Lets talk flounder! and flounder reports.

Bigfish5

Ok,  its getting time for the flounder to move out of the river, and i am excited about it.   I went to Huguenot park on Sunday and threw my typical gulps with and without spinners and caught a big fat zero!    I fish for flounder from the bank since my boat is more suited for offshore and to much for anything but the river.   I only typically get to fish one day a week so i cannot keep up with the migration and it is always hit or miss for me it it seems.   Please use this thread to post reports on flounder and what area of the River they were caught.    I do not think anyone expects guys to share honeyholes, but it would be cool to at least know where in the river people are having success.    

I talked to a guy who said he caught 4 decent flounder in Nassau sound on Sunday, i got the big goose egg on sunday.

Lastly,   does everyone fish live bait only in the Fall for Flounder?   I usually do ok with grubs and gulps, and spinnerbaits on Flounder, but the last few trips it has been very slow for me.   I may have to start relying on the cast net,  any thoughts appreciated.   

Oh, yeh,  i got the new Lews Custom inshore casting reel this week.   I have caught nothing but bass in the local pond with it, but WOW, it is a nice reel.   Throws a mile and 20 pounds of drag, "which i will never need".   The dang thing is super low profile and only weighs 6 ounces.  Not advertising for Lews, but it is such a nice reel i had to mention it.  So far i highly recommend it if you are in the market.   

Sea-Squatch

The Flounder Pounder is coming up soon, so people might be a little quiet....

I throw Lews too, and love them.

wally910

I’ve heard it has been slow so far. I’m supposed o go Sunday and will post an update.

Bigfish5

i hope to go sunday also and will post a report.   Thinking of fishing the Nassau sound area by foot.   

ebirkitt

Went to Nassau Sound last week and got four flounder. They were small but keepers in the 13"+ range but they sure ate good. Fishing mud minnows around the docks.

7950

Bigfish5 said:

i hope to go sunday also and will post a report.   Thinking of fishing the Nassau sound area by foot.   

You need to come fish with the mayor. The flounder bite been good at high tide. Last week the tide was pretty much outgoing so it didn't work out in my favor but I catch 2 when the tide started to slow down. Heading to the bridge in the morning. Low tide at 9am at Nassau so it will be incoming tide fishing. If you walking by foot, might as well walk up to the bridge. I been catching them on finger mullet. Plenty of mullet on the bridge.

Sea-Squatch

I went yesterday to target flounder, and nothing. Started at Sis Creek area, and systematically hit spots all the way to the Mathews bridge. Used live mullet and soft plastics.

Morocco_madness

Flounder fishing hasn't been very good in Mayport. I'm getting some but it's about as slow going as I've seen here. We usually get a lot of good fish all Summer long in waves coming into the river. This year, The fish are scarce. Granted I haven't been targeting them exclusively as of yet but, it's really unusual to not be picking up good numbers of fish in the river this far into the season. I went out to Vilano and found some good ones around the Anastasia rocks and the old Vilano Bridge debris. Far as St. Johns River area, Zippo. We picked off some good fish in Nassau a few weeks ago but I haven't been back that direction since.

Morocco_madness

These were from Vilano last week. Not a lot of Flounder but 1 around 7 pounds.

wally910

Went to St Augustine this weekend and caught 10 or so small ones, 8 of which were legal, but none bigger than 14".

Sea Snake

The water salinity,  tells you all you need to know......tons of fresh water being washed right out of the inlet, certainly plays a big part......last year this time Mangos were thick too.

We caught nice flounder offshore during the snapper weekends......12 miles out.

just sayin'.....

HUNTINTHEWILD

Do you just fish the bridge or docks?  How deep of water?

Bigfish5

7950 said:

Bigfish5 said:

i hope to go sunday also and will post a report.   Thinking of fishing the Nassau sound area by foot.   

You need to come fish with the mayor. The flounder bite been good at high tide. Last week the tide was pretty much outgoing so it didn't work out in my favor but I catch 2 when the tide started to slow down. Heading to the bridge in the morning. Low tide at 9am at Nassau so it will be incoming tide fishing. If you walking by foot, might as well walk up to the bridge. I been catching them on finger mullet. Plenty of mullet on the bridge.

