| Flounder Articles |
John N. Felsher's Flounder Fishing Adventures
 | |  | |  | |  | |  |
Getting wacky with worms could
put more flounders in ice chests
put more flounders in ice chests
Howard Hammonds shows off a flounder he caught in Sabine Lake,
La., by flipping a wacky worm near the marshy shorelines
La., by flipping a wacky worm near the marshy shorelines
Long ago, bass anglers in coastal areas discovered that flounders love
to slurp wacky worms.
To rig a wacky worm, simply run a hook through the bulbous “egg
sack” on the side of a straight worm instead of through the “head” as in a
Texas rig. With no weight, drop it next to any shallow, weedy bank and
allow it to sink slowly. With nearly neutral buoyancy, a wacky worm
descends horizontally while quivering and shaking at the undulating tips.
Tumbling with the tide, it simulates an earthworm washed into the water. In
salt water, a flounder might think it looks like a sand eel floating with the
tide.
“A wacky worm is a slow, horizontal presentation,” said Capt. Skip
James of Sabine Lake Guide Service in Orange, Texas. “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. Flounder 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 it.”
Sometimes, flounders do feed aggressively, especially when
temperatures cool in the fall before they head offshore to spawn. Anglers
may see them chasing baitfish, sometimes even jumping out of the water.
They splash down like spatulas hitting the surface, but most often, they
ambush bait rather than chase it. Masters of camouflage, flounders
frequently bury themselves in mud along weedy shorelines or flats. As
something flows within range, they explode from the mud to gobble the
morsel.
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. However,
they don’t spook easily, so anglers may approach them and drop worms
with pinpoint accuracy at specific targets.
Drop a wacky worm as close to shoreline reeds as possible and let it
sink. With the hook inserted into the plastic, the bait easily slips easily
through cover. After it hits bottom, pop it back up to the surface, move it a
few feet and let it sink again. Allow the currents and tide to create all the
action except keep yo-yoing the worm out from the shoreline to the drop-off
and into the channel to find where flounders hide.
Flounders often gather at the mouths of small tributaries draining
marsh ponds, waiting for tides to bring them something to eat. Many
tributaries create mini deltas. Usually, a shallow shelf forms on one side of
a channel. Sometimes, flounders sit on the flats. Sometimes, they hide at
the bottom of drop-offs along the channel route. Usually, they face
upstream watching for food to wash their way.
“Flounder tend to congregate along the banks in bayous where the
water is coming out of the marsh,” said Capt. Erik Rue of Calcasieu Charter
Service in Lake Charles, La. “We look for bayous with good clean water
and baitfish with some tidal flow. I like an incoming tide. That pushes bait
into the marsh. Flounder pile up looking for bait at the mouths of the cuts.
Sometimes, we catch four of five in a row and then maybe go through a little
lull. A little while later, we catch four or five more.”
At the mouths of tributaries, throw wacky worms upstream so that they
land as close to grass as possible. Allow them to float and tumble with the
tidal flow down the shoreline like natural forage washed into the current.
Only use the reel to recover slack line.
Pay attention to the line movements. Often, fish subtly suck down
falling worms. An angler might not even detect a strike, feeling only feel a
slight tug on the line or perhaps a bit of extra weight. Occasionally, an
angler might simply notice the line moving in an odd direction.
Lure placement usually dictates more strikes than bait color, but
generally use brighter colors, such as chartreuse, strawberry or white, in
dingy or off-color water. In clear water, use natural colors, such as smoke,
gray, green or translucent, perhaps with a few dark specks.
Often overlooked by anglers pursuing speckled trout and redfish,
flounders provide excellent sport on light tackle. To catch them, anglers
need to show a little patience and sometimes try something wacky.
For booking trips, call James at (409) 886-5341. On line, see www.pnx.
com/sabinelake. For booking trips with Rue, call (337) 598-4700. On line,
see calcasieucharters.com.
to slurp wacky worms.
