Three years ago, when my wife and I bought a condo a long baseball throw from the white sand of the Florida Panhandle, I knew as much about surf fishing as a grandmother from Appalachia. I had done it a few times in my fishing career, but always as a tag-along with others who had more experience. They did the hard work of finding areas that provided a good chance for success.

To the neophyte, the surf is the surf. It’s just endless miles of waves crashing on an indistinct shoreline, and the fish could be absolutely anywhere. Anglers with little or no experience might tote a rod to the water’s edge and walk the shoreline, making more casts than a desperate guy at a singles’ bar, just hoping for the best.

But my experience with other methods of fishing told me that wouldn’t be the most efficient technique. Ironically, what helped develop my strategy for effective surf-fishing was drift-fishing in water with the salt content of a glass of milk. Multiple times every year, whenever South Louisiana goes a couple weeks without any measurable rainfall, I tag along with Independence resident Joe Lavigne, 74, who skulls a thin-metal flat boat down a local river. 

A lifetime of experience has taught Lavigne where fish hold in moving water, and on every trip, he calls his shot multiple times, accurately predicting which casts will produce bites from pugnacious spotted bass. I may never be as skilled as him, but still, I’ve learned a lot in two decades of fishing with Lavigne. I’ve gotten pretty good at identifying fishy areas — where troughs are immediately adjacent to shallow water.

Figuring the same axiom had to hold true in the surf, I set out early in the morning after the first night at our new condo, intent on reading the water to determine where the anomalies existed. I imagined I’d return with a stringer of fish slung across my back, and hail my wife with a hearty “Good Morning,” just as she was taking her first sip of coffee.

But as Mike Tyson famously quipped, everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face. What socked me in the jaw that morning was the fact that, in the low light, I couldn’t tell where the bars were. An experienced surf angler could have probably seen subtle differences in how the waves were breaking, but to me, they looked entirely random.

So I just walked the beach making casts, and lucked into one undersized redfish. No one likes failure when fishing, but I absolutely despise it. It gnaws at me and lives at the forefront of my mind until I’m able to turn myself from a zero to a hero. Fortunately, I wouldn’t have to wait long for that to happen.

To me, the beach is just a cool place to stand while you’re fishing, but my wife would spend all day every day there if she could. So in the interest of marital harmony, I hauled some beach chairs and an umbrella to the sand under a high midday sun, intent to put the misery of my early morning failure behind me.

And that’s when I found what I had been looking for. The wind was light and blowing offshore, which allowed any sediment in the water to settle out, and the tide had fallen since my early morning venture. Combined with both those factors, the early afternoon sun pierced the veil between me and nirvana, illuminating a boomerang-shaped sandbar 200 yards east that kissed the edge of the beach. I walked over, and through my polarized lenses, could clearly see a deep trough adjacent to the bar.

I wanted to sprint back to the condo, grab my rod and spend the rest of the day fishing, but then I remembered that whole marital harmony thing, and besides, I figured the fishing would be better in the morning on the rising tide.

I made a note of the exact location of the bar, and then I returned the next morning.

Throwing a shrimp-colored soft-plastic paddle tail on a 1/4-ounce jighead, I caught a flounder on literally my first cast, and then proceeded to catch nine more. The season was closed in Florida, so stuffed flounder would not be one of the first meals at our new condo, but I couldn’t have cared less. The validation of figuring something out in a new fishing environment meant far more than any feast. 

Since then, I’ve used that exact strategy to have consistent success in the surf. Whenever we visit our condo, my first afternoon is spent walking the beach, searching for bars that have a perpendicular element, relative to the shoreline.

When I find them, I’m confident they will produce fish in the morning. In the fall, it’s flounder. In the winter, it’s redfish. In the spring, it’s speckled trout. And in the summer, it could be any of the above. I still wouldn’t consider myself a surf-fishing expert, but man, it’s been a fun journey trying to get to that level.

The post Find Fish in the Surf appeared first on Sport Fishing Mag.

The Charleston area offers history, good food and good fishing, all in abundance. Visitors can take advantage of all three at any time, though the fishing is the most variable by season and conditions. One of the most appealing attributes of fishing the Charleston area is its variety of opportunities.

Inshore waters offer the three mainstays — redfish, seatrout and flounder — in the shallow mud and harder grass flats. Low-country sight-casting excitement on fly and light tackle becomes more likely in cold weather when waters clear. While shallow-water fish aren’t likely to be monsters, the harbor’s deep, flowing waters give anglers a great shot at big bull reds on bait or jigs, though you’ll want to stow the ultra-light gear here. Lots of big bull sharks hang around and other species as well.

Head 40 or 50 miles offshore to either drift-and-jig for grouper and more (including various species of snapper, amberjack, African pompano and blackfin tuna) or put out lines to troll for blue-water big game — wahoo, billfish, mahi. No doubt, there’s tremendous potential when fishing speed jigs and slow-pitch jigs over even minimal ledges and rockpiles offshore here. Getting to these bottom fish grounds requires a longer run than some anglers care to make, which may help explain the consistent productivity. It’s also well worth keeping in mind the outstanding swordfish fishery that has developed out of Charleston. Anglers fish Edisto Banks to the Charleston Bump, day and night, catching swords to 500 pounds and more.

A point of interest: This very fishy area is home to two major fishing-tackle manufacturers — Shimano and Z-Man.

Planning a Trip

When to Go: You can find rewarding action any month of year. But it’s worth understanding some seasonal differences that can help you determine what species you’ll target and how. In cold winter months, inshore waters become clear, and spotting schools of reds is feasible, but they’re more lethargic and getting them to eat can be trickier (fish “low and slow” in local parlance). When waters warm, redfish will move onto mud and hard-bottom grass flats to feed; look for fins, tails and wakes. Summer’s a great time to fish the harbor for big bull reds. Offshore fishing is worthwhile anytime the weather permits it — that’s a bit iffier in the winter. Also, be aware of the annual closure for the harvest of grouper. Plus, red snapper remain closed in federal waters all year at the time of this writing.

Where to Go and How to Get There: Many major airlines fly into Charleston International Airport daily. For those driving, Charleston is a mere hour or so east of Interstate 95.

What to Expect: The number of inshore guides and offshore charters gives anglers plenty of choice. One great option is RedFin Charters. The wide-ranging charter operation offers inshore options for redfish and trout, but also nearshore, offshore, shark and fly-fishing trips. They likely have you covered for any species you want to target it in the area.

