Winter Flounder Fishing

[Gerry Zagorski]

Man I used to love fishing for and eating Winter Flounder.....Not many people fishing for them these days with only a 2 per person limit but have heard some 2nd hand reports of them being around so it might be worth a shot.

Found this old article I dusted off, enjoy!!


Early Spring and late Winter Flounders put on the feed bag here in the NJ coastal area bays and rivers. They are one of the best tasting fish in our waters and a great way to begin and end the fishing season. In the Spring it usually starts off in the end of March and lasts though mid May and in the winter December through February. If had to choose only one season to Flounder fish it would be spring and one month it would be April. Once the water temps get in their comfort range of high 40’s low 50’s is when they will be most active.

The early bird doesn’t always get the worm….

One of the things I like most about fishing for Flounder in the Spring is that you don’t have to wake up at 0: Dark 30 to get in on the hot bite. The fishing is usually the best mid day on when the sun has had an opportunity to warm the water. I also tend to try and concentrate my Spring fishing during an outgoing ebbing tide rather then an incoming flood tide. Here’s my reasoning….Incoming ocean water is typically much cooler. As that cooler water floods the bays and rivers it often times turns the fish off. Once that water gets back in the shallow bays and rivers it has a chance to be warmed by the sun. The warmer water flowing back out on the ebb is often times what triggers them to feed. Another thing to look for when Floundering in the spring is dark or muddy bottom. The sun has a greater warming affect on darker colored objects then it does lighter so it stands to reason areas with darker bottom will be warmer and warmer water triggers feeding. The opposite is true in the Fall since your looking for cooler water to put them into their comfort range and get on the feed.

As far as rigs simple is better in my book. A single hook and sinker will do. If you’re using corn to chum add a yellow bead above the hook. Store bought pre tied rigs work well here so no need to tie your own unless it’s something you like to do or want to save a few bucks. For bait I prefer blood worms or clams. I will usually bring both and see what works best. If you don’t intend to chum I would lean towards clams since they leave a better scent trial in the water and are more likely to draw the Flounder in.

A few tips to remember when fishing for Winter Flounder on an anchored boat...
- Chum heavily. Frozen Chum logs and Chum Pots can be purchase at most any tackle store. I like to use 2. Cut some slits in the side of the plastic bag containing the chum log, place it in the pot and send it down to the bottom. If the tide is rushing you may have to add some weight to keep the pot on the bottom. Don't forget to tie a hook and a leader off your chum pot. This is a sure way to bring a few extra fish over the side.
- In addition to Chumming break some fresh clams over the side to lure the fish in. Some people also do this with cat food or canned corn.
- The fish usually hang out in a small area rather then being spread out all over the bay so if your not catching move. Once you find a spot that produces and it slows down either let out or take in some anchor rode so your boat moves position slightly. This is often times enough to get the bite going again.
- If your fishing in shallow waters and have something that can reach the bottom like an oar stir up the bottom a bit. This will often draw fish in looking for an easy meal.
- Bounce your sinker off the bottom. The puffs of mud it creates is often enough to draw fish in.

I hope this helps some people new to Flounder fishing this spring. My first trip will probably be around Easter. Once the Stripers show up I will switch over to them.

[Gumada]

Great write up Gerry,

And when chumming with a pot tie a double hook rig to the chum pot baited with clam. But be careful of the current possession limits...many flounder latch on to the hooks close to the pot....

[team heat]

Do you have any favorite early spring spots.I know shark river is good but since the dredging I not sure how it's going to affect them.I'd like to try manasquan river for them but have never fished for winter flounder on that river.

[bulletbob]

Originally Posted by team heat

Do you have any favorite early spring spots.I know shark river is good but since the dredging I not sure how it's going to affect them.I'd like to try manasquan river for them but have never fished for winter flounder on that river.

Personally, I like the shorelines of Raritan Bay between Keyport and the Highlands.. The shallow flats off Keyport and Union Beach were something special at one time.. Still some there, and they are bigger than what you'll find in the rivers... Its a later fishery,, later in April through may.. I have caught them there in mid summer as well. BIG ones... contrary to popular belief, some flounder stay in the bay all summer.

We used to catch a lot of them drifting on days when the wind was light and it was an extremely effective way to find the concentrations.. Plain old flounder rig, with tiny yellow twister tails on the hook shank, and a small glob of mussels was deadly.. NO bait of any type is better than mussel snot.. That includes sand/blood worms...
Thats all we used at one time, and it was all we needed.. when we anchored, we would bat a few mussels around the boat to get them started/.. nowadays, you pretty much have to chum I would think, but i would bet money that yellow sinkers or small yellow twister tails on the hook work as well today as they ever did.. Flounder have this weird thing about anything yellow... bob

[Gerry Zagorski]

Originally Posted by team heat

Do you have any favorite early spring spots.I know shark river is good but since the dredging I not sure how it's going to affect them.I'd like to try manasquan river for them but have never fished for winter flounder on that river.

Not my area so limited knowledge but the Manasquan River is as good as any place to start.... Early I'd be looking pretty far up the river in the area where the canal comes out and further up and on the Barnegat Bay side of the canal as well..

[torchee]

I toss clams out front at sandy hook for bass every spring late april - early may.
We always put out a flounder rod or 2 with worms.

Seems like when we time it right you can catch 2-3 in the wash as they leave Raritan bay -and the river. And maybe a bass as well...... So they must still populate Raritan.

Great kills holds flounder as well. I think its open this year.

[torchee]

Bob is right, def add a yellow grub....
people would put corn on to add yellow to the worm when i was a kid....

[WhaleFart]

Flounder fishing is a love hate for me, I almost only fish on land for them... for me its either an all out skunking or a slaughter. From land you can chum them with a pot, some dog food and some cooked yellow rice. I do the basic two hook rig with sandworms, however when they are active and you run out of bait you can catch them on sabiki rigs jigged on the bottom... most of the flounder i clean have mainly grass shrimp in them so it makes sense. I like posted above have caught them in the middle of summer in the river (Manasquan). Biggest flounder I got was about 4lbs off the surf mdw about 10 heads ago on a 6/0 hook.

[Irish Jigger]

Our annual trip to visit my brother in Mass early spring is always phenomenal flounder fishing. Boat is out of Quincy Mass for half day $450 up to 4 anglers and have never been disappointed. Non stop from start to finish and bring home 20 plus pounds of filets and fish up to 4+ lbs. 12” and 8 fish limit per man bag limit. Any other info pm me

[Ice Cream Bill]

Gerry,

Great seeing you, Joey da Fish and Dales529 at the RFA booth in Edison!

Irish Jigger: I am booked for Sunday July 8th on that same boat in Quincy. Capt is holding Sat pm trip if I want as well. May and June trips are all booked.

He is not a sponsor on this site, but I need some NJ Fishing guys to join me—feel free to PM me if interested. Limit is 8 flounder per angler!

Bill