How to Fish For Fluke
Flounder, a breed of flat fish with an attitude not soon to be forgotten, are a prime catch for fishermen. Experts at hiding, they are so fast and stealthy that you may mistake them for a mere shadow. There are very few east coast fishermen who do not take pleasure in fishing for fluke. These flavorsome white fish are not only pleasing to the palate but also are tremendous fighters, creating a memorable fishing experience.
You can find flounder near the shoreline around the month of May in the northeastern part of the United States. In most cases, the warmer the water is, the better the chance that they will be around, probably cruising for their favorite foods, like sand eels, squid, and other baitfish. You can usually catch fluke in shallow beach waters, bays, and the mouths of tidal rivers. When summer reaches its peak, you can catch flounder around 30 to 120 feet from the shoreline, as they enjoy water that is comfortably warm but where food is effortlessly obtainable. In cool weather, you can find them somewhat closer to the shoreline. During the later fall months you can easily find them making their yearly trip to the warmer Atlantic coastal waters, since fluke do not like the northeast’s unforgiving winters.
Every fisherman varies their approach to fluke fishing. Much of this is dependent on water depth. Shallow water fishing (early season and late season) will allow you to start close to the beach in depths as low as 20 feet (or less). Conventional tackle or a spinning rod can be used. Jigs can be tipped with squid and the bet ones are usually in the one to four ounce range. You can deploy these rigs straight down from your boat (which should be drifting). If your jig is not heavy enough it will not come in contact with the waterbed where fluke are feeding. A jig that is of the proper weight to sink to the bottom will ensure that you have a successful fishing trip.
How you control the jig is very important, and this should be done by making use of the boat’s drifting motion to indicate when to lift and drop the jig. You can raise the jig 1-2 feet from the waterbed by merely tweaking the tip of the rod. Drop the jig little by little to attract the most attention.
If that method is not working, you can always use the snap method, which is effective when dealing with a school of lazy fish since it catches their attention. The snap method is very straightforward, you simply allow the line to hit the bottom of the waterbed and then snap it back. Allow the line to go slack, and it will most certainly catch the attention of even the laziest fluke.
After catching that first fluke, try to make note of where you are at and what equipment you are using. Triangulation is an effective method of pinpointing your location, and using a GPS system is the easiest method of notating position. GPS systems are also virtually indispensable when you are attempting to locate a school of fluke.
When the season starts to get hot, fluke will begin to stray from the shoreline. At this point, you’ll probably need to swap over to target fishing. This calls for spinner rigs, which are enjoyable to create, but they can also be found in high-quality bait and tackle shops. You’ll likely decide to try out a number of diverse pre-made spinners until you find your favorite. Once this is learned, you may even choose to design your own spinner rigs. Spinner rigs are not complex, and mostly consist of three eyes. The first and primary eye connects to the main line, eye two is attached via a sinker, and the final eye is connected to a leader.
By no means complicated, spinner rigs are made of three eyes in most cases. These eyes include the first—and chief—eye, which connects to the main line, a second eye two attached to a sinker, and a third eye connected by a leader. If you prefer to create a higher quality spinner, beads and a spinner blade are situated over the hook. Your favorite bait and sinkers help ensure that the line will drift in relation to the waterbed and develop a visual queue as the boat drifts by revolving the spinner blade in front of the hook. It should also generate a vibration that will catch the attention of the fluke.
On trips that you are trying to catch a larger number of fluke, it’s smart to utilize a mixture of techniques. Deeper water rigs can be helpful as the fluke migrate to the cooler waters later in the season. These rigs can allow you to catch fluke easily and quickly. Following these brief and easy tips can assure that you will at least know how to catch those tasty fluke.
In order to have a successful time fishing, you want to make sure you have the correct supplies. Some examples are Shimano Reel, Daiwa Fishing Reels, and Shimano Spinning Reel.















