The first flounder of the season usually show up in our back bays sometime in late March or early April depending on the water temperature, and they are hungry. Water temperature in the spring is a very important factor to consider when fishing for early season “flatties”.
What is the best month to catch flounder?
The best time of the year to catch flounders is the late summer/early fall months. But they can be caught regularly during the spring and summer as well. The flounders migrate offshore during the colder months to spawn, so they’ll be more abundant at the beach as they move from the inshore estuaries to deeper water.
What is the best time of day to catch flounder?
The best time of day to catch flounder inshore is at max high tide when previously dry sand bars are submerged and flounder move into these areas to feed. Offshore, the best time of day to catch flounder is early morning and late afternoon in and around wrecks and reef areas.
Can you catch flounder all year?
Flounder can be caught in the winter months but you have to head offshore to wrecks, reefs and any other structure to find the fish. Most of the larger flounder will head offshore in the Winter in order to spawn.
Can you catch flounder in May?
Flounder can actually be fished all year round, but they’re easier to catch in the fall, between September and November, when they migrate toward the ocean. They spawn during the spring and summer, and when they’re large enough, the swim to the ocean to spend the winter there before coming back.
Where do flounder go in winter?
Winter flounder migrate from offshore areas to nearshore waters in winter, which is where they get their name.
Can you catch flounder in April?
Rising inshore water temperatures draw flounder out of the deep water in spring, where light-tackle anglers wait to greet them. Saltwater anglers along the southeastern Atlantic coast have some difficult choices to make during April as a number of popular game-fish species make their season debut.
Where do flounder like to lay?
Flounder are ambush predators that like to lay in wait in spots where tide and current will bring prey to them. Places like passes, inlets, channels, points with good current, and spoil islands are great examples of spots that are likely to hold flounder.
Where can I find flounder?
Other than our area, flounder mainly live in estuaries and coastal waters along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts. In the Atlantic Ocean, they roam in inshore and offshore waters between Nova Scotia and the east coast of Florida. Flounder have that typical funny-looking appearance that most flatfish have.
What is the difference between summer and winter flounder?
Easy: Winter Flounder are darker than Summer Flounder. They can look almost black – hence their nickname, “Blackback”. Summer Flounder are light brown with cream or whitish spots. Flounders are able to change color to match their surroundings, though, so their faces are the surest way to tell them apart.
Can you catch flounder in the middle of the day?
During the middle of the day, you can still catch plenty of flounder as long as there is some moving water, but the middle of the day usually provides a slower bite than the morning and evening.
What months Can you gig flounder in Texas?
Texas Flounder Gigging Season: All months of the year except November and first two weeks of December. Texas Flounder Gig Regulations: There are no listed regulations limiting the type of flounder gigs that may be used. Based on our research, a standard barbed flounder gig with 1 to 5 prongs may be used.
Why is flounder season closed in Texas?
Texas’ flounder season is closed from Nov. 1 through Dec. 14 to protect spawning flounder during their annual migration, or “fall run,” from bays to the Gulf of Mexico. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission approved the season closure in May 2020 but moved to delay it a year because of the emergent COVID-19 pandemic.
When can you catch flounder FWC?
Establishing an Oct. 15 through Nov. 30 recreational closed season. For commercial harvesters using allowable gear: Establishing a commercial trip and vessel limit of 150 fish from Dec.
Where is the best flounder fishing on the East Coast?
Montauk, New York. As the location of the current world-record catch, perhaps Montauk is the granddaddy of all fluke spots. The waters off the eastern tip of Long Island have structure and baitfish populations that attract huge numbers of 3- to 10-pound fluke, with occasional fish weighing in the teens.
Is winter flounder good to eat?
U.S. wild-caught winter flounder is a smart seafood choice because it is sustainably managed and responsibly harvested under U.S. regulations.
What temperature do flounder like?
Is there a preferred temperature range for flounder? The best water temperature for catching all species of flounder is generally between 55-68º F, although there are some noted differences in water temperature preferences between flounder of Atlantic, Pacific, and southern waters of the United States.
What temperature do winter flounder live in?
28.4°F
Ideal living and spawning temperatures range between 32°F and 50°F, but winter flounder can survive temperatures near 28.4°F, the freezing point of seawater. How? They have a special “antifreeze” protein that makes them freeze resistant!
Where are flounder this time of year?
Summer flounder are found in the Atlantic Ocean from Nova Scotia to the east coast of Florida. In U.S. waters, summer flounder are most common in the mid-Atlantic region from Cape Cod, Massachusetts, to Cape Fear, North Carolina.
Where can I get fluke in Massachusetts?
Fluke live in inshore areas of Massachusetts during the warmer periods of the year. Fluke prefer eelgrass beds and wharf pilings for protection.
Can flounder bite you?
A flounder bite is different from any other backwater fish like redfish or speckled trout, and sometimes it requires a little more patience when targeting this fish. Most times, a flounder bite is not neccesarily a hard bite, in fact, it might not even feel like a bite at all.
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