Besides the ever-popular redfish, fishing inshore and the harbor holds the promise of other species: trout, flounder, sheepshead, black drum, tarpon, sharks (bull, blacktip, bonnethead), Spanish mackerel, bluefish, jacks and ladyfish. If fishing with a licensed guide, you’ll need no separate fishing license; otherwise, obtain your South Carolina license.

Far from being limited to fishing, Charleston is a southern center of history and culture. Among the “other” activities might be a visit to the Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum and the South Carolina Aquarium, a walk along Waterfront Park or King Street, or a visit to any of several beaches. You’ll find accommodations from budget to five-star, and fabulous restaurants. Never visit Charleston without indulging in a local favorite: she-crab soup.

Helpful Links

• RedFin Charters
• Charleston Area Visitor Bureau

The post High Times in the Holy City appeared first on Sport Fishing Mag.

Fly anglers in the Northeast often hang it up for the day once the sun is clear of the horizon, fearing that the bright rays of the day have sent the fish deep. While the stripers may have departed the shallows, summer flounder, also known as fluke, can be caught all day throughout the marsh.

If you want to get in on this fishery, target creek mouths in about 5 to 10 feet of water on a dropping tide. Fluke stage here, waiting for bait to get flushed out. Use 6- to 9-weight rods outfitted with a sinking line and a short leader—you want your fly to bounce off the bottom.

You can never go wrong with a Clouser, but any weighted pattern that matches local baitfish will work. Bring in the fly with short strips, hopping it along the bottom. When it gets bit, hit back with a sharp strip-strike, and bring them up off the bottom ASAP.

The post Targeting Fluke on Fly appeared first on Sport Fishing Mag.

The Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission (LWFC) has moved forward with plans to establish a closed season for recreational and commercial harvest of southern flounder from October 15 to November 30. The statewide closure for flounder is for all sectors and all gear types, including flounder caught as bycatch in any other fishery.

The flounder bycatch fishery is considered large, and some coastal residents have opposed such harvest, particularly from shrimp nets.

Exemptions that previously existed for southern flounder caught as bycatch by Louisiana shrimpers are no longer applicable. The LWFC was granted authority by the state legislature to modify the shrimping bycatch exemption if flounder stocks were overfished, which they deem is so.

The Fisheries Commission is closing fishing in the fall to allow mature female flounder to escape inshore waters and move offshore to spawn. The closed season is projected to reduce the harvest of mature female Louisiana southern flounder by 50 percent.

Reportedly, the closed season is in effect to help flounder stocks rebound to healthy numbers by 2028.

Louisiana fisheries staff have noted low numbers of adult female southern flounder for several decades, and a study by Louisiana State University (LSU) confirmed that the flat fish had become alarmingly rare in coastal regions of the state.

“Anytime a fishery collapses, it could be many different things,” says Kenneth Erickson, lead author of the 2021 LSU-led study. “We probably think it’s the fishing pressure combined with some environmental change that is increasing the stress on these species.”

In recent years, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries has logged some of the lowest numbers of adult female flounder in the past four decades.

It’s reported that the number of southern flounder caught by Louisiana commercial fishermen dropped in recent decades. In 2017, the state’s recreational southern flounder harvest dwindled to 124,000 pounds, down from a high of 624,000 pounds in 2013.

Anglers, guides and fishing resort operations will no doubt be affected by the flounder closure. But many recreational anglers are in favor of the closure if it aids flounder stocks.

“We are very supportive of the action taken by Louisiana to close the flounder season this year,” says Buddy Oakes with Hackberry Rod & Gun Club.

Oakes is pleased that bycatch flounder from shrimp netting also will be unlawful this autumn. He believes their usual take at that time of year results in 1,000s of pounds of fish every night.

Famed Venice, Louisiana guide Mike Frenette says he’s willing to give up a few short weeks of autumn flounder fishing in the hope for a potential rebound in the state flounder fishery.

“I usually cringe when government attempts to impose new laws to our daily lives and feel that government becomes involved with too many issues that they don’t need to be involved with,” says Frenette. “That said, I applaud and support our state for suggesting this new flounder harvest regulation.”

The post Louisiana Flounder Fishing Closure this Fall appeared first on Sport Fishing Mag.

The bayous that wind through the Texas and Louisiana coastlines swarm with life during summer. From abundant alligators to pink-tinged roseate spoonbills, these bayous and the surrounding estuaries that feed into them delight wildlife lovers.

Many local anglers target these regions for redfish, and for good reason. These slow-moving water bodies feature thriving blue crab populations — a mainstay in a redfish’s diet.

Some bayous, however, also offer very good flounder fishing opportunities. Typically thought of as a fish of the fall and to a lesser extent spring, flounder still do bite during summer. They just seek areas with easy deep-water access.

Numerous bayous hold water from 8 to 15 feet deep, which is the sweet spot for flounder when temperatures soar. Learning to catch these flatties just takes a bit of an unorthodox approach.

A Legend’s Advice

Capt. Skip James is a flounder fishing legend. Having guided thousands of flounder-loving clients and appeared on many television fishing programs, his name is synonymous with flatfish in Texas and Louisiana. James passed away of natural causes last spring. As his friend for 25 years, I had the privilege of sharing his last conversations about flounder.

In one of those, he gave away a couple of specific secrets for fishing the deep bayous. “Big bayous with deeper water hold big flounder during summer. Look for the first big ‘S-Turn’ in the bayou. The sharper the turn, the better.,” he told me. “These are typically the deepest spots, and their odd shape helps create eddies that sort of trap baitfish and that brings in the flounder.”

These bayous can include those that pour into bay systems like Lake Calcasieu and East Galveston Bay as well as those up to five miles north of the bays in river systems. James told me he would fish either a 4-inch, glow-colored, twin-tailed beetle or a curl-tailed 4-inch grub, both tipped with a small piece of bait shrimp and rigged on a 1/4-ounce jighead.

“Rig that on a medium-heavy spinning rod and fish it with braided line. Crawl it slowly across the bottom. When the flounder thumps the jig, count to two and set the hook” he said.

James also told me something he said he rarely shared with the public during his guiding days — the value of shallow ponds in the bayous. “You’ll have a lot of little shallow ponds in the bayous that feed into them. On a low tide, they might only have 6 inches of water and only about two feet of water on a high tide. But when those tides are high there are lots of flounder in there.

“Fishing the first couple of hours of a falling tide as they drain can be incredible. Flounder spend most of their time in the deeper water of the main bayou but move up into the little ponds to feed on the shad. The fishing can be epic when the flounder start pouring out of there.”

Live Bait and Chumming

Capt. Derek York fishes the massive Galveston Bay Complex and said the deeper bayous on the eastern tier of that system can be solid for flounder during summer’s most brutal days. “Live bait is where it’s at,” he says.

