Troutsup.......oh wait....not yet but soon.

..

 

Troutsup.......oh wait....not yet but soon.

LOL... even I laughed out loud at that one.. Hilarious.

The only thing I can add to what 'Chummy' is saying is right now you want to look at where they are starting to funnel together. Right now that's going to be in the marsh outflow drain where the marsh pond flows into a channel that then leads to a secondary bay or the bay...or even slightly ahead of it. There'll be some in the channels up that direction as well. It's just starting... well, actually it's been going on all year but the fall concentration is just starting or started about 3 weeks ago when Esley and Maxwell started pounding them.

If anyone wants a hand at learning how to catch flounder .. give Jared Esley (Kayak) a call. they'll show you first hand.
or Scott Maxwell (Boat & Gig). If you're in POC area hit up FishHide Bryan Barnard. those guys know flounder.

Use a chicken boy Bubba Clucker.. it cuts out the short strikes, in shallow water an 1/8th to 3/16th head is great. Later as as the fish get into channels and deeper is when to pull out the Flounder Pounders. Both very good. From there just work the structure like 'chummy' described.

 

LOL... oh man, you're asking to uncover all the secrets of the universe!

I always give them some time to eat the bait.. artificial or live bait. sometimes I give a long time, sometimes only a 3-5 count. if I"m using mud minnows, I might go grab a drink out of the cooler, and update my facebook page before setting the hook. They won't drop a mud minnow.

I use a slightly heavier weight, not necessarily a jig head though. lately, white gulps have been working great for me. the 5" swimming mullet or the mantis shrimp are my favorites. I've probably caught around 275-300 flounder this year. It's been a great year for them.

 

The curly tail gulp mullets and other plastics with a jig head worked pretty slow on the bottom are usually key for me.

I don't catch a lot of them, and I'm pretty sure most have been while my lure was on the bottom and I was messing with something. Go to reel in my slack and bam, flounder.

 

I need to break the habit of setting my hook immediately after a strike I know I've lost a few with live shrimp this way. Thanks for the replies all great advise!

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flounder like structure. man made or natural. that might be a drain into a main channel, or an old barge dock that the current flows around. they also like current. got to be close to current most of the time. Find structure in between a shallow area, and good current flow, and it's game on. they're absolutely my favorite fish to target.

 

I look for areas with moving water and bait when targeting flounder. I've caught them in 1' deep marsh drains on a outgoing tide and 20' deep channels on incoming tides. The point is look for areas with moving water where they can lay and ambush bait. Flounder don't roam around and search for bait like trout and reds, they like to lay up in areas where the current will bring the bait to them. Look for any transition areas from shallow to deep water that will have a good current flow during moving tides. It could be along the jetties, the edges of a deep channel, a cut in a back marsh, or even a culvert from a drainage ditch. When it comes to baits for flounder it really doesn't matter what you use, mullet, shrimp, jigs, spoons, or a cigarette but on a hook, they will hit anything you put in front of their face when their hungry. The important part is finding them. If your flounder fishing in a area that doesn't have any flounder than you will strike out every time. I prefer to use soft plastics over live bait for flounder for the simple fact that I can cover more water with it. Once you find a area that you think is holding flounder you have to make sure you cover every inch of it. Weather from a boat or the bank, when I get to a flounder spot I will cast out at 12 o'clock, then 11, then1, then 10, 2 then, until I cover everything, than I will move over about 10' and do it all over again. By doing this I cover every bit of the bottom. Only after I have covered everything with out a bite will I move to my next location. Some spots will only hold 1 or 2 fish, while others will have them stacked one on top of another. The only other advice I can give you is don't waste your time changing out different lures every 5 minutes just because you haven't had a hit. Get something like a red and white chicken boy on a 3/8oz jig head and cover it in procure and go to town.

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I look for areas with moving water and bait when targeting flounder. I've caught them in 1' deep marsh drains on a outgoing tide and 20' deep channels on incoming tides. The point is look for areas with moving water where they can lay and ambush bait. Flounder don't roam around and search for bait like trout and reds, they like to lay up in areas where the current will bring the bait to them. Look for any transition areas from shallow to deep water that will have a good current flow during moving tides. It could be along the jetties, the edges of a deep channel, a cut in a back marsh, or even a culvert from a drainage ditch. When it comes to baits for flounder it really doesn't matter what you use, mullet, shrimp, jigs, spoons, or a cigarette but on a hook, they will hit anything you put in front of their face when their hungry. The important part is finding them. If your flounder fishing in a area that doesn't have any flounder than you will strike out every time. I prefer to use soft plastics over live bait for flounder for the simple fact that I can cover more water with it. Once you find a area that you think is holding flounder you have to make sure you cover every inch of it. Weather from a boat or the bank, when I get to a flounder spot I will cast out at 12 o'clock, then 11, then1, then 10, 2 then, until I cover everything, than I will move over about 10' and do it all over again. By doing this I cover every bit of the bottom. Only after I have covered everything with out a bite will I move to my next location. Some spots will only hold 1 or 2 fish, while others will have them stacked one on top of another. The only other advice I can give you is don't waste your time changing out different lures every 5 minutes just because you haven't had a hit. Get something like a red and white chicken boy on a 3/8oz jig head and cover it in procure and go to town.

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Very well said Johnny...... This really is it in a nutshell.

 

I have caught 1 or 2 in my usual spots and seen other people catch them every now and then. It may be like sharkchum said that area may only hold a couple. I do have a kayak but don't venture out too much or too far since I go alone. I'll get on Google Earth and see if I can find some structure and get out into some new territory.

