floundering - Wildlife Management Pro

Fall Floundering Along the Texas Coast

Although many flounder are taken by rod and reel, “floundering” or gigging offers the best challenge for this Gulf species. The flounder’s habit of entering the shallow waters at night to feed makes the flatfish vulnerable to thin-water giging. Flounder fishing is best during the Gulfward migration from October through December. During this time, lanterns and spotlights can be seen in and around the pass areas as anglers wade through the shallows in search of the elusive flounder.

Gigs ranging from single-pronged to modified hay forks are often used to spear the fish. The fishermen wade quietly along the shallows looking for flounder lying flat on the bottom. Once the flounder is within the light from the lantern, normally it will not move, allowing the fisherman a chance to “gig” the fish. Although this sounds like a sure-fire method, many fish are missed because they go undetected until they swim away or because of inaccurate gigging by an over-anxious fisherman. Continue reading Fall Floundering Along the Texas Coast

Texas Flounder

The southern flounder is the most abundant flatfish along the Gulf Coast of Texas. Flounder stay in mostly shallow water during warm months and then migrate through cuts and passes to the Gulf to spawn during the fall and winter. The flounder is an ambush feeder and will wait patiently for something to eat. They create an ambush spot by lying flat on the bottom and waiting for unsuspecting bait to swim by.

Tidal water moving through small cuts or rocky areas are excellent places to find feeding flounder. They sometimes bury themselves under sand or silt as they wait for food to enter their area. The prime fishing season is during the “flounder run” in the fall. This period takes place from roughly October through November. Gigging is a popular method for taking flounder.

Gigging is done by either wading with a spotlight or lantern and “gigging” or spearing the fish with a gig (multi pronged) as it lays waiting for its dinner. But instead, it’s your dinner! Flat bottom boats with an air motor or trolling motor are usually used for gigging flounder.

Flounder have a laterally compressed body (fish lies on its side rather than on the abdomen) and always looks up. The flounder is capable of changing its color pattern to match the bottom color, ranging from blackish-brown to light- gray or a mottled coloring. The down side is white. Young flounder feed on crustaceans, while older flounder eat mostly fish.

In Texas, flounder must be at least 14 inches long to keep, and each person may keep 5 fish per day, but check the current fishing regulations before you head out fishing.

Flounder Fishing Techniques

In Texas, flounder can be taken by rod and reel in almost any portion of any bay. However, it often is more productive to fish around jetties or oyster reefs that extend into the bay from shore. Flounder do not swim continuously and they tend to accumulate in places in their search for food. During the fall when flounder are moving to the Gulf for spawning, the best flounder fishing takes place in the channels and passes leading to the Gulf.

During the spring, wade fishermen work the edges of channels, such as the Intracoastal Waterway, as the fish are moving back into the bays.

Flounder can be taken by rod and reel or by gig. When fishing with rod and reel, light tackle is typically the go-to tackle for catching flounder. Both artificial lures and natural baits can be used to catch this patient flatfish. Over barren bottoms, lead heads rigged with plastic worms are often very effective. In heavily vegetated areas, shallow-running spoons are best.

Flounder show a decided preference for live bait over dead bait. Live shrimp retrieved slowly along the bottom often produce excellent results. Several species of killifish, referred to locally as mud minnows, fished in a similar fashion are good bait. These often can be taken in large numbers with a cast net or minnow seine.