the Info. Mobile Bay has been a mess and I was going to head down toward wolf bay or boggy point area. Guess Ill wait.


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## drifterfisher (Oct 9, 2009)

I have one tip, it was told to me many many times when I first started this obsession, time on the water. That will teach you more than we can ever tell you. I'd hate to know how much money and time I've spent on this, I could buy 3 times as much flounder from the store. I like killin things with my stick though so.... 
This time of year, find creek mouths, deeper water and mud. Thats all ya get. Now go ride the front of your boat, oh yeah you have to teach the boat how to fish....lol

One more thing a trolling motor will save your arms....


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## mssbass (Nov 23, 2008)

You guys are awesome - thanks for the tips. We went to Little Lagoon last night and stuck a 13 and 18" near the pass in about a foot of water. But still, 5 hours with only 2 fish aint cutting it! We're going to try Wolf Bay tonight (last night of vacation - The water is just so cloudy. Are you supposed to work it really, really slow in order to see? We've got 8 small led lights on the front of the boat (not underwater). Someone told us to try deep in Wolf Bay but how with the water clarity? We're looking around for a trolling motor now. Thinking about the new Motorguide R3 or the Minnkota Endura Max. Really want the extra battery power with the digital models.

As far as FWB, I couldn't imagine seeing 100 fish. What depth were they? Again, we can only see about a foot deep in Wolf Bay and Little Lagoon. Orange Beach is a tad better but no fish.


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## drifterfisher (Oct 9, 2009)

That foot of water is where I find alot of fish. Looks like you stuck a nice dinner.


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## bamafan611 (Mar 1, 2010)

Jared, you've come a long way. Nothing like learning from the bow of a boat. I'm having to travel like you do and have moved west to Mississippi.Orange Beach, Perdido, back creeks here in Bama have been ghost towns.


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## drifterfisher (Oct 9, 2009)

Terry I went to Perdido Key a while back, managed a couple. very poor over that way. I've kinda gotten a routine do here, and it seems to do good. BTW the HPS's are great... really hoping to find another 15$ 400 watter on CL.


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## DMC (Nov 28, 2010)

drifterfisher said:


> Went last night and stuck 18-20 not sure. My brother took this batch home and is supposed to text a pic. These came from around FWB.
> 
> Saw well over 100 small 2"-10" fish.


Jared you didn't bring me any.


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## drifterfisher (Oct 9, 2009)

DMC said:


> Jared you didn't bring me any.


Dang I thought You had gone extinct...


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## weedline (Aug 20, 2011)

they are everywhere u just have to go 4 nights or more a week to figure out where only guys who get them regularly have done it all their life or commercial fish its not easy when i commercial fished it was easier to catch 50 pompano in a day than 20 flounder but i know guys that get them good most trips


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## BlueH20Fisher (Mar 20, 2008)

I've got 2 400w hps lights, new. I'd let them go 50 ea or 75 for both.


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## Five Prongs Of Fury (Apr 15, 2008)

Flounder numbers are as low as they've been in in years, especially Southern Flounder. We recently did a stock assessment project with the Alabama Department of Marine Fisheries working in conjunction with the University of Miami. We went out captured alive every Southern Flounder we could find and brought them back to the new mariculture center for processing. They were weighed, measured, cleaned up and given shots of antibiotics to insure they stay healthy. They will be kept until they are ready to spawn and then the juveniles will be returned to our bay system. Flounder have been negated the last several years because of all the hooplah involved with the offshore Fisheries. The limits for both size and bag need some adjustments. That goes for both Florida and Alabama and you can bet that I will lead the charge in order to get something done. No one likes more government intervention including me, however, at some point the Best interest of the fish needs to be taken into consideration. I hear these "big stories" of limits of fish being taken regularly but seldom see any proof. Sure, it happens on occasion but its not the norm anymore. All of this is based on my 20 years+ of experience and the last 2 years have found me on the water nearly every night for the entire spring/summer.


