Flounder rigs use beaded casting sinkers or trolling sinkers. These sinkers are elongated and streamlined, allowing them to be bumped along the bottom with less chance of hanging on structure. The line is tied directly to one end of the sinker and the leader is tied to the other end. A twelve to eighteen-inch leader ties to a kayle or circle hook. These rigs are ideal for dragging a live bait slowly along the bottom in search of flounder. Small mullet, mud minnows and other small live fish are ideal flounder bait with this rig.

Physical Description

The gulf flounder looks similar to their flatfish relatives, the summer and southern flounder. Both of the eyes are located on the left side, and they swim with this side always facing upwards. The left side of the body is an overall brownish tone that can change depending on the color of the immediate surroundings. They also have many white spots splattered over the body and fins. The right side is white and colorless. Gulf flounder have large mouths with strong, canine-like teeth.
Distinct from summer and southern flounder, the gulf flounder has three prominent, eye-like spots that form a triangle. One of these spots is on the lateral line near the base of the tail fin; the other two are located centrally above and below the lateral line.
Range:
The gulf flounder occurs from North Carolina south through Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to Texas. Its range overlaps with that of the southern flounder.
Where found:
Inshore on sandy or mud bottoms, often ranging into tidal creeks, ports, and inlets. Occasionally caught on near shore rocky reefs.

TACKLE AND BAITS:
For most Flounder fishing, ordinary light spinning or bait casting tackle is more than adequate. When targeting doormats around the inlets with live bait, the same types of gear, but with stouter rods and perhaps stronger lines should be used. Light saltwater boat tackle also does the job. Big Flounder are taken mostly with live fish as bait. Finger Mullet are favorites everywhere. Smaller fish and big ones at times will also hit live or dead shrimp and cut baits. While most fish-imitating lures will take Flounder, jigs are the most productive. Big flounder are best taken using using small live fish as bait. They will also take shrimp and cut baits. Flounder jigs are very useful accessories. We just have to remember Flounder are ambush hunters.

Fly Fisherman

Boating World

Boating

We use various types of bait here on the Pinellas coast. Manly for inshore we use Shrimp they can be either live “ideal” or frozen. Live Shrimp are your best bet but frozen will do when you can’t get your hands on them. Pinfish and grunts and Greenbacks are ideal baits. Hook them thru the back and free line them for best results. You can also hook them thru the lips as another method. All of the above baits work very well inshore and can be caught with a cast net or purchased at the local bait shops. They all will produce catches of Spotted Sea Trout , Redfish and Snook. Along with the offshore species that roam the flast this time of year such as Cobia and Spanish Mackerel. Sharks will also hit these baits. Offshore you can use just about anything free-lined. Chunks of ladyfish, Blue crab , Finger Mullet , Cut bait , Blue Runners and also all of the baits listed for inshore as well. We have found a great site for baitfish and rigging that give alot of information you need to know.

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After taking a break all week. We took some friends out that have not been fishing on the gulf for a while. They have always fished inshore and never have ventured out into the gulf. We left the docks around 0900 to give chase the hungry kingfish. We were planning to chum up the water a bit and lay out some greenbacks. We no sooner hit the sandbar by Calidisi before we saw thousands of birds crashing the water. We had everyone rig with silver or gold spoons with a 2 foot steel leader. We coasted into the pack of hungry Spanish. It only took a few seconds before the first line went screaming. Then one after another fish were being landed. The water boiled with glass minnows all around our boat. The Spanish were airborne as they sliced thru the schools of Glass minnows. As for the new Anglers on the boat , they had a blast. Hope you guys both had a good time. For Fridays totals 26 fish caught 9 kept and the longest went to Gary…Congrats…. Thanks for fishing with us Dave and Gary.

More pictures at GulfCoastfishing.blogspot.com along with more information.

We have found the best way to keep our fish frozen. A year or two ago my wife ordered from the TV a Vacuum sealer. Yes one of those machines that you see on those terrible ads that last forever. Yes i did object to the purchase do to I just didn’t think it would work. Well to my surprise it does work. Just not as graceful as on TV. After struggling with this machine for a little bit we got it to work. We vucuumed sealed everthing until we ran out of bags. Now for the easy part we then went to Walmart and found the same bags but alot cheaper then to order them from the cheesy TV add place. We went out Saturday Morning and hit the Mackerel again hard. We only kept the large ones over 25 inches. It only took 2 and a half hrs to catch them but just as long to clean them all. Then what do you do with 45 lbs of Spanish Mackerel Fillets. We gave some to our neighbor who came fishing and then set out packageing them for the vacuum seal. This took only 30 min’s and now they all fit into the freezer nice and tight. A good idea is to buy a good model and not the cheapest one. You will have problems with the seal and wind up tossing it away the first day of use.

Jack Crevalle are one of the most common Jacks here in our area of west Central Florida. The average size for these are between 3 to 5 pounds . They can be found inshore nearshore or off shore.

Description : Color bluish-green to greenish-gold back and silvery or yellowish belly;soft dorsal and anal fins almost identical in size:prominent black spot on (gill cover); black spot at the base of each pectoral fin; no scales on throat.

This fish tolerates a wide range of salinities.Schools of this fish corner a school of baitfish at the surface and feed with commotion that can be seen from great distances. Jack Crevalle feeds mainly on small fish Green backs,Pinfish,Grunts and occasionally Shrimp.

above pic is provided by Dave Arguelles who landed this nice Jack last Thursday near Hurrican pass using greenbacks freelined on top