oh my... I *just* saved almost all of the previous thread from 2007 onward 
good stuff, Fred!!!
good stuff, Fred!!!
A new Summer Flounder thread.
Just think. Somewhere offshore the summer flounder are already getting ready to make their turn inshore. In about six weeks we can expect them to start moving into our southern back bays.
I'm here at the dock every day tieing rigs and pulling my nets and watching the waters. I'm lucky because I never feel that far removed from the salt. This was my rough time when I lived back in Philly. Felt so far away and disconnected. The one thing that got me through the end of winter was reading about fishing and trying to pick up a few tidbits of information that could help me when it finally started. Thats whats great about the Barn. Gives us the perfect platform to recharge the batteries. Lets go.
Probably the best place to start when talking about flounder is to examine the fish itself. Strange dude all flat with bulgy eyes and white side on dirty bottom and darkside under clear water. Sometimes it makes you wonder what Mother Nature was thinking when she knocked the flounder out into the oceans. I think it was to make the nastiest predator to prowl our waters.
I consider myself very lucky to have had summer flounder in my saltwater aquariums every year since 1979. Over thirty years of watching them and to this day they still impress the hell out of me and teach me somthing new every year. Of all the fish I have had none have shown me the ability to set up and feed like the flounder. No bluefish, weakie or striper have the ability to make the attack that a flounder can generate. Hands down they are simply the best I have ever seen.
Most fish are school fish. Sure there are some big fish that prefer to travel alone but for the most part they school up to chase and overwhelm schools of baitfish and also for protection. No matter how big they are they have been programmed since hatching that there is safety in numbers. But not the flounder. They travel a different path.
Sure they will school up when migrating out or when it's time to mate but for the most part they do better alone. A large food supply will produce schools but even then it's because of the amount of food. Not because large numbers gives them an advantage. Flounder are the ultimate underwater sniper and snipers work alone.
Think of a large school of fish as an army. To feed that army you need an army of smaller fish. The army has to travel to find that source of food and stay with it to keep eating or find another. A thousand blues, weakies or stripers need numbers of targets to attack. A single fish or shrimp isn't going to do that army any good in it's search for food. Enter the flounder.
So perfect in design. Unmatched in camouflage ability. Equal to the most aggressive predator and a mouth full of some of the sharpest teeth in our waters. The end result is the simple fact that the summer flounder is the perfect predator. Thirty years of aquariums and nothing I have seen from other fish can sway my opinion.
Camouflage. They don't do it on purpose. They can't decide what markings they need to blend in with their surroundings. They aren't that smart. It's a natural ability triggered by eye to brain that automatically changes cells in the skin to mimic their surroundings. Once they settle down they look like nothing more than a slight bump on the bottom. So well does this tactic work that crabs, shrimp and even baitfish will walk, crawl and swim right up to their mouth. No sense of danger at all until it's too late. Where a thousand fish won't look at a single grass shrimp a flounder is more than happy to open it's mouth and inhale it. A baby crab, snack. A baitfish, lunch and the flounder may never have had to move anything more than it's mouth. If you want to talk about fuel economy then tip your cap to the flounder. Not many fish can get so much out of so little with even less effort.
God it feels good to be writing about flounder again. Get into some more interesting stuff tomorrow. Right now I have to go to our front door and shake my fish at the snow.
I'm here at the dock every day tieing rigs and pulling my nets and watching the waters. I'm lucky because I never feel that far removed from the salt. This was my rough time when I lived back in Philly. Felt so far away and disconnected. The one thing that got me through the end of winter was reading about fishing and trying to pick up a few tidbits of information that could help me when it finally started. Thats whats great about the Barn. Gives us the perfect platform to recharge the batteries. Lets go.
Probably the best place to start when talking about flounder is to examine the fish itself. Strange dude all flat with bulgy eyes and white side on dirty bottom and darkside under clear water. Sometimes it makes you wonder what Mother Nature was thinking when she knocked the flounder out into the oceans. I think it was to make the nastiest predator to prowl our waters.
I consider myself very lucky to have had summer flounder in my saltwater aquariums every year since 1979. Over thirty years of watching them and to this day they still impress the hell out of me and teach me somthing new every year. Of all the fish I have had none have shown me the ability to set up and feed like the flounder. No bluefish, weakie or striper have the ability to make the attack that a flounder can generate. Hands down they are simply the best I have ever seen.
Most fish are school fish. Sure there are some big fish that prefer to travel alone but for the most part they school up to chase and overwhelm schools of baitfish and also for protection. No matter how big they are they have been programmed since hatching that there is safety in numbers. But not the flounder. They travel a different path.
Sure they will school up when migrating out or when it's time to mate but for the most part they do better alone. A large food supply will produce schools but even then it's because of the amount of food. Not because large numbers gives them an advantage. Flounder are the ultimate underwater sniper and snipers work alone.
