As autumn's chill starts to put a nip in the air and the days grow shorter, flounder are beginning their yearly spawning run, making their way to the gulf through every waterway in the region. The fall flounder season is here again and according to fishing reports, this is shaping up to be an excellent season for Texas fishing if flounder are a favorite of yours.
Captain Skip James is a veteran guide who is enthralled with flounder in Sabine Lake. For years, James has studied the movements of flounder and the flounder run using telemetry devices. "We pattern the big females because a group of smaller males are always following them awaiting the drop of her eggs."
As a long time flounder expert, Captain James is as good as any fishing reports we've seen as far as Texas fishing for flounder is concerned, so it carries serious weight when he tells us "The flounder run's actually at about the halfway point right now and will peak very soon. It typically starts in mid September and ends in mid December." While the flounder make their way to the gulf's deep waters, things are pretty easy for the experienced angler. "I just use a 4" bayside speck grub - it's all I need and we've been landing flounder up to 6 pounds. If the rest of the run is this good, it'll go down as one of the best years I've ever seen," says James.
No less of a Texas fishing authority than Galveston's Phil Ortiz, inventor of the "Flounder Pounder" tells us to ignore the common thinking on the flounder run and get out on the water ASAP. "It's not only the temperature that tells the flounder it's time to spawn. As the days get shorter, they start to move to the gulf. It does pick up after the first cold snap, but I know I'm landing plenty of flounder already."
Phil Ortiz prefers to use artificial for the pancake predators. "Over the years, I got tired of flounder short striking them." This ignited Ortiz's designing of a lure called the "Flounder Pounder".
Another Galveston angler, Jeff Boudreaux is one of the rare year round flounder fishermen. In the fall, Boudreaux likes to get in on the excitement of the flounder run, employing the kind of pitching techniques most anglers use for bass in stick beds. As he tells us with a grin, "If it's good enough for bass, it's good enough for flounder. Once I feel that first thump, I set the hook as fast as possible."
Boudreaux also chooses soft plastics for flounder, reporting particularly good results with the Brown's Corky Devil. This suspended bait helped him land a 7 lb flounder just last week and confirmed this as his lure of choice.
"When you're looking at autumn Texas fishing, you can't do better for flounder than the Galveston Channel or Sea World Park Flat," says Boudreaux. He adds that live bait anglers will probably want to use mid minnows or finger mullet on a Carolina jig for the flounder run.
Lower coast angler, Cody Stripling exclusively targets flounder on the waters of the Lower Laguna Madre. Launching from Port Mansfield, Stripling works grassy structure and areas adjacent to deep water within his boat using a trolling motor.
Like other Texas fishing enthusiasts in the area, he tells us that things are slow in the Lower Laguna Madre right now, but he expects that things will take off quickly once the weather turns a little cooler.
"Grassy points, guts, and drop offs along deeper water like the ICW are my primary focus during the run," states Stripling. "The water on the Lower Laguna Madre is very clear and it allows us to really see distinct areas adjacent to deeper water that really hold flounder. Pitch baits on the pockets and points along the edge and you will catch flounder."
"All you need for flounder is a soft plastic lure and a quarter ounce lead head. It's really pretty easy," says Stripling. "I just work my bait with a basic bass retrieve. I bump them on the bottom, wait a few seconds and repeat - works like a charm.
Captain Skip James is a veteran guide who is enthralled with flounder in Sabine Lake. For years, James has studied the movements of flounder and the flounder run using telemetry devices. "We pattern the big females because a group of smaller males are always following them awaiting the drop of her eggs."
As a long time flounder expert, Captain James is as good as any fishing reports we've seen as far as Texas fishing for flounder is concerned, so it carries serious weight when he tells us "The flounder run's actually at about the halfway point right now and will peak very soon. It typically starts in mid September and ends in mid December." While the flounder make their way to the gulf's deep waters, things are pretty easy for the experienced angler. "I just use a 4" bayside speck grub - it's all I need and we've been landing flounder up to 6 pounds. If the rest of the run is this good, it'll go down as one of the best years I've ever seen," says James.
No less of a Texas fishing authority than Galveston's Phil Ortiz, inventor of the "Flounder Pounder" tells us to ignore the common thinking on the flounder run and get out on the water ASAP. "It's not only the temperature that tells the flounder it's time to spawn. As the days get shorter, they start to move to the gulf. It does pick up after the first cold snap, but I know I'm landing plenty of flounder already."
Phil Ortiz prefers to use artificial for the pancake predators. "Over the years, I got tired of flounder short striking them." This ignited Ortiz's designing of a lure called the "Flounder Pounder".
Another Galveston angler, Jeff Boudreaux is one of the rare year round flounder fishermen. In the fall, Boudreaux likes to get in on the excitement of the flounder run, employing the kind of pitching techniques most anglers use for bass in stick beds. As he tells us with a grin, "If it's good enough for bass, it's good enough for flounder. Once I feel that first thump, I set the hook as fast as possible."
Boudreaux also chooses soft plastics for flounder, reporting particularly good results with the Brown's Corky Devil. This suspended bait helped him land a 7 lb flounder just last week and confirmed this as his lure of choice.
"When you're looking at autumn Texas fishing, you can't do better for flounder than the Galveston Channel or Sea World Park Flat," says Boudreaux. He adds that live bait anglers will probably want to use mid minnows or finger mullet on a Carolina jig for the flounder run.
Lower coast angler, Cody Stripling exclusively targets flounder on the waters of the Lower Laguna Madre. Launching from Port Mansfield, Stripling works grassy structure and areas adjacent to deep water within his boat using a trolling motor.
Like other Texas fishing enthusiasts in the area, he tells us that things are slow in the Lower Laguna Madre right now, but he expects that things will take off quickly once the weather turns a little cooler.
"Grassy points, guts, and drop offs along deeper water like the ICW are my primary focus during the run," states Stripling. "The water on the Lower Laguna Madre is very clear and it allows us to really see distinct areas adjacent to deeper water that really hold flounder. Pitch baits on the pockets and points along the edge and you will catch flounder."
"All you need for flounder is a soft plastic lure and a quarter ounce lead head. It's really pretty easy," says Stripling. "I just work my bait with a basic bass retrieve. I bump them on the bottom, wait a few seconds and repeat - works like a charm.
About the Author:
Captain Kyle Tomek is a Texas Gulf Coast fishing guide who submits featured Texas fishing reports to Texas FishCast. You can submit Texas fishing reports through your Facebook account to Texas FishCast. You can share pictures and videos and tag your fishing buddies for everyone to see.
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