A fly that fits all the way into a flounders mouth is the best size. While the stocks of flounder within narragansett bay have totally collapsed, they are healthy in the coastal ponds and around point judith. Fishing for winter flounder doesnt require any fancy gear. The us flounder is a more aggressive species than that found in europe. Although often confusedwith the summer flounder, or fluke, the winter flounder has both its eyes on right side of its body and it has no teeth.
The first step is to anchor the boat slightly upcurrent of your chosen spot and send down the chum basket. Unlike most local fish, winter flounder enter shallow bays and coves in midwinter to spawn and stay until the sun warms the water to temperatures. Want to know how the pros go after flounderaka fluke. The summer flounder paralichthys dentatus is a marine flatfish that is found in the atlantic ocean off the east coast of the united states and canada. Catches of winter flounder weighing 3 pounds or more often reward anglers fishing with jason colby, a licensed guide for 35 years. The association between big winter flounder and the estuaries of devon and cornwall is a strong one, built up over the years on reports of fish averaging 3lbs and, on occasions, topping 5lbs. While the stocks of flounder within narragansett bay have totally collapsed, they are healthy in the coastal ponds and. Apr 03, 2016 winter flounder pseudopleuronectes americanus are born looking like most other fish, with eyes on opposite sides of their heads, tails swaying side to side. The pieces should be cut small, between two to three inches at most. Most of the offshore flounder are caught by fishermen bottomfishing for groupers. It will show you how to tie the basic rig that is used for all of the fishing in this book. Winter flounder season kicks off on wednesday, march 23.
The pieces should be cut small, between two to three inches at. The winter flounder, a master of disguise with a wandering eye. A fly that fits all the way into a flounder s mouth is the best size. Winter flounder undertake smallscale migrations into estuaries, embayments, and saltwater ponds in winter to spawn, subsequently moving to deeper water during summer. He says the best months for winter flounder are may, june and july, and august to september for summer flounder, aka fluke. This set up is light weight and able to cope with flounders caught from the beach as well as the odd bass. Flounder fishing shore caught flounders and other flat. Winter flounder grow up to more than two feet in length and reach 15 to 18 years of age. Barry gibson how to catch flounder fishing tips expert. Many believe that its the areas southern exposure to milder winters keeping the shore crabs peeling that keeps the flounder fishing standard so high. According to the 2016 new hampshire saltwater fishing digest, anglers fishing new hampshire waters can take eight winter flounder per day. There can be some decent action if you know how to approach your quarry, tease their appetite and figure out a winter flatties temperature range. Learn about winter flounder and targeting these fish in the waters around lbi. It is native to coastal waters of the western north atlantic coast, from labrador, canada to georgia, united states, although it is less common south of delaware bay.
Harbour and estuary flounders are not widely regarded for eating, but a founder caught well out at sea and in the winter time can make a very good meal indeed. The rig i usually use with this rod and reel is a one or two hook paternoster rig with size 1 hooks and a 2oz plain lead. Most of the action has been found at oyster creek in forked river, where anglers from across ocean count. The normal distribution of the winter flounder covers a wide range of temperature at one season or another, from a minimum close to the freezing point of salt water around newfoundland, in nova scotian waters, in the gulf of st.
Fishing through the winter months can be very rewarding for a number of reasons. The larger female fish are found in the rivers early in the season, so waste no time getting your spinning gear ready. Dec 17, 2015 the winter flounder are in heavy in shark river. If the flounder are biting, youll be glad you brought plenty. Growing up out here as a kid, one of my favorite fish to catch was winter flounder. Some anglers mistake winter flounder for summer flounder or fluke. Some inlets, particularly the more southern ones, will hold flounder throughout the winter. This is a test to see whether we can improve the experience for you. Good thing is the numbers are increasing because of the past few years of the shrimp season being closed.
Spawning occurs in autumn and midwinter in coastal ocean waters. Most of the action has been found at oyster creek in forked river, where anglers from across ocean county have crammed in to wet a line in the warm water. Winter flounder pleuronectes americanus family pleuronectidae, righteye flounders. Spawning occurs in autumn and mid winter in coastal ocean waters. Some east coast saltwater anglers are braving the wintry winds of march in quest of the winter flounder, a coldwater species whose.
