I love fishing the Gulf of Mexico, and I spend most of my time there throwing bait into the surf or bays looking for redfish, pompano and trout. I’ve caught more than my share of those species, and I’ve also caught buckets of whiting, black drum, sheepshead, ladyfish, sharks and even a couple spadefish, to name a few. I’m confident in my tackle and techniques, but one fish has always alluded me: the flounder.
Oh sure, they’re everywhere, I’m told. Just hook a piece of squid, clam or shrimp on a hook and you’ll get one. Really? With such uncomplicated instructions, I must be doing something wrong. Granted, I don’t usually target them, but since I’m typically catching many other species that share the same diet, why not a flounder? The odds just seemed too incredible not stumble upon one or two!
That changed this year. Soaking a piece of shrimp on a pompano rig (i.e. drop rig), the fish that had alluded me for all these years was finally hauled from the surf and directly into my cooler. It was a joyous event including fireworks and a tickertape parade—all imagined, of course, but you get the idea.
With my newfound skill and desire to catch another, fresh bait was rigged and put out to soak. After a whole minute of not getting a bite, I grabbed another rod and tied on a red ¼-ounce standup jig head with a 3-inch white paddletail. My rod of choice was a 7 ½-foot, medium-action with 30-pound braid and a 2-foot, 15-pound-test fluorocarbon leader. At first blush, that combination might seem a bit heavy, and others might opt for lighter gear. I’ve found that the thinner diameter and thread-like nature of the braid makes casting light baits a breeze, and the fluoro virtually disappears beneath the waves.
Drop Rig Gets The Flounder
My first few casts produced nothing. I then remembered an article I’d read years ago about retrieval techniques when fishing flounder. It suggested that if you think you’re retrieving too slow, go even slower. Don’t set the hook right away but instead wait just a touch before doing so. This is the same technique used for catching walleyes in the north. And, just like walleye fishing, I decided to add an occasional hop to my retrieve.
As it turned out, the drop rig with shrimp was a fluke (pun intended). On the other hand, a red or chartreuse jig head coupled with a Berkley white or a Bass Assassin Chicken on a Chain swimbait was no joke. The white body and red jig head punched the ticket for the flatties, whereas trout loved the Chicken on a Chain and chartreuse combination. This incuded a nice gator trout measuring right at 24 inches.
Presentation was critical, and targeting these tasty flatfish finally paid off. The slow drag and hop retrieve made all the difference. Though I haven’t crowned myself the Flounder King yet, a t-shirt might be in the works.
By Chris Beardsley