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## bamafan611 (Mar 1, 2010)

Hunter, you are absolutely right. I would say the last 3 years have been the worst I've seen in 40+ years of gigging.You can still find a limit, but YOU WILL work for it. I'm seeing 5 to 1 on Gulf flounder to Southerns.The first of the year wasn't too bad in AL, but have had to travel west to find any numbers or quality fish. Slot and creel limits need to be looked at immediately in FL and AL. Not sure how the east coast and Southern FL are holding up, but our gulf coast has been hit hard. Areas that were a guaranteed limit in the past,are ghost towns.It's taking a hour and a half ride to launch to find any fish at all that are the quality that I would gig. Then when you get there it's a challenge to find suitable water to see.I think anyone who enjoys this sport agrees we need help.


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## gigability (May 6, 2014)

Also I think that there are too many people fishing and gigging and shrimping and the gulf coast oil spill has some thing to do with it ,it all adds up ...equal's less fish....we don't have many people gigging here and we are still seeing lots of fish.Less people more fish..I am seeing more gulfies and the southerns are late to show up this year,just now starting to see them.


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## Five Prongs Of Fury (Apr 15, 2008)

gigability said:


> Also I think that there are too many people fishing and gigging and shrimping and the gulf coast oil spill has some thing to do with it ,it all adds up ...equal's less fish....we don't have many people gigging here and we are still seeing lots of fish.Less people more fish..I am seeing more gulfies and the southerns are late to show up this year,just now starting to see them.


They're under more fishing pressure up here than they've ever been. It's not just the fishing pressure causing the problem though. The recruitment rate for the juveniles that survive till adulthood is getting less and less. Not sure if there's more polluted run off in the estuaries that host these young fish or if there's something bigger at work here. I intend to keep digging until I find out.


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## Five Prongs Of Fury (Apr 15, 2008)

drifterfisher said:


> Went last night and stuck 18-20 not sure. My brother took this batch home and is supposed to text a pic. These came from around FWB.
> 
> Saw well over 100 small 2"-10" fish.


Jared, was that box full you told me yall got the other night Southern's or Gulf's???


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## johnboatjosh (May 19, 2008)

Hunter is spot on with his assessment. Between he and I, we've been on the water at least 100 nights since the spring. Nobody, and I mean Nobody, is more qualified to speak to the condition of the flounder population of our area. And it's in shambles. I don't have an answer as to why but I'd love to know. Fishing pressure? low recruitment rates? poor bait numbers in our bays? Could be any of them or a combination of all of them. We better figure it out if we want to be gigging fish in 15 years. The problem is actually worse than some people will admit. Lots of giggers feel some sort of weird need to lie about the #'s of fish they gig. I'm unsure whether that's because they don't want people to know they suck at finding fish or because they're afraid of government intervention (more regulations) if they admit that numbers are low. Whatever the reason, a good number of flounder that are claimed to be seen or gigged are a complete fabrication. I say that because as long as people continue to make bogus claims about the numbers of fish they see or gig, getting regulation changes sparked will be tough. Hunter and I plan to be at the head of the effort to get down to the bottom of what's causing our flounder population trouble and to get something done to correct it.


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## bamafan611 (Mar 1, 2010)

Hunter and I plan to be at the head of the effort to get down to the bottom of what's causing our flounder population trouble and to get something done to correct it.[/QUOTE]

Josh I've stated this before and still believe the problem is the bottom. We do not know how much dispersant and oil is still on the bottom where the crabs,shrimp, and flounder breed and lay their eggs.Kinda funny how all species that reproduce on the bottom are in decline in our area. I know fishing pressure has had an influence, but without reproduction replenishment the well will eventually go dry.In my opinion the well is mighty low.I haven't seen the post and pictures like past years, simply because not much to take a picture of. If you notice the good reports and pics are not from our area.I also spend alot of time on the water and have had to move from areas that were very productive to new water.Breeding areas would be the first place I would look and do some bottom samples. If this is the case, it could be a decade or more before our area is healed.


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## drifterfisher (Oct 9, 2009)

Five Prongs Of Fury said:


> Jared, was that box full you told me yall got the other night Southern's or Gulf's???


Hunter I believe them to be gulf's not sure though. We had 20.


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## johnboatjosh (May 19, 2008)

The one in the picture is a southern.


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## gigability (May 6, 2014)

All gulfies....??????


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## bamafan611 (Mar 1, 2010)

Thats it Bill, just told the wife we are selling the house and moving South. She's not real happy, but a gigger has to do what a gigger has to do. Great box.


