Flounder Fishing Tips
Flounder Fishing Tips
As we roll into spring here on the Grand Strand and water temperatures start to creep up, that can only mean one thing: Flounder fishing. Flounder are probably the most targeted fish in our area, and once that water hits 60 degrees and stays above it, all systems are a go. The Southern flounder are making their way back to the estuaries along the coast after heading offshore to spawn. This coincides with the return of much of our bait into those same estuaries. If you fish those estuaries during the colder months, you can and will still find Southern flounder, but their abundance is much lower and their feeding is much less aggressive.
Having fished for flounder 3 to 4 days a week and also in a few tournaments, these following tips are what we have learned as anglers. The biggest mistake I see people make when trying to target flounders is baits and presentations. Flounder, being flat fish, are ambush predators. They lay with their “white side” in the sand/mud and the dark side and eyes up. If you take anything away from this read, let it be this: SLOW DOWN YOUR RETRIEVAL. If you're reeling your bait in too fast, you're going to miss them. Talking bait, everyone has a favorite bait. I like to try to match the hatch with bait. Something like a Vudu shrimp or a Jelley Baits Magnifishrimp (which is a local bait maker here in North Myrtle Beach) in a natural color works well.
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Now that we have our baits, let's talk about spots. When looking for where to target flounder, I tend to look for where I am seeing bait. Around docks, oyster bars, depth changes, etc., somewhere the bait tends to congregate. Flounder are pretty prolific in our area compared to other species. Creek mouths might be my favorite place to find fish, especially as tides are changing. Once we have our spot and our favorite Jelley Bait tied on, we're going to make our cast. I will usually let my bait sink and sit for a few seconds before I start popping it in. I start with my rod tip down and will make a series of 3 to 4 pop motions, lifting my rod up with each. I will pause at the top and then slowly reel the slack in my line up as I put my rod tip back down. The goal should be to not move the bait when reeling in; you only want to pull in the slack in your line from the popping motion. Don't be afraid to add pauses or a few quick motions in there. Flounder will typically grab bait before swallowing, so I find it helps to wait a few seconds before setting the hook.
As always, make sure to release those over 20” fish so we can continue to have a healthy fishery here on the Grand Strand. When you release those fish be sure to share it to Release Over Twenty for a sticker and entry to their monthly give aways! I'm going to link a few videos below so y'all can see this all put into motion, and as always, head over to our recipe section to see how to cook those flounder up. Tight Lines!