The classic live mud minnow fished on a Carolina rig (an egg weight rigged above a swivel attached to a leader and hook) is hard to beat, he says. “I like to use a wide-gapped hook, so the fish is hooked in the corner of the mouth instead of swallowing it. In the old days, people used treble hooks, but we need to do a better job taking care of flounder, so the wide-gapped-style hook is best.”

York prefers outgoing tides, in general, but the best tidal flow for each particular bayou depends on many factors.

Live shrimp can also be extremely effective. A few years back, I watched a man fishing near me catch five flounder to my one using large live shrimp on a modified free-line rig. I was using a 2-inch Sassy Shad on a 1/8-ounce jighead, which usually works great for me. He had a wide-gap hook with a 1/8-ounce split-shot rigged above it, and he pitched into the current toward a point, allowing the current to push the bait into the key bite zone. The flounder hammered it.

The key to this seems to be the rig. The flounder don’t seem to want the shrimp on a heavy Carolina rig but could not resist the free-swimming action of that guy’s setup.

Although it’s not commonly practiced, chumming these locations can be effective. This is especially true for anglers in flat-bottom aluminum boats without trolling motors. Setting up along the mouth of the bayou, around the turns, bridge, pilings or other structures offers great chumming opportunities.

A chum bag tied off the back of the boat with cut menhaden, shrimp or even a can of jack mackerel with holes punched in it can bring flounder to you. If you start bringing in gafftops, quit chumming. These slimy catfish, which are common in the summer months, come to chum too and will steal your valuable bait.

Follow Menhaden Movements

The primary forage species of deep bayou flounder is menhaden (shad). At times they can be everywhere in the bayou systems, but they can also migrate as far as two miles in a single day, and the flounder follow them.

“We catch them like crazy one day in bayous on the Sabine River north of Sabine Lake, and then they’re gone. It’s all about the shad movement. If you find the shad in the bayous, you can find the flounder,” says dedicated flounder angler Frank Moore.

If you hit the S-Turns and mouth of the bayou but can’t find shad, cruise up the bayou until you start seeing active schools. “Look for nervous shad skipping along the surface and large schools swimming in the channel. Look for tidal switches to trigger bites. Falling tides usually bring shad back toward the front of the bayou, whereas days with super-long incoming tides can see them sort of migrate farther inland,” Moore says.

Early Flounder Migration

Flounder migrations don’t happen instantaneously. They occur in stages. The major flounder migration to the Gulf of Mexico that occurs in early November has its beginnings from late August to mid-September.

When the first cool fronts blow through and bring bluewing teal to the marsh, that signals the start of flounder migration. In my experience, flounder in the distant reaches of bayous begin to move up toward the main channels that intersect with the bay.

With each little front come more fish, and if you play your cards right, that’s a great time to score on big ones. This bite lasts a week or two, and then there’s a lull in flounder activity until the first arctic blast blows through the region.

Read Next: Fall, Wintertime Flounder on Micro Jigs

State of the Flounder Fishery

Flounder might seem plentiful on the Texas and Louisiana coasts but problems are brewing. Flounder numbers are much lower than both Texas Parks and Wildlife and Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries officials would like to see, and both states have taken action on creating limited season closures.

Conservative anglers take only what they can eat that day and always release the big fish (20 inches or better) to fight another day. That’s good fisheries stewardship that will help ensure flounder for generations to come.

The post How to Catch the Gulf’s Deep Bayou Flounder appeared first on Sport Fishing Mag.

The water along the upper Texas coast usually stays too murky for sightfishing, but on this particular late fall day, it looked crystal clear in the tiny canal that runs along Highway 87 in Bridge City. I saw flounder everywhere.

I could see some as sandy outlines on the bottom; others aggressively blasted toward the surface, feeding on shrimp. Certainly, this would be a flounder fisherman’s dream come true.

Not so. I offered multiple baits as I walked along the canal’s edge. The flounder refused all of them.

Something New

Having just returned from a crappie-fishing expedition, I still had a medium-light-action spinning rod rigged with fluorocarbon line and a 2-inch curl-tailed grub in the back of my truck. A curl tail is my favorite flounder lure but this one was half the size of my normal presentation.

Out of desperation, I walked back to the truck and grabbed the rig. Then, I waited for one of the feeding flounder to move. The first cast produced nothing. But the second one scored and so did the third. By the end of the day, I had released 17 flounder.

That unexpected windfall happened in late November, just after the peak of the fall flounder migration into the Gulf of Mexico. On that day I learned a valuable lesson that allowed me to score on quality flounder during the run as well as successfully extend fishing efforts into the winter.

Elephants Eat Peanuts

A few years back, a gentleman named Ben Jarrett outfished me on a redfish trip by using a tiny topwater when I was throwing a super-size Super Spook.

“Elephants eat peanuts,” he said, echoing the familiar expression. To this day that serves as a reminder that sometimes I need to downsize gear to catch big fish.

While big flounder sometimes eat large mullet, they seem just as satisfied eating 100 tiny menhaden. They ambush prey, so they tend to feed on what the currents bring them. In the late fall and winter, that’s often tiny baitfish and crustaceans.

Lighter Tackle

My favorite rod for this application is a medium-action Abu Garcia Ike Dude combo spooled with 8-pound-test fluorocarbon line. Fluorocarbon features the same refractive properties as water, and is killer for catching flounder in clear water in particular. It also offers better abrasion resistance than monofilament.

For general flounder fishing, I actually prefer braided line, especially when pursuing big fish. I normally use 50-pound SpiderWire on medium-heavy-action rods. However, when using microplastics, I need a finesse approach.

Yes, I lose a few with the light tackle but I get far more bites than on the other rigs, starting about the third week in November through Valentine’s Day.

Plastic Preferences

My favorite micro lures include the 2-inch Mr. Twister Teenie (in pink for off-colored water or luminescent for clear water), and the Mr. Twister Sassy Shad in the 2.5-inch size and in clear silver-flake/black-back.

Mr. Crappie’s Shadpole Curlytail in the salt-and-pepper color and the Bobby Garland Baby Shad in the eclipse or hologram-ghost patterns also work. All of my small lures for flounder come from the freshwater world, which shows we should not limit ourselves to a particular section of the tackle shop.

If the water looks dingy, fish obnoxious colors like pink but if it’s clear, use natural colors. Flounder are very visual fish and sensitive to tiny changes in water clarity and lure-color presentation.

