Fishing for flounder is popular in St. Joseph Bay. Flounder can be caught throughout the year. Most anglers fish on the bottom with bull minnows, pinfish and shrimp, although, bull minnows are considered the top bait by most anglers.
How to Catch Flounder
Summer Flounder inhabit coastal and estuarine waters during the spring, summer and fall months, then they move to offshore waters during the winter. Most summer flounder are between 2 – 4 pounds, although 15 – 20 pound fish are not uncommon. Winter Flounder spend the summer offshore in deeper waters, then they come back into the shallow coastal estuaries, rivers and bays during the winter.
A single hook bottom rig is really all you need to catch flounder. They are bottom feeders so a heavy sinker is a must for fishing deeper water. In shallower water, you can get away with lighter weights, but you should still keep your baits on or near the bottom for the best results. Many flounder are caught offshore anywhere from 20 to 60 feet of water, but most anglers target flounder inshore in the bays, lagoons, passes, tidal creeks, around piers, bridges, docks and even on the beaches. Live baits are the way to go if you want to consistently put flounder in the boat. Bull minnows, pinfish, finger mullet and live shrimp work well for flounder.
More Flounder Fishing Resources
- Visit our Flounder Fishing Home Page
- Flounder Fishing Basics
- Fishing Rigs for Flounder
- Live Baits for Flounder
