Catching flounder, easy as 1, 2, 3
If you enjoy catching and eating flounder, it’s time to get out on the water.
Flounder have made a strong showing in all the waters surrounding Anna Maria Island. Whether you’re fishing in a boat, off a pier or even at the beach, you can target flounder this month.
First, you need to know where to look. Try finding an area that has a sandy bottom and is adjacent to a structure. Piers and jetties are prime locations to get started. If you’re out in a boat, try bottom fishing around the edges of artificial reefs.
Second, you need to know what baits will work and how to rig them. I like to use an egg sinker that is heavy enough to keep my bait on the bottom. With the sinker threaded on my line, I tie on a swivel to act as a stopper. On the other end of the swivel, I tie 8-10 inches of 20-pound fluorocarbon leader and a size-1 hook. With this short leader, you ensure your bait will stay close to the bottom, where flounder feed.
For bait you can use a number of choices. Live baits, such as shiners and shrimp, are among the top choices in our area. If you prefer artificials, try using a Berkley Gulp on a jig head or a buck-tail jig tipped with a piece of squid.
Now that you have location, rigging and bait down, you’re ready to catch flounder. Since these fish inhabit the bottom, it makes sense to target them there. I like to drag my rig on the bottom, whether live bait or artificial. Target the edges of the structure by bumping along the bottom in the sand.
When a flounder bites, you may not feel much more than a little resistance as you drag your bait. When you feel this, set the hook and start reeling.
Remember, flounder must be 12 inches in total length and you can keep 10 per day. Happy fishing.
Capt. Sam Kimball of Legend charters is targeting gag grouper in depths starting around 80 feet and increasing to 120 feet. Kimball’s charters are arriving back to the dock with limits of gags — some fish as big as 15 pounds. Fishing in about 100 feet of water, Kimball’s charters also are reeling up keeper-size red grouper to add to the mix. Kimball is using live pinfish, threadfin herring and shiners for bait, but he prefers live pinfish to catch big gag grouper.
Moving in a little closer, around 60 feet of water, Kimball is catching jolt-head porgies, Key West grunts and mangrove snapper in the 4-5 pound range. For the snapper, live shiners are working to get the bite, while the porgies and grunts are hitting frozen squid.
In the upper part of the water column, Kimball’s clients are working out their arms on king mackerel, Spanish mackerel and bonito. Live shiners and threadfin herring on a flat line rigged to a 5/0-long shank hook are producing the bite.
Capt. Mark Johnston of Just Reel charters is fishing the grass flats of Sarasota Bay, catching spotted seatrout and ladyfish on live shiners. Around Longboat Pass, Johnston is finding success bottom fishing with live shiners for flounder and mangrove snapper. When targeting flounder in the bays, Johnston suggests working near small rock piles, docks and ledges.
Moving out to the Gulf, Johnston is catching Spanish mackerel in the 20-inch range. Live shiners are the bait of choice. Along the beach, Johnston is catching jack crevalle and a few bluefish.
Capt. Rick Gross of Fishy Business charters is fishing the artificial reefs west of Anna Maria Island with good results. Upon arrival on the artificial reefs, Gross is encountering schools of ravenous Spanish mackerel and bonito. By anchoring and chumming, Gross is able to attract schools of fish to his boat and keep them there while his clients enjoy non-stop action.
King mackerel are in the spread for Gross’ charters. In between catching macks and bonito, Gross’ clients are getting smoked by kingfish in the 25-pound range. “After three or four kings and a bunch of bonito,” exclaims Gross, “our arms were getting sore.”
When targeting migratory species such as Spanish mackerel and bonito, Gross likes to rig with a 30-pound fluorocarbon leader tied to a 4/0 gold Aberdeen hook. He feels thin wire hooks put less of a burden on the bait, hence making it look more natural. “I’ll switch to using a small piece of No. 3 wire for leader if the fish will let me,” Gross adds.