I rig small plastics on a 1/16-ounce jighead and crawl them slowly across the bottom. If you feel a hard “thump,” count to two and set the hook. If you feel a slight tap on the line, wait about 10 seconds and then set the hook. Sometimes flounder simply grab a lure and hold on. Give them a few moments to move the lure inside their mouths.

Finding Flounder

To target late-season flounder, look for canals and shorelines that provide the fish with quick access to deep water. When temperatures fall, these holdover flounder move into deeper, warmer water but come back shallow to feed as temperatures rise. Generally speaking, the southern half of a bay system and channels leading to the Gulf produce best.

When you start hearing about anglers catching big trout along the spoils in ship channels and around deep-water drop-offs, go to those same locations and look for flounder. Both species seem to move from deep to shallow water at similar times.

When south winds push slightly warmer water in from the Gulf, fish the rising tide for good action. Slight variations in temperature can make a huge difference to flounder. Any south-facing shoreline can also be good on days with strong wind because baitfish push up against the banks.

Read Next: More Flounder Fishing Tips

As fall segues into winter, fish slow. If you think you’re fishing too slow, you’re probably not fishing slow enough. Start with a super-slow approach, and then if you’re not getting bit, speed up.

The fish don’t scatter at this time of year, so locate fish and focus on an area with a high probability of catches. Once you establish a bite, fish slowly and be aware of their delicate strikes.

Save the Flatties

Flounder are super popular all along the Gulf Coast, but some issues have erupted for the stock due to rising Gulf water temperatures, commercial pressure, and other factors. In 2021 Texas instituted a closure to all flounder harvest from Nov. 1 to Dec. 14, making the fishery catch-and-release only during this time.

I release all flounder measuring 20 inches or more any time of year and recommend other anglers do the same. The greater number of big, breeding-size fish we put back, the better chance for quality flounder fishing in the future.

Due to the incredible taste of flounder, anglers generally consider them a prize for the table and don’t generally release them as they do snook or speckled trout. But flounder deserve the same respect. Keeping the smaller, legal-size fish to eat and releasing the big ones has worked for other species and can help ensure the future of the southern flounder.

In fact, you might earn a conservation-challenge coin if you release a flounder over 20 inches and capture proof. The flounder catch-and-release conservation program that I ran between 2008 to 2013 — Flounder Revolution — has been reborn with a new twist. This project includes anglers from Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida. The coins are our Flounder Revolution “Catch, Release & Conserve Award.”

Anglers who catch and release flounder 24 inches or better, we give another coin called the “Save the Saddle Blanket” award.

All anglers who enter fish also receive an entry for a special-prize drawing. One lucky angler will get a replica of their catch at the end of the year.

CCA-Texas is the official sponsor of Flounder Revolution’s awards. Visit flounderrevolution.com.

Chester Moore is an award-winning wildlife journalist and conservationist from Orange, TX. He has a lifelong passion for flounder fishing, and is the founder of the Flounder Revolution program. He was named a “Hero of Conservation” by Field & Stream magazine for his work with flounder and won the Mossy Oak Outdoors Legacy Award for his work with kids and wildlife. You can follow his work at highercalling.net.

The post Fall, Wintertime Flounder on Micro Jigs appeared first on Sport Fishing Mag.

The familiar thump of a flounder’s strike sent shockwaves up my line and chills down my spine. Nothing hits quite like a trophy flounder, and after counting to three, I set the hook knowing this was a big one.

After making several runs, including under the boat, the thick 22-inch fish slid into the net, making for a perfect start to a late winter morning. Yes, late winter.

Winter continues through March 20. The last four weeks of the chilly season and the first month of spring signal a second prime time for catching flounder along the Gulf of Mexico coastline.

Better known as a fish of the fall, due to its mass migration to Gulf waters to spawn in November, these flounder migrate back in the spring. The action can be red hot if you know where to look.

Early-Flounder Locations

The ship-channel section between a bay system and the Gulf sees the first action, and many flounder inhabit these areas all the way until the fall migration run.

Anglers should seek out flounder holds — small spots where these fish can move quickly from shallow to deep water. The ideal flounder hold is a small spot or shelf on the edge of a steep drop-off into the channel. The hold might be a 20-square-foot area in 6 feet of water that borders a 20-foot drop-off. Such vertical-relief scenarios create a specific zone where flounder can feed on baitfish. These holds produce well on outgoing and incoming tides.

The most popular bait to fish is a live mud minnow or finger mullet on a Carolina rig, but I prefer curl-tail grubs tipped with a piece of dead shrimp rigged on an ⅛-ounce jighead. Crawled slowly across the bottom, any of these presentations can draw strikes.

Another early-flounder spot to try, particularly on incoming tides, is a mudflat adjacent to deeper water. The flounder migrate in on the tide toward the shallows to feed and enjoy warmer temperatures, particularly on sunny afternoons. These muddy zones host tiny crustaceans and other marine life.

I begin my early-flounder fishing with light gear: a 6-foot, light-action spinning rod and a reel with a 5.2-to-1 gear ratio spooled with 10-pound-test fluorocarbon line. I tie on a 2-inch, smoke-colored curl-tail grub or a 2-inch shad imitation tipped with shrimp. Light gear helps because these early fish often barely grab a lure, unlike later in the year when most bites involve a more classic flounder thump. Some fish can be super aggressive, but about half of the fish I catch in spring lightly strike the lure.

If the bite is strong, I switch to a medium-heavy-action spinning rod with 30-pound braided line. The stiffer rod with the braid allows better hook penetration in the flounder’s bony mouth. I keep both rigs available.

The Shift to Marshes and Bayous

As spring arrives, many flounder make their way into the marshes. Anglers can find them around the mouths of cuts. Look for concentrations of small menhaden in the eddies around the cuts. These tiny baitfish we most frequently encounter in spring can’t negotiate strong tides so they look for calmer water.

Consummate ambush predators, flounder wait at these locations and feed aggressively. Target bayous, sloughs, and other drains with concentrations of menhaden and an eddy. When tides run excessively high, seek flounder along the bay system’s main shorelines in stands of roseau cane.

Roseau cane features an intricate system somewhat like a smaller version of a mangrove, giving menhaden a place to linger, hide and dodge large predators. Fish these areas during the first few hours of a falling tide. As the water recedes, the menhaden lose their cover, and the predator action begins.

Don’t expect to catch limits of fish every trip, as you might have done during the main fall run. But you might catch your biggest fish of the year. The relatively few anglers who seek flounder during this period bag some nice ones. And the fishing only improves as the waters warm.

Water Clarity

Water clarity can be a major factor in catching flounder. Murky water makes for terrible fishing.

