I'm going to be fishing in the VA beach/CBBT area more often this coming up season and would like to know some helpful tips on flounder fishing. Any tips will help, Thanks.

Dan

Come on down Dan! There's a few basic things that you should keep in mind. First, flounder are a structure oriented fish and ambush predators. They like sandy areas near wrecks, reefs, rocks, dips in the bottom, oyster beds and channel edges because that's where their prey hangs out. If you catch a nice fish, drift that area a few more times. That fish was there for a reason and may have buddies nearby, even if you didn't see any structure on your bottom machine. Use big baits for keeper sized fish. For some reason I've always caught more fish drifting from deeper water into the shallows along the channel edges. That's the nickle package. Hope it helps and let us know what you catch!

I'm still learning how to do things the "Southern" way instead of my ole "Yankee" way, however, I did discover 2 years ago that early flounder love hanging around the crab pots.

Seems the bait buckets used to bring in crab also bring in minnows that the flounder love. Takes a bit of skill to keep from hanging on the pot and its associated bouy/line but if you get it down, you can catch some nice ones bounching a gudgeon or bucktail with squid strip around them.

Thanks for the tips! i also read in a Saltwater Magazine a while ago about livelining around the pilings of the bridge. Which island(s) are typically holding the most flounder and do you just use a regular fishfinder rig for this?

Dan.

Fishing the pilings with live bait (spot or menhaden) is a great way to catch keeper flounder. I use a three way swivel with one eye hooked to a 20 lb mono leader (aprox. 2') with a khale hook. I then attach my weight to the other eye using some old 6 or 8 lb test mono. This way when you get snagged, and fishing the pilings you will get snagged, the lower test mono will break first and you only loose your weight and not your entire rig. For my main line I use Powerpro, usually 12 lb test. I then drift or power drift around the pilings trying to get my bait as close to the pilings as possible. I usually work my way along the bridge. When you find fish at a set of pilings, keep working that area. Good luck and let us know how you do.

Follow the tips above and you should be in the money. I'd put emphasis on using bigger baits to try and catch "keeper" size which is getting harder to do whether you do it from the shore or a boat. The only thing I'd add is when flounder fishing you should give him " flounder" some time to chomp on him a bit instead of an immediate hook set. I usually give him a five count or so after the feel the first couple of thumps. Kale or circle hooks help prevent "gut" hooking a flounder. Pitiful thing when you have to throw back a 17 inch gut hooked flounder. If you do do that and it floats up use the belly for bait, just get off your boat before the marine police come to ya because they likely won't listen to the "he was dead explanation. Blue fish strips work well for bait I assume it because they are rather oily. You will get excellent sensitivity using braided line over other types of line, there is no mistaking a strike (thump) on braided line. Only draw back in you usually have to cut braided if you get a snag or tangle up with another fisherman.


Good luck and tight lines

What range of weight are you using to keep the bottom with the tide/current and drifting or power drifting? Pyramid sinker, egg, etc and size??

Junior

thanks for the awesome tips! i'll be sure to keep these in mind once i get down there after the spring rockfish season up in Maryland, hopefully they're still biting strong by then.


Dan

1/2oz red jig head with a 5" charteuse Gulp jerk shad. Just fish under the bridges like the HRBT or CBBT. People say they're right next to pilings, but i find that they're just everywhere and anywhere. Just drift, once you feel the "TINY bump and dead weight" give 2 or 3 seconds of slack, then set the hook, but not to hard. I normally use a Shimano Sedona 2500 reel on like a 5ft 6" light action rod for like 6-8lbs, using 15lb powerpro just to make sure if i get caught on structure i can grab the line and yank it free. I normally just drag it along the bottom, but if bite is slow, or if i want some grey trout, just bump it up and down off the bottom.

are the flounder usually there year round or just mainly spring?

They are just showing up now and should be there until oct/nov depending on water temps.

Depends on the current speed. I try to go with as little weight as possible. I use light powerpro (10-12lb test) which allows me to use less weight since there is less line drag. Usually 2-4 oz of weight is enough, 6 oz max. If the current requires anything over 6 oz then I usually try some other type of fishing. I use egg sinkers. As RobRcer suggested, I will also use jigheads except I use 1-2 oz jig heads with a long strip of cut tube squid (the nice thick white squid not the box stuff) instead of the 3 way swivel. However this can get expensive if you get a lot snags. Sometimes if the current is ripping you will need to let out alot of line to hold bottom. Make sure you are holding bottom, if not you are wasting your time. For me, the couple of hours just before and after slack tide are the best. Probably since the current speed is low. Max tide, the current is ripping under the bridge and I don't even bother trying. To much of a pain trying to manuever the boat and hold bottom. just my personal preference for all I know the fishing could be outstanding.

The flounder are there from late March thru early December. Use whatever weight lead it takes to stay on the bottom while drifting or trolling, it depends on the current rate, so keep trying until you find the right combination.

Put the rods in the holder put out as many as you can w/o a mess.When a rod goes down pick it up slowly and crank while lifting the tip up in one motion never give any slack for any reason and you will catch flounder like a pro. The rod holder will out fish most people.Unless you are a seasoned flounder fisherman try the holder way it works I do it on charters all the time.