You can buy an official copy from the state bookstore. Almost any rod and reel combo in your arsenal will work as long as you dont go too heavy. Flounders in that family typically have the eyes and colouring on the right side. Dana outlines the tackle and tactics used to hunt the winter flounder. And since most of my flounder fishing is done in less than 15 of water, i can usually get away with it. Jerseys winter flounder season just opened on march 1st, and if its anything like last spring, we could be in for a heck of a spring fishery. Flounder fishing tactics and techniques keith kaufman on. To rig the seaworm, pinch it by the head and thread it onto the hook, starting at the point. It is best to use 2 anchors so that the lines stay in the same place that the chum is working.
Mar 18, 2011 spring begins this week, though most of you will be more interested in winter flounder. Catching flounder in the winter the online fisherman. Fishing for winter flounder is an extremely important commercial and recreational fishery. Want to know how the pros go after flounder aka fluke. Whether you are new to fishing or new to long beach island, greg wants to help. It is the middle of march and my freezer is empty and the lure of fishing is more than i can deal with. It is especially abundant in waters from north carolina to massachusetts. How to catch boston harbor winter flounder new england.
Since mussels are one of the favorite items of the spring flounders menu, the use of these pounding techniques when fishing mussel beds is a great idea too. Essential habitats for winter flounder identified gulf. Summer flounder are bottomfeeders that eat shrimp, squid, worms, crustaceans and other fish. And since most of my flounder fishing is done in less than 15. A plumbers plunger added to a long pole is also a prime way of pounding up flounder when fishing the flats. Felch purchased and rigged all the gear used in the project and teamed with goethel and bouchard to help deploy the receivers and to catch and track the winter flounder. Fish mainly striped bass, bluefish, toadfish, and summer flounder, birds, invertebrates, winter skate, and marine mammals prey on larval and juvenile winter.
To catch winter flounder, you can use a very basic rig with only a hook line and sinker in addition to the clams. Just days after the ice thawed on barnegat bay, anglers began hooking some of their first fish of 2015, as reports of winter flounder and striped bass catches trickled into local tackle shops. A great lure for drift fishing or slow trolling over sand shoals and in sandy or mud bottomed bays and harbors for summer flounder fluke. In pursuit of winter flounder dana benner 20160612. Mar 20, 2015 just days after the ice thawed on barnegat bay, anglers began hooking some of their first fish of 2015, as reports of winter flounder and striped bass catches trickled into local tackle shops. In our area, we do most of the earlyseason fishing in the shrewsbury and navesink rivers. Jan 14, 2009 winter flounder fishing mike thrussell 21 january, 2006 08. Winter flounder may attain sizes up to 64 cm 25 in. Fishing for flounder with flies may be more effective than fishing for them with larger lures. Explore how and when to choose one type of bait over another, the most effective. Winter flounder a freeze resistance fish ny harbor nature.
Some anglers mistake winter flounder for summer flounder or fluke and sometimes even for halibut. The flounder we catch in these rivers varies from less than keeper size 12 inches up to 2 pounds. Begin fishing with the boat anchored and throw clam chum and canned corn to attract flounder. Mar 09, 2010 fishing a slack line is a favoured tactic so that the fish feel little resistance when they take the bait, although even with a slack line a positive bite can be detected with ease in calm conditions. One of the most popular and sought after inshore fish of the early summer season is the winter flounder. Atlantic highlands sandy hook flounder fishing the sea.