In most of Florida, Alabama and Mississippi, water conditions, except those after major rain events, remain suitable for flounder fishing. In Louisiana and Texas, however, finding good water conditions particularly in spring can be challenging.

Read Next: Top Flounder Fishing Tips

One rule of thumb I use: If you still can see your lure in 18 inches of water, stay and fish. If the lure disappears because of the murky conditions, move elsewhere. The flounder just won’t bite.

Conserving Flounder

In recent years, various issues, including warming Gulf temperatures that hinder spawning, have caused flounder-population declines. The fishery remains viable, but scientists urge anglers to release the bigger, breeding-size fish.

That’s why I released the 22-incher that I wrote about above. Since 2008, I’ve returned to the water all fish that measured more than 20 inches. Every angler should have a chance to experience that big flounder thumping their line. In the world of Gulf Coast fishing, there’s nothing quite like it.

About the Author: Chester Moore is an award-winning wildlife journalist and conservationist from Orange, Texas. He is a lifelong angler, author of Flounder Fever and was named a Hero of Conservation by Field & Stream for his efforts with the southern flounder fishery.

The post Early-Flounder Strategies for the Gulf Coast appeared first on Sport Fishing Mag.

When it comes to halibut, Alaska grabs most of the attention. But another halibut fishery thrives in the lower 48, farther down the Pacific coast; it’s one that many traveling anglers overlook: California halibut.

Though this species doesn’t grow nearly as large as the Pacific halibut that swims in Alaska, the Golden State flatfish can be quite a rod bender. In addition, the California species (Paralichthys californicus) possesses more of an oval body shape than the Pacific halibut (Hippoglossus stenolepis), which has a body more akin to an elongated diamond. The posterior of the California halibut’s tail fin also features a mild “W” shape.

The California species largely inhabits the ocean waters off the Golden State and northern Baja California and is rare in the Pacific Northwest. In contrast, Pacific halibut are only occasionally caught in waters off of California; they’re found most often off of Washington, British Columbia and Alaska.

The International Game Fish Association all-tackle record 67-pound-5-ounce California halibut came from Santa Rosa Island off the coast of Southern California. An even larger ’but — weighing 72 pounds, 8 ounces — was captured at California’s Santa Cruz Island by a spearfisherman.

Just like Pacific halibut in Alaska, the California version makes great tablefare. California halibut inhabit a wide range of depths along the coast and offshore islands—from the surf zone to 200 feet or more. These fish attack live baits and lures, and can stage powerful runs and head-shaking battles.

Read Next: Fishing the Bays of Southern California

Peak seasons differ by region. In southern California, anglers focus on spring and fall. In the Channel Islands, June and July top the list. In San Francisco, June is the prime month.

Here are six of the top spots from south to north where you stand a good chance of catching California halibut, and most of them are within easy reach of boating anglers.

San Diego Bay

Long Beach/Los Angeles Harbor

Santa Catalina Island

Santa Catalina Island

Santa Monica Bay

Santa Monica Bay

Channel Islands

San Francisco Bay

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Even as Capt. Lori Deaton wrapped the anchor line around a cleat, I cast across a canal a short run from the boat ramp at Simmons Park in Ruskin, Florida. As my Yo-Zuri 3D inshore twitchbait touched down about a foot from the grassy bank, in inches-deep water, I quickly began a jerk-pause retrieve to keep it off the bottom. About three jerks into it, something smashed the lure, and a small snook sailed out of the water. Hardly a trophy, but still, a pretty nice payoff for the first cast of that fall day.

Deaton, who runs Ladyfish Charters in Tampa Bay, fishes from Apollo Beach to the Sunshine Skyway Bridge. She had promised we’d find willing snook on the low flood tide, and so we did. That was our main quarry of the morning, and we caught a bunch. The twitchbait proved a hot ticket for quite a few snook—and many missed strikes—while live pilchards (more properly known as scaled sardines) for other anglers on Deaton’s Blue Wave Pure Bay 2400 of course accounted for plenty of action. Deaton’s generous seeding of the waters near the boat with live chum certainly didn’t hurt.

Vast Estuary A bit farther south from where we fished is the Terra Ceia Aquatic Preserve, also a great spot for snook. I’ve fished there successfully with Jose Chavez, a local expert and marketing/product manager for Savage Gear, where we caught snook in the virtually hidden openings of creeks and bays.

“That’s one of my favorite areas to fish,” agrees veteran guide Capt. Ray Markham, of Backwater Promotions out of St. Petersburg. “The habitat in Terra Ceia has been relatively untouched by development and the encroachment of people, with lush mangroves and oyster bars in the clean water,” Markham says.

With winds light, we switched during the afternoon from fishing mangrove-rimmed bays and canals to drifting grass flats in the open bay in 3 or 4 feet of water. The turtle grass, thick and healthy, offered a welcome change from many areas of the beleaguered Indian River Lagoon on the east side of the state that I was used to. When it comes to water quality and habitat, Tampa Bay has really cleaned up its act over the past ­quarter-century or so.

Over a couple of days, we fished only a small ­portion of Tampa Bay; I felt we could have spent many days doing so and not have begun to explore even that limited area. In fact, Tampa Bay is Florida’s largest open-water estuary, covering more than 400 square miles. The main shipping channel is a busy place, since Tampa is one of the 10 largest ports in the nation. Fortunately, we remained far from that sort of traffic.

Tons of Tarpon The high flooding tide meant good conditions, and while Deaton often finds redfish ­readily available over these flats, we didn’t locate them that afternoon. But from her high vantage point standing at the Blue Wave’s second station, Deaton did spot a big bonnethead shark cruising the ­shallows, in its typical zigzag fashion, just off the bow. “Bonnethead, 10 o’clock!” she called out, and my daughter, Rachel, visiting from Virginia, dropped a pilchard just ahead of the fish, about 40 feet out. It looked like the shark would pass nearby but keep moving on when it suddenly turned 90 degrees and pounced on its newfound prize. The circle hook bit where it was supposed to, and the fish offered a real test for a tiny new Daiwa Exist 1000 with 10-pound braid and St. Croix Legend XTreme Inshore rod, making repeated runs around the boat.

Chavez focuses much of his attention on snook in the lower bay, particularly during outgoing tides, when he works mangrove points, oyster bars, docks and potholes. “Snook basically set up on prime ambush points where there’s a good current,” he says. Find places where water has to funnel through a choke point on an ebb tide, and “you can expect snook to be there waiting for an easy meal.”