To rig a wacky worm, simply run a hook through the bulbous “egg
sack” on the side of a straight worm instead of through the “head” as in a
Texas rig. With no weight, drop it next to any shallow, weedy bank and
allow it to sink slowly. With nearly neutral buoyancy, a wacky worm
descends horizontally while quivering and shaking at the undulating tips.
Tumbling with the tide, it simulates an earthworm washed into the water. In
salt water, a flounder might think it looks like a sand eel floating with the
tide.
“A wacky worm is a slow, horizontal presentation,” said Capt. Skip
James of Sabine Lake Guide Service in Orange, Texas. “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. Flounder 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 it.”
Sometimes, flounders do feed aggressively, especially when
temperatures cool in the fall before they head offshore to spawn. Anglers
may see them chasing baitfish, sometimes even jumping out of the water.
They splash down like spatulas hitting the surface, but most often, they
ambush bait rather than chase it. Masters of camouflage, flounders
frequently bury themselves in mud along weedy shorelines or flats. As
something flows within range, they explode from the mud to gobble the
morsel.
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. However,
they don’t spook easily, so anglers may approach them and drop worms
with pinpoint accuracy at specific targets.
Drop a wacky worm as close to shoreline reeds as possible and let it
sink. With the hook inserted into the plastic, the bait easily slips easily
through cover. After it hits bottom, pop it back up to the surface, move it a
few feet and let it sink again. Allow the currents and tide to create all the
action except keep yo-yoing the worm out from the shoreline to the drop-off
and into the channel to find where flounders hide.
Flounders often gather at the mouths of small tributaries draining
marsh ponds, waiting for tides to bring them something to eat. Many
tributaries create mini deltas. Usually, a shallow shelf forms on one side of
a channel. Sometimes, flounders sit on the flats. Sometimes, they hide at
the bottom of drop-offs along the channel route. Usually, they face
upstream watching for food to wash their way.
“Flounder tend to congregate along the banks in bayous where the
water is coming out of the marsh,” said Capt. Erik Rue of Calcasieu Charter
Service in Lake Charles, La. “We look for bayous with good clean water
and baitfish with some tidal flow. I like an incoming tide. That pushes bait
into the marsh. Flounder pile up looking for bait at the mouths of the cuts.
Sometimes, we catch four of five in a row and then maybe go through a little
lull. A little while later, we catch four or five more.”
At the mouths of tributaries, throw wacky worms upstream so that they
land as close to grass as possible. Allow them to float and tumble with the
tidal flow down the shoreline like natural forage washed into the current.
Only use the reel to recover slack line.
Pay attention to the line movements. Often, fish subtly suck down
falling worms. An angler might not even detect a strike, feeling only feel a
slight tug on the line or perhaps a bit of extra weight. Occasionally, an
angler might simply notice the line moving in an odd direction.
Lure placement usually dictates more strikes than bait color, but
generally use brighter colors, such as chartreuse, strawberry or white, in
dingy or off-color water. In clear water, use natural colors, such as smoke,
gray, green or translucent, perhaps with a few dark specks.
Often overlooked by anglers pursuing speckled trout and redfish,
flounders provide excellent sport on light tackle. To catch them, anglers
need to show a little patience and sometimes try something wacky.
For booking trips, call James at (409) 886-5341. On line, see www.pnx.
com/sabinelake. For booking trips with Rue, call (337) 598-4700. On line,
see calcasieucharters.com.
| Articles and photos on this website are for the viewing pleasure of patrons of this site. All articles and photos on this site are protected by the copyright laws of the United States. Any unauthorized usage is strictly prohibited. If you wish to purchase an article or photo, contact John N. Felsher as listed in the contact section. |
| Articles and photos on this website are free for your viewing pleasure, but it takes money to keep this site up and running. If you would care to help keep this site up and running for the use of all outdoors patrons, you can make a cash contribution. If you care to donate, contact John N. Felsher as listed in the contact section. |
| Protected by Copyright |
| How you can help keep this site operating |