Winter flounder is an estuarine flatfish found in almost all shoal water habitats along the northwest atlantic coast. Fishing a slack line is a favoured tactic so that the fish feel little resistance when they take the bait, although even with a slack line a positive bite can be detected with ease in calm conditions. Flounder have a relatively small mouth, but dont tell that to a 20 incher. Here on the south shore of massachusetts, there are a few charter boats who take passengers out on flounder trips, but the majority of the recreational flounder fishing is done from personal pleasure craft, from bridges and piers, or off the jetties. Winter flounder fishing in marblehead planet sea fishing. Winter flounder are one of the five flounders most commonly found on dinner tables. When people think about ocean fishing here in new england most think about targeting striped bass, cod and. Spring flounder can be a little fussy when it comes to. Tackle, tactics, and techniques of the masters are exposed in this oneofakind howto fishing book. Most of the offshore flounder are caught by fishermen bottom fishing for groupers. Flounder fishing city island bronx, ny island current. According to the most recent assessment 2011, winter flounder stocks are rebuilding. Winter flounder pseudopleuronectes americanus are born looking like most other fish, with eyes on opposite sides of their heads, tails swaying side to side.
I like to fish as light as possible for these flatties. Examine drift fishing, trolling, jigging, and several secret techniques. Winter flounder spawn from late winter into the month of may. Essential habitats for winter flounder identified gulf of. Medium size baitcasting rods are used with flounder rigs and tiny glow sticks attached, with enough lead weight to hold bottom. A couple of hours spent kayak fishing in humberston creek for winter flounders, with plenty of action and plenty of fish. In the early to midwinter, the fish are primarily feeding on dying shad more than on crawfish, so i generally stick to baitfish imitations. Welcome to our new and improved comments, which are for subscribers only. Flounder fishing tactics and techniques keith kaufman. Unfortunately, the weather has not cooperated, so that the normal rush of fishing. The geographic distribution ranges from nearshore habitats to offshore fishing banks along the atlantic coast of north america. Fishing for winter flounder nj saltwater fisherman your. Felch purchased and rigged all the gear used in the project and teamed with goethel and bouchard to help deploy the. They feed on small invertebrates, shrimp, clams, and worms.
Now, ive been fishing a long time, said felch, but until last summer, i never really knew where the blackbacks winter flounder went to spawn. As you might guess, the name winter flounder comes from the fishs fondness for cold water. Early spring is the best time to start going to your favorite shore fishing locations in and around the rivers and bays to fish for winter flounder. Its been a long winter and were all ready to get back out on the water. Winter flounder are a bit smaller, coming in around 12lbs and fluke or summer flounder are a bit bigger, usually around 3lbs. If you dont get a bite within 15 or 20 minutes, try another spot. Winter is also the time of year when most freshwater species. Catches of winter flounder weighing 3 pounds or more often reward anglers fishing with. In the winter and spring, they migrate to shallow inshore waters to spawn. Mar 11, 2016 bloodworms or sandworms are the most common bait used for winter flounder. Unlike many local species of fish that migrate out of. Flounder fishing shore caught flounders and other flat fish. Use small hook winter flounder rigs with 1 ounce weights.
Cast small live baits or jigs along the jetties, or just outside the channel. By april, we do more and more fishing in sandy hook and raritan bays. April 1 st marks the beginning of winter flounder season this year. Winter flounder are deeply compressed in shape and have a small mouth.
You generally have the water all to yourself and if you have the proper gear the cold weather is definitely tolerable. Flounder are a curious fish by nature, always investigating a source of disturbance or puff of. Feb 18, 2017 a couple of hours spent kayak fishing in humberston creek for winter flounders, with plenty of action and plenty of fish. Mar 02, 2018 jerseys winter flounder season just opened on march 1st, and if its anything like last spring, we could be in for a heck of a spring fishery. The winter flounder pseudopleuronectes americanus, also known as the black back, is a righteyed dextral flatfish of the family pleuronectidae. Chapter 2 rigs and jigs this is one of the most popular videos on my heavily viewed youtube channel. Add a squid strip andor sand eel to hook and its a dynamite rig. To be honest, i hope that theres a better way to catch them. It is the most common nearshore shallowwater flounder in the waters from. Apr 01, 2016 flounder are flatfish and come in two basic types, winter flounder and summer flounder or fluke. Life history, including information on the habitat, growth, feeding, and reproduction of a species, is important because it affects how a fishery is managed. Greg is an accomplished angler with great knowledge of saltwater fishing from the light tackle back waters to the surf and jetty as well as inshore and offshore big game fishing. Their color, which varies with the substrate they occupy, can range from reddish brown to olive green to almost black. As i watched the weather channel, trying to figure out what the weather would be like, i began tying up some weights to run on my flounder rigs.