After targeting migratory fish, Gross is bottom fishing the artificial reefs, catching Key West grunts, flounder and juvenile red grouper. Gross likes to use a jig head in place of a hook when bottom fishing these shallow reefs. By hooking on a shiner and dropping the bait to the bottom, Gross is finding the bite.
Dave Sork at the Anna Maria City Pier is seeing good numbers of Spanish mackerel being caught on both live baits and artificials. Pier fishers using live shiners are getting drag-screaming action from Spanish mackerel and ladyfish. Most of the macks landed are in the 15-inch range, with the occasional fish exceeding 20 inches. Fishers using artificial baits such as silver spoons and jigs are getting the same treatment.
Flounder are making an appearance around and under the pier, where dragging a live shiner along the perimeter produces a bite from these flat, tasty fish.
Jonny Keyes at Island Discount Tackle says the gag grouper bite is still going strong both on nearshore structure and in Tampa Bay. On a recent charter with Capt. Mac Gregory, Keyes caught his limit inside a half hour. He and Gregory kept fishing in the same area and ended up catching and releasing another dozen gags.
Migratory species, such as king mackerel, bonito and Spanish mackerel are schooling up on the nearshore reefs in around 40-50 feet of water. Live shiners or live threadfin herring are producing the bite. You can anchor and fish behind the boat or you can slow-troll live baits to cover more area.
Moving inshore, Keyes is hearing about sheepshead and flounder being caught in lower Tampa Bay and Anna Maria Sound, and live shrimp fished on the bottom around piers and docks is the way to succeed at filling the cooler.
Capt. Mark Howard of SumoTime fishing charters says his clients experienced typical fall fishing. Snook, spotted seatrout redfish, flounder, Spanish mackerel, ladyfish and sheepshead were all on the hook. Howard suggests loading up your bait well with shiners — still plentiful around bridges, piers and flats — to get the party started.
“The fish were staging along the edges of drop offs where shallow water and deep water meet,” Howard says.
Spotted seatrout, ladyfish and macks were striking with abandon on the chummer baits. “Just getting your hooked shiner near the boils results in a bite,” Howard says.
“Spanish mackerel and ladyfish were loaded up just off the beach with acres of these toothy fish chewing on small shiners getting ready for the winter season,” Howard reports.
Howard has been targeting flounder with some real doormats —4 pounds and over — being landed. “I like to use a jig tipped with a tailless shiner and slowly reel it over the sand,” Howard says. “When you feel a thump and resistance on the line, set the hook.” Howard suggests a tip to landing these fish is to gently lift just the head out of the water and slide a landing net under them. “Lifting the fish all the way out of the water usually results in a spit hook due to the flounder having a soft mouth,” Howard says.
Redfish are around with some nice schools of fish feeding in the potholes and along docks.
The grouper have been chewing in the shallow waters of Tampa Bay and along the shipping channel. Howard suggests using a Long-A Bomber in pink, gold, silver and chartreuse to entice these sweet-tasting bruisers. Use planers or down riggers to get the lure to the fish. “The season closes next week, so your opportunity to catch some will end until the FWC opens the season back up.”
Capt. Warren Girle is fishing nearshore around water depths of 50 feet to target grouper. By fishing over hard bottom, Girle is catching gag grouper up to 24 inches and juvenile red grouper on live pinfish or live shiners. “For every keeper gag we catch, we’re catching 10 juvenile reds,” says Girle. “There’s just a cloud of little grouper out there right now.” Mangrove snapper in the 18-inch range are inhabiting these same areas.
Kingfish, Spanish mackerel and bonito are on the list providing relentless battles on light tackle. Girle is chumming with live shiners to attract these fish to the boat. Once they’re feeding, Girle casts a free-lined shiner to get the bite.
Inshore, Girle is catching good numbers of redfish during the negative tides — an abnormally low tide — in Sarasota Bay. During these tides, redfish will congregate in potholes and ditches across the flat, which makes it easier to find them. Girle is averaging 20-30 redfish per morning during these low tides.
Send fishing reports to fish@islander.org.