How To Catch Flounder?

[smr_hga]

I have a nice little spot that i visit often that has a lot of good sized Flounder. The problem is they are kind of a rare catch since i only use Shrimp as bait. I would like to catch them because they are good eating fish and would help me practice filleting which i just recently learned. So what lures do you guys use for Flounder?

[heyitskirby]

Bucktails.  Possibly with a piece of squid or some sort of gulp.  Or just use a bottom rig with squid.  

 

If you have squid left over that is still frozen, clean it, batter it, fry it with the flounder.  Both make excellent people bait.

[Catch 22]

Gulp 3 and 4" mullet[twisters] on a jig head or bucktail take a toll on them.Cut bait strips on a bucktail,live minnows do well too.

 

Pearl super flukes on jigs.Tubes lures that simulate crabs .

 

Gulp shrimp on tandem rigs.

C22

[RoLo]

For starters, summer flounder (toothed) and winter flounder (untoothed) are completely different animals.

When I'm strictly targeting summer flounder, I'll always drift-fish with bait strips.

Normally I'll start with spearing or sand lance until the first fluke is boated,

then it's fluke belly strips for the rest of the day. For the postage stamps,

I cut pennant-shaped belly strips about 1/2" x 4" and slit the tapered tail-end.

For doormats, I'll cut 1" x 7" belly strips.

 

When drifting, use the lightest sinker that will hold bottom.

Lift & Drop the bait periodically, which serves 3 purposes:

 > It displays the bait to flounder farther away

 > It betrays a soft-mouther that's swimming with the drift

 > Last but not least, it serves as a bounce-test to confirm that your holding bottom

           (a change in current or depth usually means a change in sinker weight)

 

With regard to the hook-set, the main thing to remember with fluke is to Wait, Wait and wait some more.

I used to tell my boat mates, "You can strike too soon, but you can't wait too long"

 

Roger

[Shanes7614]

For starters, summer flounder (toothed) and winter flounder (untoothed) are completely different animals.

When I'm strictly targeting summer flounder, I'll always drift-fish with bait strips.

Normally I'll start with spearing or sand lance until the first fluke is boated,

then it's fluke belly strips for the rest of the day. For the postage stamps,

I cut pennant-shaped belly strips about 1/2" x 4" and slit the tapered tail-end.

For doormats, I'll cut 1" x 7" belly strips.

When drifting, use the lightest sinker that will hold bottom.

Lift & Drop the bait periodically, which serves 3 purposes:

> It displays the bait to flounder farther away

> It betrays a soft-mouther that's swimming with the drift

> Last but not least, it serves as a bounce-test to confirm that your holding bottom

(a change in current or depth often means a change in weight)

With regard to the hook-set, the main thing to remember is to Wait, Wait and wait some more.

I used to tell my boat mates, "You can strike too soon, but you can't wait too long"

Roger

It's amazing how well rounded us Nj guys are!!! just don't get caught with those fluke bellies anymore.

[RoLo]

It's amazing how well rounded us Nj guys are!!! just don't get caught with those fluke bellies anymore.

 

Is fluke belly now off-limits??

 

Aside from my own boat, I also used belly strips on the Jersey party boats.

Over 4 consecutive trips I won the pool twice and split it once (3 out of 4).

The Shamrock, the Sea Fox (Don Hager), not sure of the 3rd boat (probably Cap't Fossani's "Super Cat")

 

Roger

[Shanes7614]

Is fluke belly now off-limits??

Aside from my own boat, I also used belly strips on the Jersey party boats.

On 4 consecutive trips I won the pool twice and split it once (3 out of 4).

The Shamrock, the Sea Fox (Al Hager), not sure of the 3rd boat (probably Cap't Fossani's "Super Cat")

Roger

Fluke bellies got outlawed in the late 90's if I remember correctly. Used them when I was younger and a few times after when out on a boat with young friends. Buddy of mine used to catch them from 8-10lbs almost on a weekly basis. We'd use live peanut bunker on bucktails and kill them in the spots he had plotted. Weakfish also. Raritan bay used to be an amazing fishery and has just slowly declined even with the limit size getting upwards near 20". Hardly any keepers being kept on the party boats with 40ish guys on the boat. Haven't fished NJ since 2010 myself. 2000-2010 were the worst fishing I had ever seen. I think NY limit size for fluke is now OVER 20". Just ridiculous.

