Jigging for flounder is a ton of fun, and can be every bit as effective as fishing bait. In fact, in some situations it can be even more effective than bait. Ready to bump bottom and hook up a doormat? Use these tips, and you’ll catch even more.
Flounder are suckers for soft plastic jigs.
Obviously, you want your jig to stay close to bottom. But don’t just leave it sitting there. Flounder like to hit jigs when they’re fished with an aggressive motion, so the moment a jig taps bottom you should pop it right back up.
Tail choice is critical. Flounder will hit them all, but paddle-tails and twister-tails work best when cast out and retrieved. If you’re jigging vertically, stick with forked or straight tails.
Stick with tails of four or five inches. Smaller baits won’t attract as much attention, and larger ones will get a lot of missed strikes.
Use the smallest jig head possible which still allows you to feel the jig tapping down on bottom. This will allow you to keep the jig in the strike zone while delivering the slowest sink possible.
Flounder are sight-feeders, so color choice can be critical. As general rules of thumb try clear, silver, or white in clear water; use chartreuse or lime in greenish water; and use purple, brown, or root-beer colors in brownish or turbid water. Always remember you’ll generally do best in clear water so if one side of the bay is churned up and the other is clear, choose location accordingly. On blustery days, fishing in the lee is usually also a good move.
Flounder will often strike as the jig falls, just inches above bottom. As a result, rather than detect a strike you’ll think the jig has hit bottom and first feel the fish when you begin to raise your rod tip to pop the jig back off bottom. This feels exactly like you’ve snagged bottom. So, if you’re jigging for flounder and you think you’ve snagged bottom… rear back hard and set the hook! Often, the bottom will suddenly begin shaking its head.
BONUS TIP: Scented jigs are best when jigging for flounder. The fish will hold the jig longer than unscented plastics, giving you a second or two more to set the hook.