By Neil Taylor, Times Correspondent
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
What's hot: Flounder continue to be a great option around the region. They are around in such numbers that it is becoming common again to catch them on accident, but targeting them has been successful as well, with big fish being caught.
Tackle and techniques: Use a light spinning outfit with a medium-light action rod and a quarter-ounce jighead with a soft-plastic tail tied to a short length of 20-pound fluorocarbon leader. The medium-light action rod serves several purposes: feeling the subtle strikes of the flounder, and allowing them to bend that rod down as they swim with it, giving them a chance to hook themselves. The quarter-ounce jighead will help to get the offering down. Keep the lure running just above or in contact with the bottom. If it comes to a sudden stop, it's either a snag or a flounder. Slowly lift the rod tip high and try to "move your snag." Land hooked flounder quickly as they are notorious for shaking out the jig hooks.
Where to look: Flounder have been in deeper sand patches surrounded by grass, shallow sandy areas that border oysters or rocks, docks, bridges, creek mouths, swash channels and passes. The commonality is sand, the bottom flounder prefer.
Neil Taylor charters kayak fishing trips in the Tampa Bay area and can be reached at strikethreekayakfishing.com or (727) 692-6345.