During the season Flounder can be found in the ICW of Barnegat Bay as well as
Oyster Creek, Mud Channel, Double Creek, and Myers Hole. Schooling flounder
start exiting toward the ocean in late April to early May,
In any of these locations, you’ll find the flounder in three basic types of
bottom: mud flats, channels and holes. These fish will hold in the deeper
channels, holes and the mouths of main tidal creeks until they come up to feed
on the shallow flats during certain tides or times of day. I prefer to fish the
flats regularly, because the sun heats the mud there and gets the flounder
active. Muscle beds are another good spot. Broken and crushed mussels and clams
provide an easy meal.
Now that I told you some places where to fish, what can you do to improve your
catch?
Always double anchor, Drop your chum pots to the bottom and up current from
where you’ll throw your lines, because the slick will fall back to your hooked
baits and draw the flounders’ attention.
Tackle
is mostly a personal preference. Flounder are relatively small and provide the
most action when caught on light tackle use a light to ultra light spinning or
conventional rods with 6- to 12-pound-test monofilament line.
Rigs should consist of a snelled flounder hook with two 12-inch leaders
attached to each end of a wire spreader with a yellow-painted bank sinker
attached to the center. Use a snelled flounder hook with a yellow bead,
attaching the loop end to the swivel and attaching a yellow bank sinker to the
fish-finder. Flounder are curious creatures, often looking for movement as a
sign of a potential meal, and the yellow sinkers can help grab their interest,
especially when bounced on the bottom at times.
Bait should consist of Bloodworms,
Sandworms, Clams and Mussels. Don't cut the bait too big remember that Flounder
have a small month.
Keeping your boat steady over a hole or bank will produce the best results,
especially when you’re chumming. You don't want your boat to be moving all over.
After your first day out, while cleaning your catch, check the contents of the
stomach. This will give you a good idea of what bait to bring out on your next
trip.
Play the tides. Flounder become most active 1 to 2 hours before or after slack
high or dead low.
Stir up the bottom
Bounce a weight or take a toilet plunger and attach a long handle and
bounce it off the bottom around your boat by bouncing your plunger and sinkers,
you’re stirring up the mud which is then flowing down current. The flounder see
this and with the scent of chum in the water, they will go looking for baits!
Once in a while give your chum pot a
good shake. If the fishing is slow, you may want to chum a little heavier also,
smash a handful of clam shells around your boat Patience don’t jump around
between too many locations. Stick it out for a little bit. Give your chum time
to work. Don’t be afraid to go off
away from the fleet. A fleet of boats sitting on one spot will eventually
diminish
the stock. Find a spot where nobody is fishing or hasn't fished. The more time
you fish the more fish you will catch. If you have the opportunity to fish with
somebody who knows what he or she is doing, watch and learn. Flounder fishing is
not something that you’ll pick up overnight, but simple tricks of the trade that
you’ll learn from the experienced will make all the difference.