In the Aransas Pass area, gill net surveys on flounder are producing positive results. “We had a nice cold winter last year. We saw good recruitment of juvenile young flounder. We are just half way completed with our surveys, but this year so far we have seen more adult keeper flounder in our nets than at this time last year.” says Christopher Mace, TPWD Ecosystem Leader for Aransas Bay.
The November reduction in bag limits has been in effect for several years now. The additional limiting of the bag limit to two flounder per day per angler, Dec 1-14, should help take some of the pressure off the fishery and continue the flounder recovery.
Historically, the flounder run is mostly over by December, but weather pattern changes the last couple of years have been keeping bay waters warmer longer, pushing back the annual flounder migration.