If you are looking for an adventurous fishing trip, flounder fishing may be the best recipe for you. Catching flounder is best accomplished in deep, cool waters.
This means angling out in the cooler weather of late fall and winter months, when being out on the ocean isn’t quite as pleasant as it is during the warm summer breezes. The real secret to catching them, then, is to target the right areas and work swiftly and efficiently.
If you go out between September and November, you’ll find flounder in their natural migration period, moving to the deeper waters and settling into the sandy bottoms of the areas around 20 and 30 miles from the shoreline.
Once they’ve settled, winter fishing can become productive out in the deep waters. Flounder tend to settle near any natural structures and around artificial reefs and wreckage, taking shelter in these surroundings. If you have the stamina to withstand the cold winds in these waters during the winter, fishing like spearfishermen can be quite productive.
In fact, catching flounder in the colder months is the most productive time, since they tend to shy away from warmer waters and stick to cooler temperatures.
This is why flounder fishing is scarce in the Florida area. In fact, it is only during summer months, when the waters to the south in the ocean become too warm, that flounder migrate north into the creeks and rivers, where the waters remain somewhat cooler.
Some of the best tackle for getting flounder to bite includes a seven-foot casting rod with a small bait casting reel, using 14-pound test line. This is small enough to remain invisible to the flounder but large enough to support a big catch or a bite by a larger species that may grab the bait as you set off on your flounder journey.
One of the best baits to use is finger mullet, usually most effective between three to four inches long. If they are any smaller, they aren’t big enough to stay on a hook, and larger ones are typically a bit too large for smaller flounder to catch hold. If you can’t find finger mullet, try mud minnows or even live shrimp (used with a jig head). Should you be unable to find any of this live bait, use a pink or red grub tail on a jig head to best attract flounder.
Dan Eggertsen is a fishing researcher and enthusiast who is commited to providing the best saltwater fishing information possible. Get more information on flounder fishing here: http://www.asksaltwaterfishing.com