Winter Flounder Fishing
For you who are bored with winter weather and ready to begin fishing, ice fishing is usually a good possibility. New England residents have a host of opportunities almost literally right outside the back door. Fishermen can catch striped bass as early as March, and April brings the chance to fish for fluke (also called winter flounder). Bass and fluke are more plentiful this time of year because they reproduce alongside the coastline.
Modern restrictions have newly been placed on winter flounder owing in large part to over-harvesting and incompatible reproduction habitats. These restrictions have shortened winter flounder season to just 6 or 8 weeks, but this still offers plenty of time for a great winter fluke season.
Unlike summer flounder, you can easily fish for winter flounder with relatively light line (8-12 lbs) and a rod as small as six or seven feet will be adequate. Remember, these fish only range from 2-3 lbs each. Crafting a rig for winter flounder can be as simple or as complicated as you care to make it. Regardless, you’ll have great success provided you use the smaller hooks that are an essential component of successfully fishing for winter flounder. Small hooks and weights (to keep bait at the bottom) help accommodate both the habitat where you’ll find winter flounder and their small, nearly toothless mouths.
The next step is for you to intermix yellow grubs or beads (attached to the shaft) with bait for winter flounder, and winter flounder rigs are easily recognizable by their bright yellow bait. No matter whether you decide to fish with mussel, sandworms or bloodworms, bright yellow rigs attract winter flounder with tremendous success.
You should consider chumming when fishing for winter flounder. This is the same whether you’re anchored or you’re fishing from the shoreline. Chumming can help attract full schools of winter flounder and it’s easy to find chum pots. After picking up your chum pots at your local bait and tackle shop, you’ll have all the tools you need to make the most of your winter flounder fishing. Simply tie the pot to a fixed area near the shore or attach it to your boat and before you know it you’ll have plenty of winter flounder available.
If you prefer to fish with more than dual rods, one can be cast in the same direction as the current, while another can be set alongside the chum pot. This is a very resourceful way for you to maximize your fishing expedition and the equipment itself, a plus for any fisherman on any trip.
Winter flounder have a habit of gathering together in areas where they can find food in abundance, so it is likely that you will catch a bunch of them in somewhat shallow water. As a rule of thumb, the more shallow the water, the warmer it will be, and therefore the more abundant the fluke’s food source. Consequently, you can usually find a school of winter flounder near an area of sand and gravel that easily becomes to mud on a regular basis.
Fishing for winter flounder is an extraordinary way for you to enjoy fishing during the long and bitter winter months, especially for saltwater fishermen. These palate-pleasing fish are also an exceptional means of restocking your freezer between fishing seasons.
When fishing for winter flounder you want to make sure that you have the proper equipment, some products to consider are Shimano Reels and Penn Reels Fishing.
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