| Flounder Articles |
John N. Felsher's Flounder Fishing Adventures
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Saltwater anglers in the marsh flip
over close range flatfish action
over close range flatfish action
Howard Hammonds shows off a flounder he caught in Sabine Lake,
La., by flipping an Old Bayside Speck Grub against weedy shorelines
La., by flipping an Old Bayside Speck Grub against weedy shorelines
Most saltwater anglers probably catch flounders more by accident than
intention, but people who know how to work the weeds might “flip” for flatfish.
Long ago, bass anglers in coastal areas discovered that flounders love
to slurp worms, jigs, spinnerbaits, crankbaits and even topwater baits. Any
lures that resemble natural food, such as baby croakers, shad, menhaden
or shrimp, might work on these surprisingly aggressive fish.
During one trip to Sabine Lake along the Louisiana-Texas line, Capt.
Skip James, a guide from Orange, Texas, Howard Hammonds and I “flipped”
for flounder. With the tide high and water milky, flatfish closely hugged the
reeds. Like fishing thick brush for bass, we probed pockets along the
shoreline to yank flounders from their reedy lairs at close range.
Flounders don’t run; they hide. Supreme masters of camouflage,
elusive flatfish bury their spotted mottled-brown bodies under soft bottom
slop or grass. With only their eyes protruding above the muck, they watch
and wait for food to pass foolishly close. In an instant, they dart from their
silty coating to devour baitfish or passing shrimp with astonishing speed for
such oddly shaped fish.
Since flounders rely heavily upon camouflage to protect themselves
from predators and ambush prey, anglers can get close to them. Believing
themselves well hidden, they might not spook even if a boat passes
overhead. Therefore, we positioned the boat close to the shoreline and
dropped Texas-rigged worms into every pocket between the reeds.
Using long rods almost like cane poles, we stripped a few feet of line
from our reels and held the line in one hand. Then, we swung our rods
toward likely hiding spots and slowly released the remaining line. With this
method, our Texas-rigged soft plastics dropped vertically into cover.
“Flounder bite for two reasons -- intrusion of domain or hunger,” James
said. “Unlike specks or reds, they won’t go chasing baits. Anglers need to
get close to the bank and put the baits right on top of the flounders. Put a
bait in the bite window and it will hit.”
When not feeding aggressively, a flounder might strike something that
almost lands on it, but it might not reveal its hiding spot to attack a morsel
several feet away. Therefore, anglers need pinpoint accuracy to work an
area thoroughly. With the hook inserted into the plastic, the worm easily
slips easily through cover. Jig the bait up and down a couple times before
moving to the next pocket. Usually, a fish either bites instantly or not at all.
Wacky worms also provoke flounder strikes. To rig a wacky worm, run
a hook through the bulbous “egg sack” on the “neck” of a straight worm
instead of through the “head” as in a “Texas rig.” With nearly neutral
buoyancy, an unweighted wacky worm slowly sinks horizontally while
quivering and shaking with tempting natural vibrations.
“A wacky worm is a slow, horizontal presentation,” James said. “It’s in
the bite window for a long time and looks similar to a sand eel. It’s a very
slow presentation that requires considerable patience. Flounders look up
and see the worm silhouette slowly sinking toward them for several
seconds. They keep their eyes glued to the sinking worm until it triggers a
predator instinct to kill.”
Throw a wacky worm as close to reeds as possible and let it sink. After
it hits bottom, pop it back up to the surface. Move it a few feet and let it
sink again. Keep yo-yoing the worm out from the shoreline to the drop-off.
“Sometimes, people make the mistake of sticking close to the bank for
too long,” James said. “Flounders constantly look up. At night or early in
the morning, they go into clear, shallow water. During bright days, they don’
t like looking at the sun, so they prefer water with a little bit of murk to it to
filter out the sun or they move into a little deeper water off the edges of the
drops. Bigger flounders are usually in slightly deeper water. They drop off
to the second break in two to four feet of water, where the sunlight is not as
intense.”
When fishing wacky worms, anglers must pay attention to their lines.
Often, fish subtly suck in falling worms. An angler might not even detect a
strike, but only feel a slight tug on the line or perhaps a bit of extra weight.