Paralichthys dentatus linnaeus, 1766, also called a fluke, is a. The summer flounder conceals itself from predators by burying itself in bottom sediments and changing colors to blend in with its surroundings. Lawrence, and in the shoaler parts of the gulf of maine in late winter, to a maximum of about 6466 f. Winter flounder, or blackbacks as we call them on the south shore, once supported a massive fishery along the massachusetts coast that was centered in boston harbor. The winter flounder, blackback, or lemon sole, pseudopleuronectes americanus, is distributed in the northwest atlantic from labrador to georgia. Winter flounder season kicks off on wednesday, march. If youre serious about winter flounder fishing, buy at least one flat of seaworms per 6hour trip. Mar 10, 2017 greg is an accomplished angler with great knowledge of saltwater fishing from the light tackle back waters to the surf and jetty as well as inshore and offshore big game fishing. I think he said they use to fish the indian river in delaware near the power plant. Spring begins this week, though most of you will be more interested in winter flounder. Jun 25, 2010 now, ive been fishing a long time, said felch, but until last summer, i never really knew where the blackbacks winter flounder went to spawn.
Winter is also the time of year when most freshwater species group up. In fact, some of the best days ive had in ohio were when the fish were in their winter patterns. Learn how, when, and where you can boost your catch rate. The tennis courts at shark riverbelmar, nj march is a lean month in the salty brine, except for the fat blackbacked winter flounder foraging the mud flats.
Winter flounder fishing often requires you to anchor down. Tricks of flounder fishing include moving the bait regularly to explore the ridges and gutters. Another key location for winter flounder fishing is near warmwater discharges of power plants and refineries. Under these new measures, no commercial fishing vessel is permitted to harvest southern new england winter flounder in order to protect this. We have the best flounder fishing city island, new york has to offer. At least part of the worm should dangle off the hook. Winter flounder feed during the day because they depend on sight to locate prey. Fishing for winter flounder nj saltwater fisherman. Bloodworms or sandworms are the most common bait used for winter flounder. Push the worm up the shank until you get to the eye of the hook. Flounder poundin is a light tackle affair, but you can up your odds to catch more fish by adjusting your tactics a bit to get them chomping. He fishes up to six anglers aboard his 26foot openconsole goldline with a 300 hp yamaha. Easily accessible by any angler with a row boat, or access to a pier or dock, flounder can provide fishing fun for all ages as well as a fine meal.
The small size of flies lend themselves to smaller flounder mouths. As a result more anglers got to taste just how fine winter flounder tastes basted under the broiler or coated in some meal. Its flounder time in new england new england sportsman. Captain al lorenzettis quick winter flounder rig youtube. The winter flounder, a master of disguise with a wandering. Island current fleet has the perfect boats, tools, bait and experience to get those flounders jumping on your line. Winter flounder the recreational winter flounder season in rhode island officially began on april 15 and runs for 31 days. New measures were recently put in place to end overfishing and continue to rebuild overfished groundfish stocks like winter flounder and maintain healthy ones. Jigging the rig occasionally will put some fish in the fish box. Flounder fishing is not as depressing as some writers would make you believe it to be.
Cold temperatures keep fairweather anglers home and hunting seasons lead many anglers to trade lakes for the woods. A few years ago, i had a fishing buddy of mine tell me about how back in the day, they use to fish for winter flounder on nice winter days. Chapter 2 rigs and jigs fishing for summer flounder. By steve medeiros winter flounder the recreational winter flounder season in rhode island officially began on april 15 and runs for 31 days.
160 733 409 965 1577 160 1145 1326 576 1275 1405 923 1656 926 404 1442 331 549 685 990 401 1152 334 901 948 815 847 139 977 1242 667