It was not the perfect day by any stretch of the imagination. A front had just passed and
we had high, blue skies and a 15kt north east wind. It was a “fun trip” with my wife and a family friend, and they both wanted
to catch flounder. Another group had left earlier to drift finger mullet near the inlet.We waited until 2 hours before high
tide and headed out to a large marsh not too far from the inlet. We worked oyster bars, points, and creek mouths with plastics. We fished through the high tide and into a couple of hours of the falling. Our final score was a nice 22 inch puppy drum and
5 flounder between 15 and 19 inches. Not bad for a few hours on what would normally be a tough day for fishing. Our friends
that went to the inlet caught a couple of small fish, but had to contend with the crowds and traffic of the inlet. We
fished by ourselves.
The key to what we did is that we fished the feeding grounds. Though it is true
that a lot of flounder are caught in deep water (over 8 feet) I believe that for the most part flounder feed where the bait is, which
is in shallow water around structure. A lot of flounder can be caught in 30 inches of water or less. This is where the
food is, if you don’t believe me go out to a marsh during the summer and look around. You will see mud minnows, shrimp, finger
mullet, small crabs, and marine worms.
When fishing these shallow water areas it pays to concentrate
your efforts in the most productive spots. A big marsh or flat can be a little overwhelming, but if you break it down to look
for specific features it becomes a very manageable place to fish. Current is very important and plays a key role in flounder
fishing. Flounder will hide on the bottom facing into the current waiting to ambush food. While fishing, concentrate on
small creeks opening into the marsh (there are often sand bars at the mouths), oyster bars, irregular shore line, and isolated marsh
islands. Your presentation should be with the current. Size your jigs to match the depth and bottom and be ready to loose
some jig heads to the oysters.
Tight lines - Capt. Steve C. Boykin, III