Q&A for How to Fish for Flounder

A medium minnow is 2-3 inches long. If it's smaller, it's a small minnow, and if it's larger, it's a large minnow.

Yes, I've caught plenty of fish doing this. Use a 1/4-ounce jig head and hop it off the bottom. They like to hit on the hop, so be ready!

Work the banks. Flounder prefer cover, so dropping it off the bottom and moving it along the pilings of the pier is a good idea.

Drag netting techniques, especially at the commercial scale (trawling), are responsible for significant damage to seafloor ecosystems. Use of such a net poses ethical and environmental problems.

Yes, most fish love mackerel because it is very oily, however I personally prefer surf clams or Gulp artificial bait. I've had a lot of success with these.

Medium, because large ones are too big and small ones don't offer enough food to be bait.

They can lay in mud as well as hiding out in sandy bottoms.

I recommend that you fish any bottom structures, i.e. rocks and wrecks. All fish love structures. Make sure you use a fluorocarbon leader though, since flounder have teeth and rocks can fray lines very easily.

Yes. Sole, Pacific Sand dab and Staryu flounder abound in the Puget Sound. I have had the most luck in inlets and where small streams or creeks dump in. Sandy bottom helps your chances.

Yes. They also love live shrimp, and it’s not as much work to catch them with live bait!

You probably could catch a few if during the drift it is dragged directly in front of the flounder/fluke's face, but there is a much higher chance of catching flounder if you use a proper bait meant for that purpose.

Seawolf Park is probably the best, although it gets full of people at night and during the flounder migration.

This is the night method in knee- to waist-deep water. A sandy bottom will support your weight best. Hold the light at an angle pointed down, as the flounder's eyes may be the only part visible. Look for two bumps a few inches apart, and when you spear it, aim for between the eyes. Hold the spear a foot or two above the bottom so the tip won't have far to travel. Important: Be aware of any shark activity in the area, as spearing will cause blood to be released into the water and the shark can sense this.

Both should work pretty well, but I use a D.O.A C.A.L white jerkbait on a red jig head. Bounce the jig along the bottom and wait for a strike.

Use a Carolina or high/low rig to get down to the bottom. Reel in a few times after your hook has hit the bottom to make sure flounder can see your bait.

Panhandle on the west coast and Daytona Beach to Jacksonville coastline.

Blue work well because it blends in with the natural color of the line. The flounder can't see it because they are practically blind.

It depends on the water temperature and weather. And hope the best to catch a big one. Also, you might want to fish on a boat you can also drop-shot.