By Leslie Alders
I t’s about that time… the time when coastal anglers are anxiously awaiting the first cold front. By the time the second cold snap hits the coast, the cool breezes and dropping water temperature will have triggered most adult flounder to start their annual pilgrimage to deeper waters for spawning. While flounder are heading towards the Gulf waters, anglers are lining up along the banks like spectators at a parade, all vying for an opportunity to drop their line in the water and reel in a Texas-sized catch.
Wading anglers fishing the flats and anglers fishing around docks, jetties and back lake outlets to the bays will find that these are prime locations for landing some prize flatfish this fall. Almost any location that exits into larger bodies of water with tidal movement will be a good location for casting your line since thatâs exactly where flounder will be hanging out on incoming tides.
October is typically when the fall flounder run begins and after fishing during the spring and summer, with little success at catching my limit of these tasty flatfish while they are in the bays, I view the annual flounder migration as my opportunity to turn âfishingâ for flounder into predictable âcatchingâ. Preferred baits include your favorite plastics, shrimp and finger mullet.
The migration run gives an average angler a greater advantage of landing a trophy-sized catch so what are you waiting for? Invite family and friends and just go fishing! You can keep 5 flounder each day through the end of October but remember, Texas has a 2-flounder limit during November with no gigging allowed!
Donât worry; due to our mild winters most years, there are always some flounder that stay behind versus migrating to the Gulf so it is not shocking to reel in flounder almost year round along the Texas Coast.
By Leslie Alders, originally published in the Central Coast & South Texas Edition of Coastal Angler Magazine.
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