Read Next: Tarpon Fishing Tips

As much fun as snook are, Deaton—who has been fishing Tampa Bay since the mid-’80s—cites tarpon as her favorite of all the bay’s many gamefish species. And she’s caught some monsters, including “the greatest catch of my life, a 214-pound tarpon.” Once in a while, Murphy takes a nap, as on that day when ESPN happened to be on board filming a show and caught it all.

For tarpon, Markham’s a summertime guy. While even then it can be hit or miss, the action can also be “insane—especially when you see pods of fish coming right at the boat,” he says. “Big-game fishing in the shallows.” Then, he focuses on days around new and full moons when big tides flush crabs and shrimp out of the bays. Similarly, Chavez likes May and June for tarpon, when they might move in by the thousands, he says.

Variety in All Seasons And while Markham is also a snook devotee, he says: “In the fall, I love fishing reds. They can be big and, like bulldogs, they just don’t give up. When the water temperature in the bay drops to between 72 and 78 degrees, with oxygen levels strong, that’s prime topwater time.”

Of course, jacks of various sizes patrol the bay, and when they’re on the attack, can be a blast. They gave us some good battles on our second day out with Deaton. Somewhat less likely, a nice flounder surprised one angler. Not many Tampa Bay fishermen target flounder, mostly catching them incidentally, but they’re here. “Find good sand-and-shell or grassy habitat with channels and potholes in moving water, and you’re likely to find flounder much of the year,” Markham says.

With so much variety when it comes to ­gamefish species, the bay offers worthwhile action in all seasons. Chavez does indeed fish it year-round but says winter’s his preferred season. That’s when he really likes fishing the negative low tides, “especially during the start of the incoming. That really narrows down the places where the fish can be, and you get to transition up the flat to mangrove shorelines with them as the tide comes in.” Chavez acknowledges that conditions in the dead of winter are often cold and breezy, “but the fishing’s great, and it’s uncrowded because most people don’t want to deal with the discomfort. It really is my favorite time of year.”

Mayhem with a Monster These productive waters harbor many surprises, and veteran guide Markham recounts his most indelible Tampa Bay memory: “One morning I was fishing a small cove within lower Tampa Bay using ultralight spinning tackle with 6-pound Ande tournament monofilament and a tandem-rigged jig. As I gazed down the shoreline, I saw what looked like a school of huge jack crevalle racing up the shore, eating everything in its path. Mullet were flying, schools of glass minnows were showering, and everything was getting devoured. I waited until the school came just within casting range and made a throw ahead of the lead fish.

“Instantly I was hooked up, and my 70-yard spool of line disappeared at a quick rate. I started the outboard to give chase and get back line. As I did, I got close enough to see that I hadn’t hooked a jack crevalle but a big redfish that looked to be at least 34 inches. When it saw the boat, it bolted back toward the school.

“As I followed it to regain line, the fish caught up to the school, and I felt a big thump on the line. Instantly the fish was ripping off drag again, and then the line went limp and I cranked hard, ­realizing the fish was running toward the boat.

“That’s when I saw that I now had two fish on my line—and the second fish was even larger. But the tandem rig soon parted, and I was left with only one fish—the larger one. I fought it for another 15 minutes or so before I finally subdued it, taking a measurement before I released her. She was a 46-incher with a massive girth. She bottomed out both scales on my boat, so I don’t know the weight, but to this day it remains the biggest redfish I have ever landed, and on 6-pound ­tournament mono at that!”

Flagship Bay Boat My outing with Capt. Lori Deaton in lower Tampa Bay offered me a first chance to fish from a Blue Wave bay boat—in this case, the 2400 Pure Bay. With a 300 hp Suzuki, it jumped onto plane almost immediately and was clearly capable of running faster than we needed (factory tests with a 300 topped out at nearly 60 mph). The generous casting decks fore and aft meant that all four anglers aboard could fish without encroaching on each other’s space. The spacious stern livewell kept a passel of pilchards frisky all day. Rigged out with a hydraulic jack plate and the optional second station, Deaton’s Pure Bay truly proved itself a ­bay-fishing machine.

Planning to Fish Lower Tampa Bay Who: We fished with Capt. Lori Deaton, Ladyfish Charters (ladyfish​charters.com, 813-967-5032). Good knowledge, good rig, good gear; easy to recommend. Special kudos to Deaton for her people skills—her patience and great sense of humor make her an exceptional guide for families who want to fish the bay.

If Deaton is booked up, you can try an outstanding alternative: Capt. Ray Markham (captainray​markham.com, 941-228-3474).

Where: We stayed on Anna Maria Island, which guards the yawning entrance to Tampa Bay at its southern end, due west of Bradenton. There, we spent several days and nights at Waterline Resort (waterlineresort.com, 941-238-6262) in one of its Island Suites, and were thoroughly impressed. The suite was provisioned more like a luxury home than a vacation unit, and the kitchen had everything we could possibly want or need. Comfortable and quiet, the suite made us regret having to leave. Also, the resort staff raised “cheery” to a whole new level I hadn’t seen; if these folks don’t truly love their jobs, they’re world-class actors.

More: The Tampa Bay/St. Petersburg area has much to offer for extended trips or larger groups. You can explore it all online at visittampabay.com and visit ­stpeteclearwater.com.

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While a common mantra for catching flounder — “fish near the bottom, stupid” — is mostly true, being tuned in to exceptions and nuances increases the odds of bagging big flatties.

No one’s better at doing just that than top flounder fishing guides. Questions we asked included what are the best flounder rigs, what’s the best bait for flounder, where can we catch flounder, and when is the best time to catch them. Here’s what the 10 pro fishing guides said.

Catching Flounder in Maine

Guide: Capt. Barry Gibson Contact: 207-633-5929, ­saltwatermaine.com Region: Booth Bay Harbor Species: Winter flounder (known as “blackbacks” locally)

With 46 years of guiding ­experience, Gibson knows where to point his 28-foot Whitewater during the hot flounder months of July through September. “Area tides don’t make a lot of difference,” says Gibson. “Flounder like moving water around coves, estuaries and inlets that present fairly deep centers and shallow fringes. A sand or gravel bottom is ideal, but they’ll also feed over mud and grassy areas as well as mussel beds and creeks that empty into deeper water.

Capt. Barry Gibson’s Flounder Fishing Tips:

• Go Zobo: Fish a Zobo rig developed by Pete Santini, a tackle-shop owner in Everett, Massachusetts. It’s essentially a high-low rig with hooks and 2- or 3-ounce sinkers painted orange or yellow for more visual appeal. • Seduce with Sandworms: The best bait for flounder is a 3-inch section of a live sandworm. To make the worms less slippery, put them in a plastic container half filled with corn meal. • Move It: Blackbacks feed more by sight than scent; try moving the bait a few inches at a time.

