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Flounder fishing - novice question on lures

7.5K views 32 replies 24 participants last post by  farhanamuneer567  
#1 ·
Howdy all,

ICAST is behind me (it was amazing) and now its time for vacation.

I am visiting an area in Georgia that has a great flounder bite. But being an everglades boy where a flounder is a once a year surprise treat (maybe) I have a question or two. The program here is to slowly hop a jig "from teacup to teacup" and in the right place it works amazingly well.

HOWEVER - I think i recall as a teenager a long time ago using a bass style spinnerbait to catch flounder in Texas, as a way to locate their depth preference more quickly and then swapping to a bucktail to slowly hop the bottom once located for more. But i could be completely making that up it was almost 30 years ago. I do know we smashed them that day.

Am I nuts? Or is this a thing? Any other recommendations for a flounder "search bait" as locals say they will stack up in certain depths - but slow hopping is inefficient way to figure that out. The area ranges from a few inches to about 15 feet depth. The other issue is the reds and flounder here are gorging on fiddler crabs now, so the reds totally ignored the paddletail and DESTROYED the shrimp imitations on my last outing. The flounder were a little more enthusiastic but still wanted the shrimp/crab stuff more.

thanks all!

pics from day 1 - not too shabby for a first timer.

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#5 ·
Spook Jr…
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In all seriousness, any soft Plastic that’s not gigantic, I like something with a curly tail is it’s still got some movement when sitting still between hops along the bottom. If it’s a dropoff, I’ll work it up and down to see where they’re staged up as you said. I’ve fished some very shallow mangrove shorelines with no nearby drop offs. Certain times of year, they’re right up shallow against the mangroves waiting to leap out of the water to blowup schools of shad or finger mullet, which was the case in the photo above. I heard a blowup behind me and assumed it was a redfish, casted my top water working it slow and this dude flew out of the water with that spook jr. in his mouth. I probably wouldn’t target flounder with a top water though:LOL:
 
#13 ·
@Sightcast I had a similar experience the other day on a Spook Jr. while targeting redfish. May be on to something! I've heard of the occasional flounder on topwater, but this was a first for me, real nice fish too.

My typical flounder setup is 3/8oz jighead or weighted swimbait hook, and 4 inch diesel minnow.

View attachment 244971
That’s awesome!!! Proper doormat.
 
#14 ·
I usually have my best luck with flounder with 1/4 oz jig head and zman shrimp or vudu shrimp. I recently tried gold small profile spinner bait with 3.5inch paddle tail I think it was 1/3oz. It worked very well. I had a 7 flounder, 2 reds and 3 black drum in 5 hour window day fishing about 30 yards from lake grass line in murky water 1 to 4 feet deep. Lake Sabine Texas.
 
#20 ·
True difficult to go out and target like others, but have caught plenty of flounder in 10k / Park,...or I should say the wife has. Shes much more patient and tactful. I believe why shes so successful, is because she keeps her lure tight to the bottom and works it very slow.

Flounder and a Rib-eye on the grill end of day is living large,.....
 
#21 ·
My most productive flounder lure has been white jerk shads on a red 1/4oz jig head. Gulp worked well but so does Zman. A white body with chartuse curly tail on jig heads seem to produce well too.
I Did catch one on a MR27 mirrorlure once. He was up close to grass line in about 2’. That was definitely a surprise.
Something really cool happened just the other day. I seen one ambush and eat a fish while I was snorkeling for scallops. Talk about something neat to see.
 
#24 · (Edited)
If you are fishing 5ft or more try a drop shot rig with about a 1/2 to 1 oz weight, depending on depth and current, and the hook about 8-12 inches above the weight. And thread on a 4 inch gulp swimming mullet. Use this rig with a steady twitching retrieve, make sure you keep contact with the bottom. Sounds unorthodox but if a flounder is near they will bite. Best flounder rig hands down.
 
#25 ·
2 questions

1 - What style of weight do you like? This is muddy bottom seems like a dropshot will just mud it up or spook them. But you are not the first person to recommend this. Ill definitely try it.

2 - am i jigging in place for a bit then moving it / repeat or hopping along just like I would a jig?
 
