Flounder

Live baits are most productive, especially killifish (bull minnows), 3-5 inch finger mullet, live shrimp, and small pinfish or grunts. Hook killifish through the mouth and out the nostrils to keep them alive.

Spring and fall provide the best flounder fishing in Florida, with spring being when they move back inshore and fall offering excellent action before the spawning closure. They inhabit shallow coastal waters during warmer months, moving to deeper offshore waters during fall and winter.

Anchor uptide of structure and drift baits back naturally, or drift open flats while bouncing jigs along the bottom. When a flounder strikes, wait 3-4 seconds before setting the hook to allow them to fully take the bait. A tandem rig with both a jig and upper hook often outproduces single lures.

They feed opportunistically on small baitfish including killifish, finger mullet, sardines, pinfish, grunts, and crustaceans like shrimp and crabs.

Gulf Flounder are the only species ranging along the entire Florida coast and are most common on the west coast. Southern Flounder are found north of the Loxahatchee River on the Atlantic coast and north of the Caloosahatchee River on the Gulf coast, being the most commonly caught species on the east coast.