Flounder Fishing

[pro17]

want to start flounder fishing, what are some good tips, or strategies. also am a begginer at fishing, so what type of reels, poles, baits, etc... do i need?

[sandy]

Where do you want to fish?

[Spooled]

How deep? Ocean back bay boat ?

[pro17]

up to 20 miles out or inshore, but only saltwater. i live in central florida, so i usually go out of cape canaveral, but anywhere from daytona-palm beach. i have a 17' cc boat.

[MSparks909]

berkley gulp and jigheads will definitely be a step in the right direction..
since you're a beginner fisherman, I'd recommend a spinning reel. I've used (and own) a variety of spinning reels and i've learned that if you skimp on reels, you will pay for it. Basically this means don't buy a reel from walmart, especially if you're fishing in saltwater. I have a daiwa exceler 2000 paired with a 6'6" shimano clarus rod (6-12lb line weight) that is my go-to lightweight flounder setup. The reel was about $65 when I bought it last year and the rod was also $65. I believe Daiwa raised the price to around $80 this year.
Here is a brief list of some mid-priced reels ($80-120) that I have used with good results over the years:
Shimano Sahara 2500, Daiwa Exceler 2000, Daiwa Coastal Inshore 2500, Daiwa Tierra 2500, Quantum Catalyst Pts 20, Quantum Boca Pts 20, Shimano Sonora 2500...
I mainly use the Clarus rods but I also have a few Daiwa Coastal rods. As a general rule, I would go with a 2500 series reel, a 7' rod (8-17lb line weight) with 20lb. braid on the reel. Great all-around beginner setup, not too expensive, very versatile. If you go braid, I'd recommend PowerPro; have had good results with it in the past, easiest braid to learn to fish effectively with IMO. If you want mono, I'd go with 8-10lb. line.

[jimwhited]

Pro- Flounder is definately not my specialty, but since no one else has responded I'll tell you what little I do know. Flounder fishing is best in Nov-Dec in our area, but they can be caught year round. The flounder were HOT at Sebastian this year. Flounder fishing is difficult until you get the hang of it. Flounder do not strike hard and run with the bait like say a trout or redfish does. The strike you feel is just a small bump. It's hard to tell the difference between a flounder strike and your weight bouncing on the bottom or a really active bait tugging on your line. You eventually learn to feel the difference with experience. Light tackle on a sensitive rod that lets you feel the bite is best.

You can find flounder anywhere you find the right forage bait and sandy bottom. I personally think that smaller is better when it comes to flounder bait. Mud minnows are considered the best. Fisherman's world at the port generally has them when they are avaialble. Second choice would be small fingerling mullet. Anything you can castnet in the 2-3 inch range will work as well, as do live shrimp. Rig them with with a slip sinker that is the smallest one that will keep your bait on the bottom, i.e. more current means more weight. I like to use a worm weight (the kind made to Texas-rig a worm for bass fishing) unless I need more wieght then I use the standard egg sinker. I tried using circle hooks for flounder this fall but I didn't have much luck so I can't say for sure if they work better or not.

At the port look for sandy bottom inside the port or out near the jettys. Anywhere along the beach that baitfish congregate is possible flounder territory. Also anywhere alongside the channel marked by the bouyline is a good bet. I keep my boat at Scorpion's in the far back of the Port and I have caught just as many flounder fishing from the seawall there than I have anywhere else fishing from a boat. I personally avoid fishing for them in over about 30 feet of water because I can't feel the bite, but more experienced people regulary fish for them along the reef lines in 60 - 90 ft. I've always wondered about the possibility of flounder on the shoals north of the port, but I have never fished them or talked to anyone who has. At sebastian fish the deep side of sandbars at slack tide.

I hope this helps!

BTW- The guy that works the counter at fishermans's world on weekends has caught more flounder than anyone. He'd be a great guy to talk to.

[packfan]

Been flounder fishing in NC for over 30 yrs.
If you want to catch numbers, drift in inlets during 1st 2 hrs of incoming and outgoing tides.
If you want to catch fewer but larger flounder, anchor up and fish structure.
Squid, Gulp, White pork strips, minnows, mullet, small pinfish will all catch flounder.

[pro17]

alright, thank you for all the detailed answers...especially Jim Whited, its nice to have someone around you to answer your questions.