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Wow Sharkchum that is cool glad to see a fellow angler give up so much info, I will definately remember this

 

Bubba cluckers work really well on flounder for me. I think part of it is the bait is short and the hook is near the tail. And maybe because it is smaller they don't have to turn it around in their mouths to swallow it like some larger baits. I like the roach two tone. But they all work. Chicken Chit Butt Juice if you like scent.

 

X2
Mr. Joe sure put some thought into those baits. I use a Rockport Rattler 1/8 oz. 3/0 hook- Cut the first segment off the front of the bait and thread on carefully. They seem to complement each other quite nicely!

 

Someone needs to make a video on how to find and catch flounder. Anyone have any ideas on who could do that.[emoji2]

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Lol I'd buy it. Shorter plastic is a good idea while j try to break the hookset habit..thanks for all the great advise you guys are awesome I'm sure this will help others like me.

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Marsh drains on incoming tide

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For flounder i was fishing with tandem jigs with GULP MINNOW GRUB 2",3"chartreuse ,white,red ,pink.I prefer to fish with GAMAKATSU 1/16 oz,1/8 oz.,crappie jigs size 10 and if i have i tip the jigs with stripe of flounder bely.
I am fishing 99 % at ROLLOVER PASS from the bank with long spinning rods(over 10')>i cast long distance and keeping the tip of the rod up i twitch and slowly reel and start again.
When i feel the bite i don't wait i strike quick
This way for fishing work for me.I never fish with live bait.

 

IN my experience, one if the biggest single mistakes I know off when flounder fishing is to work the lure too fast. Slow, slow, slow and then slow down some more. Most times I've noticed that the type of lure is not as important as the correct speed and presentation.

 

.... do you use a heavier jig head? Add bait strips to ur lure? Tandem rig? Do you actually wait/count before hook set?
Are they usually closer to the grass lines or out in the open?

The pattern is different right now unlike the flounder run in the FALL ...

I don't feel its fair to flash flounder run pics and give you tactics for that time of the year.

With that said I am avg. 2-5 flounder this summer on trips ...

They are eating like crazy and I am seeing some of the thickest 17" flounder I have ever seen.

In the morning I am finding them shallow....but as the hot sun rises they back off to deep enough water where they cant be seen.

Red and White is where I start --- but the pure White curly tail has done well.

TIP: when you hook one - if she just stops it, I generally dont catch any more.... but if the fish hits it and runs three feet and stops.... it was taking the bait away from other flounder.... so more are there.

Two Technics: you can slowiny drag your plastics or bump and stop it..... I like to change it up.... as you need to make them MAD at times.

LAST- the bite is real early - then after 3pm the last three weeks .... but when the bite opens up...."Hook em in da FACE!"

 

I take the approach as if I were fishing a Texas rigged worm for Bass in the dead of summer. Very slow, short hops, dead sticking.

 

I don't know why you guys are using worms. I've been doing OK on topwater.

 

Pretty cool seeing how many different ways you guys find/catch them...don't know if I'm ready for the topwater approach yet lol, you know ur working the heck out of em if a flounder can't resist it.

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Some good info here. I'm ready for the run to start.

 

I will have to disagree with "they will hit anything" Right now there keying on shad, if you find them in shallow water, that is clearish(for a marsh) you will have to match the hatch. The bubba cluckers are awesome, and the Storm prerigged 3" holographic/clear/white shad are great with a fluorocarbon leader.

Monday I found the flounder boil/jumping though bait balls, but you put a lure down there that dont look like a shad they turn there nose at it. I fished many lures for an hour and half, switch to the storm/flour combo and caught 5 in less then 30min.

 

I'm not an expert on flounder fishing, but I catch a good many of them when I key in on them. Certain times of the year are way better than others, know when to pick the battle. This year I actually spent a bunch of time catching flounder in the spring and I would have to say there are a bunch in the marshes right now. We experienced a heck of a spring migration this year as the fish were heading into the marsh. Those fish will start leaving the marshes when we start getting some fronts, fall migration. Then the flounder become easy to catch in the passes going to the gulf. Don't get me wrong, there are still flounder in the ship channel along the flats and flats in the bays too this time of year.

As far as tackle, I prefer a tandem rig of curly tailed Gulps. I don't think color matters a bunch, but that's me. When you find the fish biting good, there's hardly a bad way to work the bait. You can put a hurting on them in s small area if you find a good pattern. Drains, points, and structure (bulkheads, water control structures,etc) are what I key in on.

Good luck.

 

I flounder fish a lot .. if the tides not moving find something else to do.. bunch of good informationews given already ...it's hard to beat a gulp swimming mullet .. or live mullet for that matter .. I've spent the last 2 months trout fishing with my son but he goes back to school next week so I'll get some flounder before bow season ..

 

Finding current and a defined grass line is important but equally important is the bottom makeup. They like a flat sandy surface to lay on. If you can find a drop off with a flat ledge for them to lay up on you are on the right track. I usually find these areas by wade fishing and feeling the bottom with my feet. We sometimes discover potholes that are just loaded with them. We caught 23 out of one pothole a few weeks ago. We were wade fishing a flat and kicked a few off in a pothole. We slowed down and fished it for a while and struck gold. A flounder leaves a distinct trail with little mud puffs every couple of feet when you spook them. Learn to recognize that and you are ahead of the game. Hope that helps.