Think of a large school of fish as an army. To feed that army you need an army of smaller fish. The army has to travel to find that source of food and stay with it to keep eating or find another. A thousand blues, weakies or stripers need numbers of targets to attack. A single fish or shrimp isn't going to do that army any good in it's search for food. Enter the flounder.
So perfect in design. Unmatched in camouflage ability. Equal to the most aggressive predator and a mouth full of some of the sharpest teeth in our waters. The end result is the simple fact that the summer flounder is the perfect predator. Thirty years of aquariums and nothing I have seen from other fish can sway my opinion.
Camouflage. They don't do it on purpose. They can't decide what markings they need to blend in with their surroundings. They aren't that smart. It's a natural ability triggered by eye to brain that automatically changes cells in the skin to mimic their surroundings. Once they settle down they look like nothing more than a slight bump on the bottom. So well does this tactic work that crabs, shrimp and even baitfish will walk, crawl and swim right up to their mouth. No sense of danger at all until it's too late. Where a thousand fish won't look at a single grass shrimp a flounder is more than happy to open it's mouth and inhale it. A baby crab, snack. A baitfish, lunch and the flounder may never have had to move anything more than it's mouth. If you want to talk about fuel economy then tip your cap to the flounder. Not many fish can get so much out of so little with even less effort.
God it feels good to be writing about flounder again. Get into some more interesting stuff tomorrow. Right now I have to go to our front door and shake my fish at the snow.
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THE WATER TEMPERATURE RANGED FROM 58-68 DEGREES TODAY.
You have me looking forward to your annual opening day tournament. Speaking with a few dudes at the moment that are interested in fishing it. Would you consider adding a heaviest stringer category? If not, would you consider increasing the amount of flounder to be weighed to at lest 6?
Will spin it past Mike but I doubt it. We try to gear this to cover everyone and some guys like to fish alone or with one other person. It's been working well so far but will let Mike make the final decision.![]()
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THE WATER TEMPERATURE RANGED FROM 58-68 DEGREES TODAY.
You have me looking forward to your annual opening day tournament. Speaking with a few dudes at the moment that are interested in fishing it. Would you consider adding a heaviest stringer category? If not, would you consider increasing the amount of flounder to be weighed to at lest 6?
Want to get an idea how a flounder hunts and feeds? Watch a cat. If a summer flounder had a long tail you could see it waggle back and forth with excitement.
Most other fish see their target and attack. Big fish usually has the advantage by attacking with speed. The only problem is that small fish can usually see the bigger fish and try to protect itself. Hide in cover or move to shallow water or just make one good move to make the bigger fish miss and loose sight. Enter the flounder.
What could be more effective than looking like the bottom spending little energy other than breathing and being able to choose just about any meal you want as it walks, crawls or swims right by you. That is how the flounder has an advantage over just about any other predator in our waters. If you understand how the flounder hunts and attacks you can understand just how much presentation can mean when fishing for them.
Again to the cat. Ever watch one hunt. Sneaky and calculating. You can see in their eyes that they are processing all they need to do to make the kill. Not very often you will see a cat just charge in. Get as close as possible to eliminate the chance of a miss and attack when the target isn't expecting. Same as a flounder. I will say that in our aquarium that whatever a flounder decides to attack has no idea what is happening about 90% of the time and maybe even higher than that. It is so lopsided that it makes me wonder why nature has given one fish such an advantage.
A flounder has both eyes on top of it's head. A flounder spends most of it's time laying on the bottom. However a flounder isn't that well suited to hunt directly on the bottom. Picking up a target on the bottom is like us trying to focus on the ends of our nose. Eyes almost cross and vision blurs. For a flounder to hunt efectively on the bottom it needs to keep it's target about six inches in front of it. Closer than that gives the advantage to the target. I've seen flounder actually back up from grass shrimp to try to get them at their lethal strike distance. Perfect hunting for a flounder is if it's target is moving a few inches to a few feet off the bottom. You will get more strikes lifting your bait up and down off the bottom. Just dragging you rigs across the bottom will result in fewer strikes.
With it's camouflage ability the flounder has the ability of actually being able to move very close to a target and check it out before deciding to attack. Ever see a cat move in and get all ready to strike then change it's posture. Relaxes and curls it's tail around it's body. Decision was made not to attck. Same with a flounder. Strike position looking like it's ready then will just lay flat and let the target pass by. When you can have anything you want there isn't a need to have everything. If something doesn't look right the flounder just won't budge.
Ever fish an area that you swear should have lounder but you can't get a bite? We hear it all. Water was cold or hot and better yet the flounder just weren't there. Rethink the problem and include, my presentation wasn't good enough. Flounder never have to go hungry. They can eat all day long if they want to. So much food in their kitchen that they can grow fat hardly ever having to move very far. If we remember that the bottom of most of our waters especially back bays are saturated with just about everything a lounder eats. I believe their major diet consists of grass shrimp and small crabs. Will jump all over a small fish if it happens into their range but grass shrimp and crabs make up the main source. Just look at the bottom of your cooler at the end of a day of flounder fishing. Most time flounder will regurgatate their stomach contents after being caught. Coolers can be covered with grass shrimp.
