By: Eric Henson
I generally fish the four major “Game Fish” in our area – Snook, Redfish, Trout, and Tarpon but every so often I get surprised with a beautiful flounder. Most of the time they’re approximately 14- 18 inches with occasional unicorns popping up over 20 inches. Once a Flounder reaches over the 20 inch mark we begin calling them “DOORMATS” because incredibly, they’re nearly as wide as they are long!
When Flounder are born, their eyes start out anatomically correct but as they mature into adulthood, both eyes begin to shift upwards to the top half of their body. They also have the ability to change colors, in order to blend into their surroundings, making it easier to ambush prey. This is why you find Flounder spending most of their time lying on the sandy or muddy ocean floor; they’re waiting patiently for their next meal of crustaceans and small fish! That’s also why their colors vary when you catch them, they can be as light colored as the sand or as dark as the mud they are lying on.
Flounders are quite impressive, so don’t let their size or shape fool you. They are very quick with powerful large mouths that have sharp teeth, and once they have their eyes on a target they can be quite aggressive! I have had them come off the hook multiple times right beside my kayak but as soon as I drop my lure back down in front of their face, they smash it!
Not only are Flounder fun to catch but also, anyone who enjoys a nice white flaky fish, you can’t go wrong with Flounder! Just make sure you check local fishing laws because size limits change in different areas. They really are an underrated fish and generally when you catch one there will be more to be found in that area.
Hope you all have a great time out there because you never know when the next DOORMAT will pop up! Respect your fellow anglers and tight lines everyone!!:)