Flounder Fishing Line Tips

Flounder linger near the bottom of a body of water.flounder image by Christian Schoettler from Fotolia.com

Flounder live in saltwater and can be found year-round in most spots in the U.S. However, depending on your region, there will be a few months every year when fishing for flounder is better than the rest of the year, usually during the fall for the warmer states and late summer for the colder states. Setting up your fishing line to catch flounder is important, as the process is different from many other ways to set up a line.

Line and Location

When feeding, flounder hang out at the bottom of the water under piers and between rocks, out of sight. The fish strike at passing food, so your line needs to be uninhibited and near the bottom. Your line equipment should consist of two hooks, a sinker and no bobber. The bobber will limit how deep your bait will go, and you want your bait lingering near the bottom, so take it off.

Flounder are intelligent fish that won't come out of their jetties if anything seems suspicious. Your line should have one hook at the end, another hook a few inches up the line and the sinker another few inches up. According to the Captain Dave website, the best combination of bait for flounder are strips of fresh squid and four- or five-inch pieces of other fish, such as minnows. Worms from the sea and clams are also popular options that tend to work. One piece of bait should go on one hook and one on the other. This will create an enticing rig for any flounder hiding in the depths. When baiting your hook, try to touch the bait as little as possible, because the fish will smell your scent on the food.

Drop the line--rigged with two hooks, a sinker and bait--into the bottom and pull tight. Keep the line drifting back and forth because the flounder tend to attack passing creatures. The temptation for any sort of bite is to immediately pull on the line to hook the fish, but with flounder, it's best to wait until the flounder swallows the bait and hook to ensure you catch the fish. In flounder fishing, it's important to keep moving. Spend a few minutes in each spot, then drift to another.