Flounder is one of the most often overlooked fish in Florida saltwater. But it’s one of the easiest to catch from shore or while wade fishing. You’ll find flounder (also called “fluke”) anywhere there is a sandy bottom, since they lay flat on the bottom. They are an odd-looking fish if you’ve never seen a “flatfish.”
Since they lay flat on the bottom like a stingray, their eyes are on one side of their head. The underside of their body is white, and the upper side is brown with various markings and spots, according to the species. They have razor sharp needle-like teeth. Be careful when handling.
Flounder is a very mild, soft, flaky white meat when cooked. You will actually get four fillets from one fish. Two from the top side and two slightly thinner filets from the bottom (white) side of the fish.
Cleaning flounder is a little different from other fish, so be sure to watch the videos below about fileting flounder for eating.
As with many fish, shrimp are an excellent live bait for flounder, if you can keep the pinfish away.
In this first video, John Skinner shows his method for wade-fishing a shallow bay for flounder using bucktail jigs and Gulp Alive baits:
Here’s a very detailed look at wade fishing for Flounder. It’s filmed in south Texas, but it’s still in the Gulf of Mexico, so is easily transferred to flounder fishing in Florida:
If you’re not familiar with bucktail jigs or Gulp Alive swimming mullet baits, and if you want to see how John ties a flounder rig, then watch the video below. He even shows it in action, catching flounder! The video is shot in Long Island Sound in NY, but he uses the same techniques in Florida.
Here’s a really good look at the Berkely Gulp baits that are available and what they look like:
Once you catch your flounder, you’ll have to know how to clean it properly. Here’s a great video that explains the process using an 8 pound flounder. You’ll learn how to filet and skin a flounder:
If you’re new to cleaning fish, or just like a very detailed explanation on how to filet the flounder along with a very useful description of flounder anatomy, watch the video below:
One thing you’ll pick up from watching the videos is that using scents on artificial lures is considered a “must” by anglers. In addition to the Gulp Alive scented baits, Pro Cure Gel is also very popular for adding scent to plastic baits.