[RoLo]

Fluke bellies got outlawed in the late 90's if I remember correctly. Used them when I was younger and a few times after when out on a boat with young friends. Buddy of mine used to catch them from 8-10lbs almost on a weekly basis. We'd use live peanut bunker on bucktails and kill them in the spots he had plotted. Weakfish also. Raritan bay used to be an amazing fishery and has just slowly declined even with the limit size getting upwards near 20". Hardly any keepers being kept on the party boats with 40ish guys on the boat. Haven't fished NJ since 2010 myself. 2000-2010 were the worst fishing I had ever seen. I think NY limit size for fluke is now OVER 20". Just ridiculous.

 

I'm sorry to hear that.

I heard that Jersey fishing slowed down, but wasn’t aware of the radical change.

Geez, the New York Bight always supported large flotillas of commercial boats, headboats and sixpack charters

and the fishery never wavered. During the 50 years I lived in NJ, the only species that declined

were swordfish and tilefish, but that was a cosmopolitan issue, not regional.

Year-after-year, the Jersey Mudhole continued to produce a bounty of bluefin tuna, yellowfin tuna, sharks,

mackerel and bluefish. The Sandy Hook proper was loaded with stripers, weakfish, bluefish, bonito, blackfish,

ling, whiting, porgies, sea bass ~ ~ ~.

 

Back on topic, the Shrewsbury and Navesink Rivers were loaded with winter flounder,

and the bottom was paved with fluke off the Leonardo Pier, Flynn’s Knoll,

the False Hook (off the balls), off Sandy Hook State Park, Monmouth Bch and Shrewsbury Rocks.         

 

That does it, I'm staying in Florida 

 

Roger

[ihfarmboy-1066]

The fishing in nj has slowed down a bit now I go to Island Beach State Park almost every night after work and this fishing was great the first half of the season with nice size blues and strppers were being thought but now that summer is here the beach fishing slowed down a lot you can still get some nice size blue fish but we are getting fluke and shakes off the beach right now at night . the rig I use for fluke is a fluke rig or I'll uses a high low rig with with frish squid

[Weld's Largemouth]

Fluke bellies got outlawed in the late 90's if I remember correctly. Used them when I was younger and a few times after when out on a boat with young friends. Buddy of mine used to catch them from 8-10lbs almost on a weekly basis. We'd use live peanut bunker on bucktails and kill them in the spots he had plotted. Weakfish also. Raritan bay used to be an amazing fishery and has just slowly declined even with the limit size getting upwards near 20". Hardly any keepers being kept on the party boats with 40ish guys on the boat. Haven't fished NJ since 2010 myself. 2000-2010 were the worst fishing I had ever seen. I think NY limit size for fluke is now OVER 20". Just ridiculous.

Here on Long Island NY the fluke limit is 18", and we have plenty of good sized fluke in the LI sound and its harbors.

[reason162]

Jig + Gulp. Haven't used bait for fluke/flounder in 6+ years. 

 

Nuclear Chicken and New Penny were hot colors last week in NJ.

 

[Chris at Tech]

Nice flatty!  Which of the Gulp baits do you use?  I just started having some success with the Swimmin' Mullet in SC this year.

[reason162]

Nice flatty!  Which of the Gulp baits do you use?  I just started having some success with the Swimmin' Mullet in SC this year.

 

Really depends. Swimming mullet in 4 or 5" is the staple gulp bait for most people, if I had to use only one it'd be the mullet in nuke chix or chartreuse.

 

That fish (and most of my largest fluke) are caught on the 6" grubs. That day I limited out before catching that fish using 5" Jerk Shads on a 3/8 oz jighead. Most people have success using a hi-lo rig, you can check out John Skinner videos on youtube for all you need to know re gulping fluke. Personally, I like going with the single jig. Good luck!

[masterbass]

Gulp jerk shads on a 1/4oz jighead.