Catching Flounder in Massachusetts

Guide: Capt. Jason Colby Contact: 617-755-3740, littlesister1.com Region: Boston Harbor and Quincy Bay Species: Winter flounder

Catches of winter flounder weighing 3 pounds or more often reward anglers fishing with Jason Colby, a licensed guide for 35 years. He fishes up to six anglers aboard his 26-foot open-console Goldline with a 300 hp Yamaha. He says the best months for winter flounder are May, June and July, and August to September for summer flounder, aka fluke. (Colby says summer flounder are encountered more often during August and September past Cape Cod.) Colby prefers no wind, but a light breeze with the tide works fine. “Generally, I drift over smooth bottom and anchor where there’s structure,” he says.

Capt. Jason Colby’s Top Flounder Tips:

• Drop Down: Flounder tend to gather on the deeper side of a ledge, especially on a falling tide, around creek mouths that feed into larger bodies of water. Sometimes flounder follow baits to an anchored boat, so periodically drop straight down. • A Puff of Mud: When chumming in a current over mud or sand, bounce your flounder rig on the bottom: Lift it 2 inches, and drop it suddenly. That creates a particulate puff each time the sinker hits, and blackbacks hustle over. • Clam Up: Colby’s consistent success often relies on a two-hook tandem rig with one leader a little longer than the other. Put a clam on the shorter hook and a worm on the longer one — more flounder will go for the worm, but the clam is likely to attract the big boys.

Catching Flounder in New Jersey

Guide: Capt. Scott Newhall Contact: 608-385-3729, time​out​fishing​charters​.com Region: Southern New Jersey Species: Summer flounder

“Summer flounder start arriving around the coast in this area in April and during all of May,” says Newhall. “Then they head into the back bay before reaching the continental shelf for the winter.” A 10-year veteran in the guiding biz, Newhall fishes a 21-foot Contender. “In the back bay, you want two hours before and after high tide, since you often get cleaner water then,” Newhall says. “Light winds add to the bite, and I run a drift speed of half to 1 mile per hour.”

Capt. Scott Newhall’s Best Flounder Fishing Tips:

• Gulp! Over Gulp!: Go with a single-hook ­bucktail tipped with a Berkley Gulp!. Ten inches above that, thread a bare Gulp! onto a hook — all colors seem to work well. Vary the retrieve from a long stroke to rapid fire. • Lots of Liveys: Effective live baits include minnows, peanut menhaden (pogies or bunker), baby bluefish, striped killifish or mullet, fished on a bare hook. • Structure on Sand: For ocean fishing, stay tight to structure where the debris or metal meets the sand. If you get a bite and the flounder drops the bait, immediately set it back.

Catching Flounder in North Carolina

Guide: Capt. Jeff Onley Contact: 252-333-6524, albemarlefishingcharters​.com Region: Albemarle Sound Species: Southern and summer flounder

Jeff Onley, who guides from a 17-foot Polar Kraft, says the best flounder months in his neck of the woods are May to September, when winds come from the southwest to clear up water and push tides higher.

“I prefer braided 6-pound line, up to 12-pound around structure when bigger flounder or stripers are in the mix,” says Onley.

Capt. Jeff Onley’s Top Flounder Tips:

• Deploy a Dropper: A dropper rig using a rounded weight and, above it, a hook tied to the line or leader, helps avoid break-offs around structure. • Best Baits and Lures for flounder: The best live baits for flounder are croaker or mullet. For strip baits, he likes bluefish, squid or the belly of a gray trout or croaker. When fishing artificials, his go-to list includes Berkley Gulp!, swimming mullets and spinnerbaits, such as the Strike King Redfish Magic. • Creek-Mouth Wisdom: Target mouths of creeks on the ebb tide and, on the incoming, deeper water over drop-offs and around structure with live baits.

Georgia Flounder

Guide: Capt. Tim Cutting Contact: 912-230-1814, fishthegeorgiacoast.com Region: St. Simons Island to northeast Florida Species: Southern flounder

A guide since 1990, Tim Cutting bags flounder year-round from his 20-foot Scout, but does best from June to late fall. “I’m not that big a believer in tidal influence,” says Cutting. “Flounder like clean, salty water and structure near an inlet. They gravitate to wherever the ocean feeds into marshes, jetties, docks and riprap.” Cutting utilizes his trolling motor frequently to cover water. He prefers a Carolina rig with soft plastics, using a sinker as light as possible above the swivel and a short 6- to 15-inch leader to limit bait movement where the bottom is snaggy.

Capt. Tim Cutting’s Top Flounder Tips:

• Skip the Shrimp: Flounder seldom pass up live croakers, finger mullet, pinfish or menhaden. Junk fish, such as hardhead cats, tend to get to shrimp in this area before flounder do. Soft plastics, such as Berkley Gulp!s, do well along with spinnerbaits. • Fewer Fails with a Kahle: Use a Kahle hook for more dependable hook-sets. On live bait, wait five to 15 seconds before a hard hook-set. • Think Clearly: When water runs fast, it can become turbid, so concentrate on areas where the bottom isn’t silty. If you can’t see the bottom of your trolling motor, move.

Florida, East Coast Flounder

Guide: Capt. Alan Sherman Contact: 786-436-2064, getemsportfishing.com Region: South Florida Species: Gulf and summer flounder

A Miami Beach head boat skipper for 20 years, Capt. Alan Sherman, who runs a 22-foot Pathfinder, knows a thing or two about flounder. “We usually come upon flounder while fishing for other species,” says Sherman, adding that the more frequently encountered summer flounder run 4 to 6 pounds but Gulf flounder are smaller. Late fall through winter, in sandy areas, near rocky bottoms, yields the best flatfish catches. Sherman likes moving water.

Capt. Alan Sherman’s Top Flounder Tips:

• Supersize Shrimp: In the colder months of winter, fish shrimp, which tend to run large, or else use pilchards hooked through the nose. • Fish Finger Channels: Target finger channels. Tie the running line via swivel to a 30-pound monofilament leader with a 1/0 short-shank hook, and go with a ¼- to 1-ounce egg sinker, depending on current strength. • Feel for the Fall: Bounce red or chartreuse jig heads with Gulp! along the bottom. Strikes usually occur as the lure falls.

