Fishing For Flounder
Well I told you before that we will talk about all kinds of fishing on this fishing blog. This week marks the month of October and that means Flounder fishing for Lee and I. About this time every year, we head down to Sunset Beach, North Carolina to spend time with the family at the beach. Now you know how we do it, spend time with family, fish some. Send the wives to the spa for a day, we watch the kids and fish the next day. Put the kids to bed, night fish on the dock and so on. There is always a method to the madness and this time its Flounder fishing. (rarely will you see us take a vacation without water being around. If we do, Lee or I have done something wrong at home and payback is a must)
The flounder fishing in this part of the country can be awesome this time of the year. Whether or not you have a boat, this type of fishing for Flounder is easy to do and lots of fun. A few critical elements happen during this time of the year that always seems to help the Flounder fishing. One would be the Mullet run. If you have not been able to see the Mullet run, you are missing out. Watching mullet jump through the surf and thousands of bait fish move across the flats or creeks is a sight to see. The migration of these bait fish just sets a feeding frenzy for all types of fish, not just the Flounder. Also having menhaden bait fish in the rivers is like candy to a child. The Flounder can not help themselves but to feed. Its like going to a buffet for all you can eat, and the food is really good.
Now for those who do not have a boat, bank fishing or bridge fishing can be very productive. As a matter of fact, when I go surf fishing, I set a day for bridge Flounder fishing just to see what the Flounder are doing for the next week at Sunset Beach. Some of the best flounder fisherman around will the old man fishing from the bridge or bank. Lee has the tendency to talk to these guys like they have been friends for years. But I will have to admit, he always comes back with great flounder fishing tips. The best flounder fishing tip we have gotten over the years is this; If you get a bite, be very patient. This old man told us to light a cigarette and when finished, set the hook. This is about true, except I highly recommend no one starts to smoke to catch more flounder. The flounder practically lay on the bait and it takes sometime for them to eat the bait entirely. Plus if they feel tension, flounder will let it go. You will see, the first time you get that bite, you will set the hook like a bass fisherman. BE PATIENT and you will catch a lot more when Flounder fishing.
How to fish for Flounder: This is a very easy way to fish for these good eating fish. The Fluke Rig we use is very simple and cheap. You can buy them anywhere when you get to the beach. I personally buy a bunch before I get there so I do not waist time. You will notice in my fishing blogs that I do not like to waist time. There is so little time to fish with having a family and a job, that I prefer to be efficient when I go fishing. Maximize your time on the water!!!
The rig we use 
Flounder Rig - Yellow (12 per package)
is the easiest and best lure to use. There are other versions of this lure, but this is the old reliable and least expensive. The reason I am showing you the 12 per pack, you will need them. You will get hung up on oyster beads and what not. What ever you do, buy more than one of these lures. They also make the float in a red color, I do not think the color makes a difference, just the type of live bait that you are using.
Tie this on to your line, (I use anywhere from 8-12 lb test line for my main line) on either a bait caster or spinning rod outfit. I prefer the spinning rod just because the rig is somewhat heavy and I do not want to mess with backlash on a bait caster. The bait we like to use are one of three; Menhaden, Mullet, or mud minnows. Hooking these baits is also critical. I hook all three of these types of baits through the nose to keep from killing the bait. Presentation of the bait is something that takes learning just like anything else. Best way to learn is to cast out and slowly reel in the bait to cover more water. Once you get a tap of some sort, stop and let him eat it. Smoke you a cigarette and then put the steel to him. Best of luck and let me know how you do.
I also found this great article on Flounder fishing tips and fishing for flounder. Check it out!!!
