3 Strategies For Ship Channel Flounder Pt. 1

Fall is the prime time to score on flounder.

With flounder making their migration from the bays into the Gulf of Mexico, November can be a memorable month.

Here are three strategies for scoring on fall flounder during this crucial season.

1. Vertical Jigging Channel Markers: As flounder migrate into the Gulf, the span of a pass or ship channel between Gulf and bay is home to the hottest action. A highly overlooked location is around the channel markers as well as buoys on the edges of the channel. All of these spots have structure at the bottom that creates elevation changes in the bottom whether it’s a dip from being dug out or a hump from oyster buildup. Flounder like to stop around these spots. Use your trolling motor to get up to the marker and vertical jig. Lower down a curl-tailed grub or shrimp imitation until it hits the bottom and slowly move it up and down around the structure. Spinning equipment is best for this type of fishing because there is less “pendulum effect” with spinning reels. In other words. In other words, the line drops straighter and lets you get down quickly. For the rod, I like the St. Croix Mojo Inshore and Medium/Heavy Action. This rod has a fast tip for sensitivity but has the backbone I need to set the hook in a flounder’s bony month. Use braided or fusion line for no-stretch and best results.
2. Popping Corks and Riprap: Bouncing plastics on jigheads around riprap and shell embankments along the shore can be frustrating as you will spend more time retying than fishing. Throwing the same plastic under a popping cork rigged to fish just a few inches from the bottom will get you bit by flounder holding on these spots. I just in fact rigged up my St. Croix Mojo Inshore with a popping cork and a 1/16-ounce jighead under it. Spinning gear is great with this method because you can cast long distances easily and on windy days don’t have to worry about backlash. It’s great for spots like this along the channel off limits to boats but that has no restrictions on your line if you know what I’m saying.
3. Big Flounder/Light Bait: Throughout the last 10 years I have caught most of my biggest flounder on small lures during the latter part of November and into early December. Spinning gear allows you to cast light lures long distances in comparison to casting reels. I will fish with two-inch curl-tailed grubs (pink for off-colored, glow for clear water) on a 1/16-oz jighead. Flounder will sometimes bunch up in cuts leading into the channel or around channel breaks around sunken boats and barges. I like rods that have a sensitive enough tip to allow me to work tiny jigs to catch big flounder. I always release the 20-inch or better fish to allow those big females to breed and keep my limit of smaller fish for the oven. Flounder conservation is important but there isn’t one thing wrong with taking a couple of them home, stuffing with crab meat, slathering with garlic butter, and putting them in the oven.

I hope you enjoyed these tips. Be on the lookout for much more on flounder coming this fall and into 2021.

Chester Moore