Always remember that we could be fishing or a flounder that just isn't all that hungry. We need to do everything possible to not only make a good presentation but to also make our bait look like the easiest meal the flounder has ever gone after. We want a happy meal right on the table in front of it. Speaking of happy meals. I'm heading up to Sam's Pizza on the Boardwalk in about five minutes for a slice. Next will be what is a happy meal for a flounder.
Most other fish see their target and attack. Big fish usually has the advantage by attacking with speed. The only problem is that small fish can usually see the bigger fish and try to protect itself. Hide in cover or move to shallow water or just make one good move to make the bigger fish miss and loose sight. Enter the flounder.
What could be more effective than looking like the bottom spending little energy other than breathing and being able to choose just about any meal you want as it walks, crawls or swims right by you. That is how the flounder has an advantage over just about any other predator in our waters. If you understand how the flounder hunts and attacks you can understand just how much presentation can mean when fishing for them.
Again to the cat. Ever watch one hunt. Sneaky and calculating. You can see in their eyes that they are processing all they need to do to make the kill. Not very often you will see a cat just charge in. Get as close as possible to eliminate the chance of a miss and attack when the target isn't expecting. Same as a flounder. I will say that in our aquarium that whatever a flounder decides to attack has no idea what is happening about 90% of the time and maybe even higher than that. It is so lopsided that it makes me wonder why nature has given one fish such an advantage.
A flounder has both eyes on top of it's head. A flounder spends most of it's time laying on the bottom. However a flounder isn't that well suited to hunt directly on the bottom. Picking up a target on the bottom is like us trying to focus on the ends of our nose. Eyes almost cross and vision blurs. For a flounder to hunt efectively on the bottom it needs to keep it's target about six inches in front of it. Closer than that gives the advantage to the target. I've seen flounder actually back up from grass shrimp to try to get them at their lethal strike distance. Perfect hunting for a flounder is if it's target is moving a few inches to a few feet off the bottom. You will get more strikes lifting your bait up and down off the bottom. Just dragging you rigs across the bottom will result in fewer strikes.
With it's camouflage ability the flounder has the ability of actually being able to move very close to a target and check it out before deciding to attack. Ever see a cat move in and get all ready to strike then change it's posture. Relaxes and curls it's tail around it's body. Decision was made not to attck. Same with a flounder. Strike position looking like it's ready then will just lay flat and let the target pass by. When you can have anything you want there isn't a need to have everything. If something doesn't look right the flounder just won't budge.
Ever fish an area that you swear should have lounder but you can't get a bite? We hear it all. Water was cold or hot and better yet the flounder just weren't there. Rethink the problem and include, my presentation wasn't good enough. Flounder never have to go hungry. They can eat all day long if they want to. So much food in their kitchen that they can grow fat hardly ever having to move very far. If we remember that the bottom of most of our waters especially back bays are saturated with just about everything a lounder eats. I believe their major diet consists of grass shrimp and small crabs. Will jump all over a small fish if it happens into their range but grass shrimp and crabs make up the main source. Just look at the bottom of your cooler at the end of a day of flounder fishing. Most time flounder will regurgatate their stomach contents after being caught. Coolers can be covered with grass shrimp.
Always remember that we could be fishing or a flounder that just isn't all that hungry. We need to do everything possible to not only make a good presentation but to also make our bait look like the easiest meal the flounder has ever gone after. We want a happy meal right on the table in front of it. Speaking of happy meals. I'm heading up to Sam's Pizza on the Boardwalk in about five minutes for a slice. Next will be what is a happy meal for a flounder.
Wont be long Now
Another great post Fred, I can relate to your pain living in PA, maybe I'll be fortunate enough to retire closer to the salt when the kids grow up.:thumbsup:
I have been reading your posts for close to 10 years now and have learned alot of your tips and tricks that have really improved my flounder fishing abilities. As you continue to observe and learn about the habits and hunting style of flounder, we keep learning from your insights you share with us at the barn. Thanks for sharing:wave:
Even though I still have prob a foot of snow in the front yard, I know spring is right around the corner with the stronger February sun and longer days are sure signs of spring
Another great post Fred, I can relate to your pain living in PA, maybe I'll be fortunate enough to retire closer to the salt when the kids grow up.:thumbsup:
I have been reading your posts for close to 10 years now and have learned alot of your tips and tricks that have really improved my flounder fishing abilities. As you continue to observe and learn about the habits and hunting style of flounder, we keep learning from your insights you share with us at the barn. Thanks for sharing:wave:
Even though I still have prob a foot of snow in the front yard, I know spring is right around the corner with the stronger February sun and longer days are sure signs of spring
love reading the post.. best way to get past the summer is read freds post or even talk to the guy
Where is the map of the secret spots???lol
You going to be here on Wednesday morning?Where is the map of the secret spots???lol
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