Flounder are happy to feed in very shallow water and can sometimes be found in water which is just inches deep. They can also live in water with a very low salinity level and can travel very far up rivers to the extent that freshwater anglers using earthworms as bait sometimes catch them from locations very far inland.
Where are flounders found?
Where They Live. Summer flounder are found in the Atlantic Ocean from Nova Scotia to the east coast of Florida. In U.S. waters, summer flounder are most common in the mid-Atlantic region from Cape Cod, Massachusetts, to Cape Fear, North Carolina.
Where is most flounder caught?
Flounder inhabit nearshore waters from Maine to the Gulf Coast. The best flounder fishing on the east coast takes place in New Jersey, North Carolina, and Florida. The best flounder fishing spots in Florida run from the Jacksonville area to the Central Florida coast.
What is the best depth to catch flounder?
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.
What is the best time to fish for flounder?
Flounder can actually be fished all year round, but they’re easier to catch in the fall, between September and November, when they migrate toward the ocean. They spawn during the spring and summer, and when they’re large enough, the swim to the ocean to spend the winter there before coming back.
What bait is best for flounder?
Using live bait is essential for many flounder (fluke) fishermen around the country, and can be extremely effective for picky flounder (fluke). Shrimp, crabs, smaller flounder, sardines, shad, mullet, and mud minnows can all be great options for live bait.
How old is a 25 inch flounder?
7
Summer Flounder (Fluke)
| Age (years) | Length (inches) |
|---|---|
| 5 | 22 |
| 6 | 23.5 |
| 7 | 25 |
| 8 | 26 |
Where do flounder go during the day?
During the middle of the day, flounder gigging is really slow typically because flounder will hunker down or head to slightly deeper water to avoid getting snatched up by an osprey.
What is considered a big flounder?
Flounder reach two or three feet in length and weigh one to 20 pounds while halibut grow to over six feet long and over 100 pounds.
Are flounder hard to catch?
Fluke is not a bad fish to start with for beginners; it’s not too hard to catch, many times of the year work, and it’s a great chance to try bottom fishing. Flounder, also called fluke, are a great target for Mid-Atlantic anglers.
Can you catch flounder in the middle of the day?
During the middle of the day, you can still catch plenty of flounder as long as there is some moving water, but the middle of the day usually provides a slower bite than the morning and evening.
What size hooks for flounder?
Hooks can and usually should be a bit on the larger size for flounder fishing. They have large mouths full of sharp teeth, not something you really want to play with. I either use 3/0 to 5/0 circle hooks or a 2/0–4/0 worm hook for flounder fishing. Jig heads in the 1/4–3/8ths range are well suited to flounder fishing.
What does a flounder bite feel like?
Most times, a flounder bite is not neccesarily a hard bite, in fact, it might not even feel like a bite at all. There will also be sometimes where it feels like your retrieve just stops with no thump. When this occurs, you either snagged something on bottom, or a flounder has grabbed the tail of your Z-Man bait.
Can you gig flounder during the day?
Time to Gig
You can gig for flounder during the day but the glare from the daylight makes it much harder to see the bottom under the water. Next, we need to know where to go. We know they like shallow waters. We also know they like to hide and wait for their food to pass by.
Where is the best place to gig flounder?
The most common setup is an underwater wading light, because people like being able to pick out flounder covered in sand the best they can. Above water setups aren’t as common but can be more functional if you want to keep your light and gig on the same pole.
Are flounder active at night?
Yes, they do bite a night. You will find them on the edge of lights (ambush style). Most of your larger fish are caught during the day.
Can you catch flounder with frozen shrimp?
Dead or alive, fresh or frozen, shrimp are one of the best baits for inshore saltwater fishing. Black drum, bonefish, flounder, grouper, jackfish, pompano, redfish, snook, sea trout, sheepshead, tarpon, and whiting are among the species you can catch with this crustacean.
Will flounder take lures?
Lure choice: in my harbour the flounder seem to prefer worm imitations, with other options like crab or prawn type lures being ignored. With enough patience and luck I’m sure they could be tempted with any small lure, the trick is to find one that is awake and switched on, then they will take anything.
Where do flounder go in the winter?
Yes, you can catch flounder in the winter months but you will have to target them offshore or around near shore structure. Flounder move out into the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean in the winter to spawn so you might have to go offshore 30 or 40 miles to find them during the cooler months.
What animals eat flounders?
Young flounders are fed upon by crabs, shrimps, and other fish while juvenile and adult flounder fall prey to many predatory fishes including cod, sculpin, striped bass, bluefish, cobia, groupers, moray eels, skates, stingrays, and sharks.
Is flounder good eating?
Flounder is a healthy saltwater fish. It’s a mild, white fish with a similar texture to tilapia and high in vitamin B12. Unlike tilapia, flounder has omega-3 fats. Next time you’re making a recipe that calls for tilapia, try swapping in flounder instead.