How To Catch More Flounder In The Marshes [Clues, Tricks, & MORE]
- By: Pat Ogletree
- on
What do you need to do to catch more flounder in the marshes?
How should you specifically target these fish?
Let’s dive into the basics!!
Catch More Flounder In The Marshes [VIDEO]
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Gear Mentioned:
- 4-inch Mulligan
- 5-inch BOMBER
- 5-inch Jerk Shads
- Power Prawn USA
- Owner Flashy Swimmer Weighted Twistlock Hooks
Typical Flounder Spots
The first spot to look for flounder is along tall grasslines.
Not seagrass in the water but the grass that grows tall along the shorelines.
Oftentimes, flounder will pin prey up against these shorelines to feed.
Some grasslines are going to be better than others.
What sets those apart is the presence of bait.
Also, grasslines with depth changes or hard structure nearby are best to find flounder.
The best combination of these features in one area will give you the best shot at catching flounder.
Moreover, you want to also be on the lookout for oyster beds.
Oyster beds attract all sorts of predatory fish.
Flounder love to hang by oyster beds looking for meals.
If you can find several oyster beds all in one area, that’s even better.
The water will create a small current moving in and around them and sometimes a trough is dug out below.
That is an excellent place for flounder to wait and ambush prey.
Additionally, we want to look for flounder near creek mouths.
Especially those creek mouths that drain out from the marsh.
If you’re able to, fish these spots on an outgoing tide because all that bait gets flushed out with the tide.
Fish each part of the creek mouth carefully.
Mudflats are also a fantastic spot to fish for flounder.
The better types of mudflats have different bottom structure and drop-offs.
Overlooked spots like docks and pilings are also key areas to look for flounder.
They’ll use that structure as an ambush location to hunt bait.
Another thing to take note of is flounder are community feeders.
Typically, if you hook into one, there will more than likely be more.
Flounder Lures & Retrieves
One of my favorite types of lures for flounder fishing is larger paddletails.
The 4-inch Mulligan or the 5-inch BOMBER are great choices.
Flounder are not shy, they are aggressive and will eat bigger baits.
Slow roll these big paddletails right along the bottom in the above-mentioned spots for best success.
You definitely want to keep the lures close to the bottom.
If the straight retrieve isn’t working, change it up and mix in some pops and pauses.
5-inch Jerk Shads are also excellent flounder lures.
Make sure you have enough weight to reach the bottom so you can bounce these lures along.
Another lure that is effective for flounder is the Power Prawn USA shrimp lure.
Everything eats a shrimp and flounder are no different.
Lure Rigging
My favorite way to rig lures for flounder is on the Owner Flashy Swimmer hooks.
Owner Flashy Swimmer hooks are extremely similar to rigging hooks like the Owner Twistlock and Hoss Helix Hook.
The exception is they have the added advantage of having a tail spinner attached to the bottom of the lure.
This creates added flash and attention to get the fish to strike.
Tide Cycles
When it comes to flounder, as long as the water is moving they are typically feeding.
But if I had my choice of an incoming or outgoing tide, I’d take the outgoing tide.
Flounder will sit in areas that drain out from the marsh.
Dock pilings, creek mouths, grasslines, and more provide perfect hunting grounds for these fish on a falling tide.
Mudflats are also worth fishing during a slack tide.
FINDING THE FISH HELP
In order to help make sure that you are targeting the right areas based on the latest feeding trends and upcoming weather forecasts, make sure to use the following 3 resources because they will save you a ton of time.
1. WEEKEND GAME PLANS (UPDATED WEEKLY)
These regional game plans will show you exactly what types of spots to target in under 10 minutes… just click the video to start, and you’ll be informed on what to do on your next trip.
2. SMART FISHING SPOTS PLATFORM (UPDATED EVERY 15 MINUTES)
This exclusive software literally shows you where the most fish are likely to be feeding based on exactly when you’ll be fishing. It factors in the tides, wind, and weather to help you quickly see which areas to target throughout the day.
3. COMMUNITY REPORTS (LIVE FEED)
The Insider Community platform is what you can use to see what is biting near you, and you can get to know other members who fish in your area. Plus, you can use it to keep a log of your catches so you can use past trips to help predict future catches.
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- Weekly fishing reports and TRENDS revealing exactly where you should fish every trip
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Great discussion Pat. I look forward to putting it to use.
Great video Pat, I really enjoy your still of explaining the techniques. Actually read all the comments as well and just finished watching less crowded spots for sheepshead fishing. I’ll be reviewing these over the winter.
Good stuff Pat. Great info for beginners , old salts and everyone in-between. Thank you
Glad you liked it Larry!!
Great video! Here in NC the flounder season is extremely short (9/15-9/29) with 1 per person per day minimum 15″ TL. Because of this we usually opt for mud minnows and a fluke rig over artificials. however, I do like Z Man Doormatadorz, Fish Bites Dirty Boxers, and Gulp! Grub and Swimming Mullet
Thanks for the tips Lee!!
Great video Pat
Thanks Mark!
Thank you Pat !
Thanks for watching Terry!
Thanks Pat…excellent presentation.
Thank you so much William!
Thanks Pat. Things have changed over the years and with your help and teaching I will be putting more flounder in the boat! Thanks again and Tight Lines!
Let us know how it goes!!
really like
Thanks Ronald!!
Gulp or love mullet is the best I’ve tried ever lure u offer and not one fish sorry guys
Sorry to hear but that do work for sure! But keep on them!