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## johnboatjosh (May 19, 2008)

I think pollutants and/or oil spill effects could have something to do with it; maybe even the #1 cause. But, pressure on the fishery in our area is at an all time high, I think.

Gigability, out of curiosity, how many other gigging boats do you see on the water each night?


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## gigability (May 6, 2014)

hey terry thanks, hope you have been good. YOu are not going anywhere you are the bama fan and if you do it would have to be south of the Everglades LOL


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## gigability (May 6, 2014)

johnboatjosh said:


> I think pollutants and/or oil spill effects could have something to do with it; maybe even the #1 cause. But, pressure on the fishery in our area is at an all time high, I think.
> 
> Gigability, out of curiosity, how many other gigging boats do you see on the water each night?


I see a few a year but they don't know what they are doing and i don't see them anymore


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## johnboatjosh (May 19, 2008)

gigability said:


> I see a few a year but they don't know what they are doing and i don't see them anymore


That's what I figured. In contrast, on Choctawhatchee bay I rarely go a night without seeing at least 4 or 5 boats. 

Granted, I'm usually not really looking for flounder. We run bow fishing charters and are mostly looking for rays but of course I keep an eye out for flounder. 

On a normal trip we'll cover about 5 miles of ground, see 5 flounder gigging boats, and less than 5 flounder. 

Back in the spring there was a 2 week period where flounder numbers were better and then word spread about it. 2 weeks later you couldn't find a handful of fish in a night. 

Basically, the few that migrated into the bay for the year were killed off.


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## bamafan611 (Mar 1, 2010)

Yep,Bill you're right. Just couldn't bring myself to be a gatorfan611. 

Quote//Back in the spring there was a 2 week period where flounder numbers were better and then word spread about it. 2 weeks later you couldn't find a handful of fish in a night. 
Josh, that's why you won't see many post or pics from me. I learned the hard way.People would start looking for your truck at ramps and then follow you all night.


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## Flounder9.75 (Sep 28, 2007)

bamafan611 said:


> Yep,Bill you're right. Just couldn't bring myself to be a gatorfan611.
> 
> Quote//Back in the spring there was a 2 week period where flounder numbers were better and then word spread about it. 2 weeks later you couldn't find a handful of fish in a night.
> Josh, that's why you won't see many post or pics from me. I learned the hard way.People would start looking for your truck at ramps and then follow you all night.


Terry what kind of truck do you drive? LOL


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## bamafan611 (Mar 1, 2010)

Dang Marc, I would share info with you anytime. Orange Beach got to be a circus.


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## Dynamic (Oct 3, 2007)

This is an interesting thread. Ive also noticed the decline over the past three-five years specifically. Im mostly a hook and line guy but I do and have done my fair share of gigging in the past. Mostly perdido bay and big lagoon. Its kind of scary what I am seeing. Also the fall run has been terrible for me the last couple of years. Along with most people. Im not happy that the fishery is in the state its in but I am happy that its not just me and that it sounds like we have a couple of outstanding representatives for the future of flounder. Somebody mentioned lack of baitfish as well. Thats also another thing ive noticed is lack of bull minnows. If theres anyway I can help let me know.
Thanks
Capt Miles Howell


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## Flounder9.75 (Sep 28, 2007)

Yea I know Terry. Just poking fun. This has been the summer of Westerly wind.


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## daylate (Feb 22, 2012)

I don't know if it is relevant or not but we had an outstanding fall run here in NW FL 3 years ago. Tons of big fish moving out area passes. The following spring and all summer our bays were flooded with tea colored fresh water and those flounder apparently did not come back into our local bays that year. Where they went that spring I do not know but I do know they haven't returned in the years since.


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## sealark (Sep 27, 2007)

Yes this west winds plus the bad winter up north is causing problems. But the Flounder run in cycles a few good years followed by lean years. I think this fall will be a real bummer. I haven't seen this many jellies in many years.


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## Dynamic (Oct 3, 2007)

The jellyfish are unreal this year. Seems like the big numbers came early this year too.


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## Flounder9.75 (Sep 28, 2007)

I also heard the Jellies were thick in in Ole River too


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