Perhaps, an angler might simply notice the line moving in an odd
direction.
For booking trips, call James at (409) 886-5341. On line, see www.pnx.
com/sabinelake.
intention, but people who know how to work the weeds might “flip” for flatfish.
Long ago, bass anglers in coastal areas discovered that flounders love
to slurp worms, jigs, spinnerbaits, crankbaits and even topwater baits. Any
lures that resemble natural food, such as baby croakers, shad, menhaden
or shrimp, might work on these surprisingly aggressive fish.
During one trip to Sabine Lake along the Louisiana-Texas line, Capt.
Skip James, a guide from Orange, Texas, Howard Hammonds and I “flipped”
for flounder. With the tide high and water milky, flatfish closely hugged the
reeds. Like fishing thick brush for bass, we probed pockets along the
shoreline to yank flounders from their reedy lairs at close range.
Flounders don’t run; they hide. Supreme masters of camouflage,
elusive flatfish bury their spotted mottled-brown bodies under soft bottom
slop or grass. With only their eyes protruding above the muck, they watch
and wait for food to pass foolishly close. In an instant, they dart from their
silty coating to devour baitfish or passing shrimp with astonishing speed for
such oddly shaped fish.
Since flounders rely heavily upon camouflage to protect themselves
from predators and ambush prey, anglers can get close to them. Believing
themselves well hidden, they might not spook even if a boat passes
overhead. Therefore, we positioned the boat close to the shoreline and
dropped Texas-rigged worms into every pocket between the reeds.
Using long rods almost like cane poles, we stripped a few feet of line
from our reels and held the line in one hand. Then, we swung our rods
toward likely hiding spots and slowly released the remaining line. With this
method, our Texas-rigged soft plastics dropped vertically into cover.
“Flounder bite for two reasons -- intrusion of domain or hunger,” James
said. “Unlike specks or reds, they won’t go chasing baits. Anglers need to
get close to the bank and put the baits right on top of the flounders. Put a
bait in the bite window and it will hit.”
When not feeding aggressively, a flounder might strike something that
almost lands on it, but it might not reveal its hiding spot to attack a morsel
several feet away. Therefore, anglers need pinpoint accuracy to work an
area thoroughly. With the hook inserted into the plastic, the worm easily
slips easily through cover. Jig the bait up and down a couple times before
moving to the next pocket. Usually, a fish either bites instantly or not at all.
Wacky worms also provoke flounder strikes. To rig a wacky worm, run
a hook through the bulbous “egg sack” on the “neck” of a straight worm
instead of through the “head” as in a “Texas rig.” With nearly neutral
buoyancy, an unweighted wacky worm slowly sinks horizontally while
quivering and shaking with tempting natural vibrations.
“A wacky worm is a slow, horizontal presentation,” James said. “It’s in
the bite window for a long time and looks similar to a sand eel. It’s a very
slow presentation that requires considerable patience. Flounders look up
and see the worm silhouette slowly sinking toward them for several
seconds. They keep their eyes glued to the sinking worm until it triggers a
predator instinct to kill.”
Throw a wacky worm as close to reeds as possible and let it sink. After
it hits bottom, pop it back up to the surface. Move it a few feet and let it
sink again. Keep yo-yoing the worm out from the shoreline to the drop-off.
“Sometimes, people make the mistake of sticking close to the bank for
too long,” James said. “Flounders constantly look up. At night or early in
the morning, they go into clear, shallow water. During bright days, they don’
t like looking at the sun, so they prefer water with a little bit of murk to it to
filter out the sun or they move into a little deeper water off the edges of the
drops. Bigger flounders are usually in slightly deeper water. They drop off
to the second break in two to four feet of water, where the sunlight is not as
intense.”
When fishing wacky worms, anglers must pay attention to their lines.
Often, fish subtly suck in falling worms. An angler might not even detect a
strike, but only feel a slight tug on the line or perhaps a bit of extra weight.
Perhaps, an angler might simply notice the line moving in an odd
direction.
For booking trips, call James at (409) 886-5341. On line, see www.pnx.
com/sabinelake.
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