#26 ·
Sometimes I'll even use a bucktail jig instead of a weight. But mostly, I like to use a teardrop weight given there's a lot of debris. It doesn't matter because 9/10 they always hit the top hook. I've only seen to catch reds with the bucktail.

I fish around Fernandina/Jax area so I deal with similar conditions as you are up in St. Simons.

I recommend checking out John Skinner's videos on this rig. He has some great underwater footage too.
 
#27 ·
When flounder are along rip rap or bulkheads with rock or oysters, I get a foot of wire and crimp a square bill crankbait to it. I use it to fish just beneath the water and crank it over and around the rocks. It is stupid deadly. A buddy suggested it and man does it work in places you’d typically get hung. Slow roll that bad boy and get ready.
 
#30 ·
All good advice so far. I catch them all the time using typical redfish lures. Spinner baits, paddle tails, flukes, and even on the fly. If you want to target them, the key is to think like a flounder. They love to hunker down in areas that bait will come to them. Current rips, points, and creek mouths are the key. Anytime you see a bait ball explode(not dart) you can safely assume that a flounder was under them.
 
#31 ·
In NE FLorida, we have our share of flounder for sure. I've spent a LOT of time targeting them on lures, and have found that they are not too picky. If they are in the mood, they'll chase down a bait like a red. I also have found that you don't need to be constantly hopping it off the bottom either - rather a bait that you can run at a moderate speed just off the bottom works very well. That's why I like a paddletail or swimbait on a weighted hook - can vary the weight size for the water depth. A spinner bait works well but I prefer a standard spinner vs. an inline. With those setups, I target flounder in 2-5 foot depths. If I want to fish 6-10 feet, I'll move to a bait on a 1/4 oz. or larger jig head or a spinnerbait with a larger jig head.

Lots of good info shared on this post for sure.
 
#32 ·
depends on depth to me. we fish for them in 3-15 feet with 1/4 jig head zoom jerkshads, zmans work well in shallow minimal current situations but are more buoyant so hard to keep them down in deeper spots. in some shallow spots we throw spinnerbaits with 1/4-3/8 jig heads and i like twin curly tails (scampi style) like the pic below ,colors depend on water clarity I guess. they also get stuck a lot less than you would think. I love fishing for flounders around docks and rocks. we have gotten quite a few limits lately when not not fly fishing. Its a nice plan b.
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#33 · (Edited)
Of course, I'd be happy to help with your question about flounder fishing and lures!

Flounder fishing can be a rewarding experience, and using the right lures can greatly improve your chances of success. Flounder are bottom-dwelling fish that often lie in wait for prey, so lures that mimic small fish or prey items near the bottom can be effective. Here are a few types of lures commonly used for flounder fishing:

Jigs: Jigs are a popular choice for flounder fishing. They consist of a weighted head and a soft plastic body that imitates a baitfish or shrimp. Jigs can be bounced along the bottom to mimic natural movement, which can attract flounder's attention.

Gulp! Baits: Gulp! baits are scented soft plastic baits that can be very enticing to flounder. They come in various shapes and colors, often imitating shrimp or other prey. The scent and movement can attract flounder, even in murky water.

Spoons: Spoons are metal lures that wobble and flash as they are retrieved. They can mimic small fish and catch the attention of flounder. Casting and retrieving spoons near the bottom can be effective.

Fluke Rigs: Fluke rigs are rigs with multiple hooks and a sinker designed for flounder fishing. They often have colorful beads and attractors to draw the flounder's attention. They can be baited with natural bait like squid, minnows, or strips of fish.

Swimbaits: Soft plastic swimbaits that imitate small fish are also good options. Their realistic swimming action can attract flounder, especially when retrieved slowly along the bottom.

When selecting lures for flounder fishing, consider factors such as water clarity, current, and the type of bottom structure where you'll be fishing. It's a good idea to have a variety of lures in your tackle box to adapt to different conditions.

Remember that flounder can be found in different depths and types of habitats, so it's important to adjust your technique and fishing lures Dubai choice accordingly. As with any type of fishing, it's a good idea to research local fishing reports, talk to experienced anglers, and experiment to find what works best in your specific fishing area.

Lastly, make sure to check local fishing regulations and size limits before you head out to fish for flounder. Good luck and tight lines!