IT’S THAT TIME OF YEAR!

When the weather cools this time of year, flounder begin to migrate from inter-coastal waters to their offshore breeding grounds. This migratory path takes them through our local inlets — which is precisely where we go to catch these odd-looking but delicious-tasting flatties. Sebastian Inlet, in particular, is a famed hot spot for fishing the annual migration. When the flounder start running, you may see a dozen boats anchored out there all gunning for these fish. Having the mobility of a boat is a great luxury, but plenty of anglers also do well targeting flounder from shore.

That’s dinner for the whole family right there!

RIGGING UP FOR FLOUNDER

To target flounder, equip your rod with the tried and true fish finder rig. This is a very simple rig which consists of an egg sinker placed on your main line, followed by a barrel swivel. The sinker should be just heavy enough to hold bottom, which will fluctuate depending on the strength of the current. Tie on 12 to 18 inches of 30lb. mono finished off with a 1/0-2/0 j-hook. Some anglers may prefer a short shank j-hook.

When using this rig, live bait typically works best. The two most productive baits tend to be mud minnows and small finger mullet (approximately 3 to 6 inches in size). Hook them through the lips. If you cannot find mud minnows or finger mullet, a live shrimp hooked through the tail will work, too. To help trigger a strike from these ambush predators, bump your bait across the bottom, either with the current or during retrieval.

Flounder are fun to catch and great to eat. You can take home as many as ten per day that are at least 12″ in total length — and you may even get lucky and score one of the big doormats!

TELL US ABOUT YOUR CATCH!

If you go out flounder fishing, be sure to let Spacefish know how you did. Better yet, if you or your family is in need of dental care, schedule an appointment with Jasin Youmans’ Family & Cosmetic Dentistry in Melbourne. If there’s anything we love as much as sharing fishing stories, it’s helping our patients maintain a healthy smile. Call us at (321) 600-4945 to set up a dental appointment. We look forward to seeing you and hearing about your catch!

Contact Dr. Jasin Youmans:
Jasin M. Youmans DMD
Family & Cosmetic Dentistry
(321) 600-4945
5545 N Wickham Rd #102, Melbourne, FL 32940
jasinyoumansdental.com