Going to the SC coast in a couple of weeks and want to fish for flounder . Any words of wisdom?
Rising or falling tide?
Live or dead shrimp?
On the bottom or floated?
I hear they make flounder fishing rigs?
String…
Flounder, Sand flats and mouths of creeks, 1 hour before to one hour after either high or low tide.
Mud Minnows just off the bottom on a three way rig work best, The weight 3-6" below on leg of the swivel, and the hook twice that length off the other leg (The third leg tied to your line of course! ;-p)
The secret is to keep the mud minnow moving along the flats slowly… By either slowly reeling the line in or have just enough weight to keep the bait down, but moving by the current.
I also use small BeetleSpin’s with 1-2" white gurbs and a small gold blade cast and slowly retrieved along the bottom.
YotF
Thanks. Mud minnows sound
cheaper than shrimp.
About the same cost, but much easier to
keep alive. Also easier to get with a minnow trap… Fill it with bread, put in a creek, and collect a couple hours later…
YotF
Yep , that’s it …
– Last Updated: Jun-12-08 11:34 AM EST –
.......... they love minnows . got to keep those minnows alive though , invest in an insultaed minny bucket and an a cheap batt. aireator , have some ice cubes to drop in the bucket to help keep them cool (not frozen dead though , lol ) .
Not in the shallow water but the bit deeper (14'+) .
Just like Yak said , a close bottom rig , but I use a 3' leader to attach the hook , even a double leader with one a foot higher than the lowest one .
Current needs to be on the move , flowing .
It's like drop straight over the side , hit bottom , feel the bottom as you drift w/tide , only enough weight to bounce the bottom lightly .
Measure each catch and don't keep any that are right on the boarder line , try to have an unquestionable 1/2" extra so when the man comes up and smashes the fishes face on the board stop until his it's head compresses , at least you know you can argue back honestly , lol .
Best of luck on catching a floor (door) mat !!!
We want to know how it went when you get back , OK .
You a bit late for the big 1st run , May 1 , in MD-VA ocean coast , but that doesn't mean you won't catch them , just fewer that's all .
I have never caught a flounder . I have
never fished from a kayak. This could get interesting.
Big ol wide brim hat (straw ??) …
… use that love/hate sunscreen too . Wrap around sunglasses . extra liquid and power snacks .
Hang on to your rod !! … fish from a yak , lol , are you allowed to do that ?? … Something tells me the day will come when I will actually sit in a yak for the first time !!
It’s a lot of fun
Be prepared to paddle back “upstream” and the come back down again and again, moving with the tidal current. If you are ot moving with the current, you can pretty much forget about it.
For bait, I’ve always use squid, but I’m no pro. Have fun and bring a net!
Flounder In Hamptons
Haven’t fished for flounder in decades. I think I used to bob the bottom of the ocean floor. It was in the Hamptons in Long Island while boating. You could see them swimming by.
They are not popular in WA. People feel they are bottom feeders so they are not as good to eat. They do cost less here than in NY.
I’d bread them & fry them in a little oil and top w/a spritz of lemon after cooking.
-Capri
Flounder are definately …
… a good tasting fish .
Flatfish are very popular in the
Northwest. Halibut is nothing but a right-eyed flounder.
Have caught starry flounder on jigs
I’m no expert flounder fisherman and the ones I caught were incidental when I was first fishing salt water in the Pacific Northwest for any kind of bottom fish. They hit big homemade jigs fished straight down with a hand line. That was way up the B.C. coast, probably not typical of more populous areas that get fished more. West coast anyway rather than east.
here’s some info
I’ve caught tons of flounder here in the south. The best bait that I have found, and most in my club agree upon, is the Berkley Gulp 3" or 4" swimming mullet in the hot pink color. In shallow water or not so strong current, I’d use a 1/4oz red jighead. In deeper or stronger current use a 3/8oz jig. For some reason jigs with gold hooks seem to work best.
I simply rattle/bump it acroos the bottom. If your in good current, just bump and reel in very slowly. The Gulp tails move quite a bit and you will attract them. You’ll feel em nibble, nibble, nibble, then tug a bit. Set the hook on the tugs, not the nibbles. But be quick or you’ll miss em.
Also, a landing net is almost essential. When flounder get to the surface they ALWAYS do a mad kick-dance. I’ve seen countless flat fish lost yak-side, or even once in the yak just because the thrash so much. Also, DON’T finger lip him!!!
Otherwise, have fun and eat em up…they taste great!
Fish On!
nickbfishn
www.mbkfa.com
Postscript.
We were only able to go out once and were late. The tide had already been rising for an hour. Didn’t catch any flounder, but those Berkely Gulps really work. My son had a fish hit his right by the boat and jumped straight up. A true Field and Stream photo op, and fish, missed.I caught a couple of lb gamefish of some kind and we released him.Our finest catch was a lizardfish. Little beast swallowed the whole jig. He was a goner.
We had a good time on a beautiful morning.
Glad you had a good time and …
– Last Updated: Jul-07-08 10:11 PM EST –
....... got to fish from a yak . Been waiting to hear from you how it all went . Wish you had caught some flounder , but what the heck , next time . At least you caught fish .
I,ve never fished from a yak , never even been in one , so now that you.ve fished out of one , "how did you like it" ??
Cool
Glad you caught something. I have been universally unsuccessful in catching fish from my kayak in saltwater. I’m just not an accomplished saltwater fisherman anyway. I’m used to currents that go pretty much all the same direction. I’ve had a lot more luck saltwater fishing wading in the surf, but am terribly eager to catch something from my 'yak. Glad you were able, and especially glad you took your son!
- Big D
You really want to catch something
from a kayak from the salt?
Start making plans for next summer in Alaska. You will get TIRED of catching fish… :-p
YotF
if you like big bass
the first time you hook into a big Red Drum (redfish) you will find it hard to think about Bass again. The fight is awesome, and they make FANTASTIC table fare. If anyone ever ventures down to the Gulf of Mexico for a vacation, be sure to bring your yak. Look our club up online (if you’re in AL or FL)and you’ll find plenty of good folks to hit the water with you and put you on some fish.
As for more saltwater fishing from yaks, we have a few members who started venturing offshore to fish! Kings, Spanish, Cobia, Shark, and more are being caught from yak’s! I havn’t done it yet, but I plan to before too long…we’ll see…LOL.
Heading up in July 2009…
– Last Updated: Jul-08-08 11:45 AM EST –
...if all goes well. Once in a lifetime opportunity and I intend to make the most of it. I won't be taking my own boat, but the lodge has canoes to borrow. Practicing with my fly rod this summer and fall, but I'll be taking along a spinning rod too just because.
- Big D
Cool, Canoes… Sounds like Interior…
If you have a chance, take a couple of days and take the train from Anchorage to Seward, and fish the guide there from a Yak for Halibut, Lingcod, Salmon and Rockfish…
YotF