Flounder, a breed of flat fish with an attitude not soon to be forgotten, are a prime catch for fishermen.  Experts at hiding, they are so fast and stealthy that you may mistake them for a mere shadow.   There are very few east coast fishermen who do not take pleasure in fishing for fluke.  These flavorsome white fish are not only pleasing to the palate but also are tremendous fighters, creating a memorable fishing experience.

You can find flounder near the shoreline around the month of May in the northeastern part of the United States.  In most cases, the warmer the water is, the better the chance that they will be around, probably cruising for their favorite foods, like sand eels, squid, and other baitfish.  You can usually catch fluke in shallow beach waters, bays, and the mouths of tidal rivers.  When summer reaches its peak, you can catch flounder around 30 to 120 feet from the shoreline, as they enjoy water that is comfortably warm but where food is effortlessly obtainable.  In cool weather, you can find them somewhat closer to the shoreline.  During the later fall months you can easily find them making their yearly trip to the warmer Atlantic coastal waters, since fluke do not like the northeast’s unforgiving winters.

Like fishing for any other type of fish, you probably have your own distinctive approach to fluke fishing, mostly dependent on the water’s depth. When fishing throughout the earliest and latest months of the season, you will probably do best in the shallows, typically at a deepness of roughly 20 feet (or less).  It’s best to opt for regular tackle or a spinning rod.  You should rig the jigs with squid, generally in the 1-4 oz range, then cast the rig directly down from the boat, which should be drifting at this time.  You have to be sure that the jig is weighted sufficiently to sink toward the waterbed where the fluke feed.

Working your jig is critical – you can do this by raising and lowering it as your boat is drifting.  Your best bet is to raise it between one and two feet from the bottom of the waterbed by lifting just the tip of the rod about two feet.  The simply lower the jig slowly to attract the most attention.

Another effective method is to use the snap method. This is extremely helpful if you’re dealing with a school of lethargic fish as it gets their attention quickly.  It is not complicated to use a snap method – simply wait until your line hits the bottom and snap it back – then allow it to go slack. Regardless of how lazy the fluke are feeling this will certainly get their attention.

After catching that first fluke, try to make note of where you are at and what equipment you are using.  Triangulation is an effective method of pinpointing your location, and using a GPS system is the easiest method of notating position.  GPS systems are also virtually indispensable when you are attempting to locate a school of fluke.

Once the season starts to heat up, fluke will start wandering away from the shore line.  In this instance, you’ll want to switch over to target fishing.  This will require spinner rigs which are fun to design or you can but them in any good bait and tackle shop.  Most people find that they would rather experiment with a number of different pre-made spinners until they find their preference. Once they find what they prefer, most fishermen want to make their own spinner rigs.

If you want to make the most of your spinners, beads and a spinner blade are positioned above the hook.  Your preferred types of bait and sinkers help guarantee that your line will drift in proximity to the waterbed and form a visual queue as the boat drifts by rotating the spinner blade ahead of the hook.  It also creates a tremor that will attract the fluke’s attention. 

On trips that you are trying to catch a larger number of fluke, it’s smart to utilize a mixture of techniques.  Deeper water rigs can be helpful as the fluke migrate to the cooler waters later in the season.  These rigs can allow you to catch fluke easily and quickly.  Following these brief and easy tips can assure that you will at least know how to catch those tasty fluke.

When Fluke fishing it is important the use proper equipment, some supplies to consider are Penn Reels and Shimano Fishing Reels.

 

 

 

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