Florida, West Coast Flounder

Guide: Capt. Paul Hajash Contact: 727-251-2623, flyfishingflorida.com Region: Tarpon Springs to St. Petersburg Species: Gulf and southern flounder

Capt. Paul Hajash (pronounced hash), who has been guiding since 1999, fishes a 201 Pro Guide Backcountry. “Flounder seem to migrate offshore during winter to spawn in deeper water, and come back when water is between 68 and 78 degrees during spring and fall,” Hajash says. Flounder — especially the bigger doormats — feed more by sight than smell, he adds. “Accordingly, they can see better in clearer water, where they lie hidden until something swims over their heads.”

Capt. Paul Hajash’s Top Flounder Tips:

• Guide’s Hot Spot: Good areas include the ­mitigation reefs that run from Sound Key south to St. Petersburg. Flounder congregate in sandy areas in 10- to 15-foot depths just off those reefs. • Soak a Sardine: Live sardines with a 1/0 to 3/0 hook, fished with just enough split shot to get them to the bottom, are hard to beat. Nearly as good are tiger minnows, chubs and small pinfish. Mullet strips or small pinfish on a lead-head jig also work. • Cast Up-Current: In Clearwater Pass when the tide is moving in or out, cast up-current and let your bait drift slowly or bump it along the bottom. Oyster bars anywhere often hold promise.

Catching Flounder in Louisiana

Guide: Capt. Troy Nash Contact: 337-412-5950, southlouisianaredfishing.com Region: South Louisiana Species: Southern and Gulf flounder

Nash, who’s guided for 26 years, employs a 22-foot Ranger Bay. “Our best flounder fishing starts in October and November as they migrate into the Gulf to spawn,” he says. “We fish a lot of artificials, such as ⅛- or ¼-ounce wiggle jigs tipped with shrimp.” Nash prefers spin gear with a 20-pound fluorocarbon leader and, if using bait, a 3/0 Owner hook with a shrimp threaded onto it. He adds a small split shot, then bumps the rig along the bottom of bayous and outflows. “You can catch large numbers of flounder in Vermillion Bay and around Marsh Island in the Russell Sage Wildlife Refuge,” he says.

Capt. Troy Nash’s Top Flounder Tips:

• Go to the Gators: Look for alligator trails where they enter and exit the water; these create holes where flounder like to nestle. Other points of water flowing in and out of the marshes are good too. • Follow Slack Tide: Fish the end of high tide, when water starts to slacken, as long as water clarity is decent, then follow the slack tide to the next spot and on and on. • Flounder on Fly: Fly patterns take plenty of flounder, particularly small poppers, Seaducers and lavender bendbacks. Put a lead wire on the flies to get them below the surface so flounder feel and see the push of water.

Texas, North Coast Flounder

Guide: Capt. Mike Losoya Contact: 409-939-2311, getbentgalveston.com Region: Galveston Species: Southern flounder

Now in his sixth year of guiding, Capt. Mike Losoya fishes a 16-footer in marshes and a 23-footer in open bays. “Around here, we find a decent amount of flounder year-round, but the best runs occur in the marshes from October to November,” says Losoya. He searches for green water that’s neither stained nor crystal clear. Wind doesn’t seem to affect flounder, but he does look for mixed bottoms, “such as sand and mud together with shells around drop-offs in depths from 2 to 20 feet, with the 5-foot range most productive.”

Capt. Mike Losoya’s Top Flounder Tips:

• Better with a Baitcaster: Learn to throw a baitcasting rig to maximize precision with just a touch of your thumb to hit the points and run-offs. • Texas Choice: Live shrimp, mullet, pinfish and croakers work well for those not adept at casting lures, but you should have good action with Berkley Gulp!s, MirrOlure’s Lil Johns and the Texas favorite, Corky lures. • Cover Ground Looking Down: Use your sonar to look for irregularities in the bottom, such as small holes and rocks. Fish eddies in currents. Cover lots of water because flounder will be scattered in potholes as well as open areas.

Texas, South Coast Flounder

Guide: Capt. Bill Sheka Jr. Contact: 361-991-7191, billsheka.com Region: Laguna Madre and Baffin Bay Species: Southern flounder

Few guides can match Capt. Bill Sheka’s prominence as one of the most famous fishing personalities in Texas. Now retired, Sheka plied the waters in a 21-foot Kenner and similar boats for 35 years. “We had good flounder runs in 2016, and prospects look excellent this year,” Sheka says, noting that tighter regulations have helped. “Fishing is best from October to December, when water temperatures fall below 72 degrees, because that seems to get flounder to stop moving,” says Sheka. “Drop-offs are the big key in shallow grass beds, as are points during a push of current.”

Capt. Bill Sheka Jr.’s Top Flounder Tips:

• Pop a Cork: A live shrimp under a popping cork can work magic if popped hard where grass bottom gives way to a channel. • Twitch Versus Hop: Don’t hop baits along the bottom — they tend to snag too much in these waters. Instead, work your offering with small twitches. • Cast Master: Precision casting will result in more catches — a difference of only 5 feet from where a guide says to cast can mean the difference between success and a big zero.

Types of Flounder

Gulf Flounder

• (Paralichthys albigutta) range from North Carolina to Texas. This is a left-eyed flounder, meaning both eyes are always on the left side. Males typically reach no more than 14 inches; after their first year of life, they remain offshore. Females can grow to 18 inches. • IGFA all-tackle record: 7 pounds, 2 ounces, from Bogue Sound, North Carolina, in 2011.

Summer flounder

• (Paralichthys dentatus) often referred to as fluke, are a left-eyed species, abundant from Massachusetts to North Carolina. They can reach 26 pounds and live as long as 20 years. • IGFA all-tackle record: 22 pounds, 7 ounces, from Montauk, New York, in 1975.

Southern Flounder

• (Paralichthys lethostigma) range from North Carolina to Texas and south into Mexican waters (minus much of South Florida). Also a left-eyed species, females reach 28 inches in length and males up to 14 inches. As with Gulf flounder, males head offshore after a year. • IGFA all-tackle record: 20 pounds, 9 ounces, from Nassau Sound, Florida, in 1983.

Winter Flounder

• (Pleuronectes americanus) range from Maine to Georgia. Often nicknamed blackbacks or lemon sole, these right-eyed flounders seldom exceed 23 inches and6 pounds. • IGFA all-tackle record: 7 pounds, from Fire Island, New York, in 1986.

About the Author

Doug Kelly is a freelance outdoor and travel writer. He’s the author of two books: Florida’s Fishing Legends and Pioneers (2011, University Press of Florida) and Alaska’s Greatest Outdoor Legends (2016, University of Alaska Press), both first-place winners of the Southeast Outdoor Press Association’s Best Book Award.

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