Now is the time to catch the superb-eating Gulf Flounder on the unforgettable coast of Florida. Wintertime angling for flounder is loads of fun and you can come join the quest. The secret to successfully targeting these flavorful flatfish is simple. Fish where the fish are! Seriously, let’s briefly analyze some productive winter tactics that will put dinner plates on your dinner plates.

Gulf flounder are referred to by many different names around my small puddle. Colloquial names include sole, flatfish, southern flounder and lefteye flounder. The right eye migrates over to the left side early in life. These fish are dark brown on top with a snow-white underbelly. They are bottom dwellers and feed primarily on small fish and crustaceans. They spawn in winter and can be found inshore in tidal creeks and bays on mud and sandy bottoms.

Flounder are masters of ambush. They lie motionless, embedded and camouflaged on the bottom, awaiting unsuspecting prey to swim by and whammo! A slow, deliberate retrieve along the bottom will maximize your bites. When you feel your line come tight or simply tap-tap, raise your wrists sharply in a rapid upward movement to set the hook. Flounder are famous for following a bait up to the boat, while just mouthing it. They often shake free right at the boat, so keep your long-handle dipnet at the ready. The minimum size is 12 inches overall and the bag limit is 10 per angler per day. Flounder gigging is legal, but that is a story for another day.

Although flounder will strike artificials like jigs, live bait is far more effective if one is in a catch and fillet mode, as opposed to CPR, catch, photo and release. My best experiences for customers have been with small, frisky live shrimp, mudminnows(killifish) and finger mullet. A combination of these top-notch offerings is optimal.

What about tackle? My favorite rigs include 8 pound class spinners on fast taper, fast action graphite sticks. Sensitivity matters while flattie fishing. That’s why the girls sometimes outfish the guys for flounder. As always, fluorocarbon leaders will outfish mono. Use the lightest egg sinker necessary to stay on bottom with the current. Small circle hooks, stick in your thumbnail sharp out of the box, sizes #1 or smaller depending on your bait size, will score more fish.

Where to fish? Specifically, under the bridge passes of the Apalachicola and Saint George Island bridges. Try the jetties of the Bob Sikes Cut. The mouths of any of the major rivers that flow into the Apalachicola Bay are prime target areas. Any major creeks that are tidal and have good current with the tide changes will hold fish. Wintertime North winds make creek fishing more comfortable.

Try my favorite flounder recipe. Gut and thoroughly scale the fish, both sides. With a razor-sharp fillet knife, on the top side only, score the fish horizontally and vertically in a tic-tac pattern. Over low heat on your grill, baste fish liberally with a baste of real butter, real lemon juice and real garlic, until white and flaky. Just add your favorite California white, Earl Klugh on the Bose and candles. Don’t forget sensitivity matters! Play your cards just right and if you are lucky, she might take you fishing next time.

Until next tide, tight lines and solid hookups,

Captain Alex Crawford
Proud Member Florida Outdoor Writers Association
Proud Member Florida Guides Association