Sometimes it’s OK to just flounder a little

On Sunday, I went fishing by myself. Brody, the amazing fishing-finding and stock-trading dog, is still on hiatus after his GameStop windfall.  After a couple of weeks without Brody on the boat I miss him, but I am beginning to adjust.  

 

Adjustment No. 1 – No tunes when fishing. Brody’s Spotify playlist has two songs. “Who Let the Dogs Out” by Baha Men and “Feels Good to be Me” by Uncle Kracker.  I love both songs, but they can get old after hours of fishing. Especially, when Brody sings along.

He can find fish and trade stocks, but he can’t carry a tune.  

 

Adjustment No. 2 – I can fish for flounder again. Last summer, a flounder bit Brody on the lip.  Ever since, flounder kind of weird him out.  

 

So, on Sunday, my target species was flounder. I launched the Pathfinder into the last half of the falling tide and concentrated my effort in the mouth of small creeks. This time of year, flounder return to the estuary from their offshore spawning grounds. They are aggregate in the mouth of small creeks and feast on minnows when the tide falls.  

 

Flounder like lures with a little chartreuse in them. My favorite is a Z-Man Finesse TRD in the Hot Snakes color. 

 

For me, flounder fishing is a run and gun game. You have to hit a lot of creek mouths before you find the one where the flounder are holding. Especially, when your fish-finding dog is not on the boat. Typically, I only make five to 10 casts into each creek mouth. No bites. Off to the next creek mouth.

 

Important to note that our flounder stocks are at historical lows. Biologists at the Department of Natural Resources tell me that a reduction in creel limits (the number of flounder you are allowed to keep) is needed.  

 

When you locate the creek mouth where the flounder are holding, you will catch a bunch of them. On Sunday, I kept one to terrorize Brody and eat for dinner. All the rest were released.  

 

Contact Captain Greg Peralta at captgregp@gmail.com or call (843) 224-0099.