Hello Mayor,  I am interested.   I have caught a lot of flounder, but you seem to have them dialed in very nice.   I have a question though.   How do you get the flounder from the water up onto the bridge.  Do you use a pier net?         I may pm you to see when you are going to go again.

Dane

Bigfish5

HUNTINTHEWILD said:

Do you just fish the bridge or docks?  How deep of wate

I usually wade around and hit flats and docks.   did not have much luck on my last trip, but i may need to go to live bait instead of gulps, but i like to cast and cover a lot of ground.  

Bigfish5

Morocco_madness said:

These were from Vilano last week. Not a lot of Flounder but 1 around 7 pounds.

I would be happy only catching one flounder if it weighed 7 pounds .    Talking about the water salinity.   Are you saying that you think the fish have already headed offshore?    I know they are still up the river to some extent.   guy was saying he caught some up around orange park a few days ago.   

Jmacjjs

I'm seeing a lot of them in the creeks between JTB and the river.  Most of the ones I've caught in the creeks are in the 14" - 18" range.  A molting 4" gulp shrimp has done the best for me followed by a white curly tail gulp.

wally910

Sea Snake said:

The water salinity,  tells you all you need to know......tons of fresh water being washed right out of the inlet, certainly plays a big part......last year this time Mangos were thick too.

We caught nice flounder offshore during the snapper weekends......12 miles out.

just sayin'.....

I've heard the mangrove bite is starting to heat up in St. Augustine. Now I doubt they have the salinity issues that we have in the St. Johns, so maybe there is just something else going on that is causing the bite to be a bit later. I have heard the water temperature has been unusually high so perhaps that is playing a part in it.

HUNTINTHEWILD

Water temps are definitely higher!  I think it's hanging up the mullet run as well.  I live in Melbourne and we are yet to see the big packs of mullet.

Sea Snake

YES WALLY.....shorter inlet to the more salty sea water, so the mangos will definitely show up there usually before us.

The St Johns is dumping fresh water runoff from waaay down river.....just  a couple of weeks ago, I was told the water salinity was in the teens......around Jax, in the river......that's pretty fresh, plus it had been raining almost everyday...

It does have an effect.....hopefully it'll all straighten out pretty soon.....we'll see.

Morocco_madness

The Mangos are in Mayport area right now. Starting to catch some nice ones. Bigfish5, I honestly don't know what the story is with the Flounder. I have always found good fish scattered around Mayport this time of year. This year is an oddity for me. Vilano has plenty of them around, Nassau obviously does as well.

HUNTINTHEWILD

How long do the flounder stick around the St. Augustine/Vilano area?  My wife, my two boys, and I are coming December 6-9.  Boys are young and I would like to get them on some flounder, redfish, trout...

Morocco_madness

They're always there but the best time is right now on through November.

Bigfish5

I went to Nassau sound Sunday and fished off the beach on the North side of the bridge.  I have the family with me so we didnt go up on the pier.   I threw grubs with spinner, grub without, and live mullet and never caught a flounder.   Do not know how they did up on the bridge though.   All i have was a couple of ladyfish to show for the day.   There were a couple of locals fishing under the bridge also that have been fishing their for years.   One guy was friendly and told me about a 14 pound flounder he caught a few years back at that spot.   Maybe its the full moon or something.   I bet if i went to the fish Market they would not sell me a flounder!!!

Put this response here also. since were talking flounder.

Bigfish5

Morocco_madness said:

The Mangos are in Mayport area right now. Starting to catch some nice ones. Bigfish5, I honestly don't know what the story is with the Flounder. I have always found good fish scattered around Mayport this time of year. This year is an oddity for me. Vilano has plenty of them around, Nassau obviously does as well.

Well, i just hope they show up.   I bought an new rod a reel just for flounder and now i cannot find one to even break it in.

Morocco_madness

Stay at it, you'll find them. If you can, try to avoid high barometer days. They seem to shut down on high pressure. If you have to venture out on high bar days, get out early morning or later around magic hour. I haven't been after them since a week or so ago. I switched over to Sheepshead and Trout fishing until we get a good Northeaster. Once we get a good temperature drop, the Flounder will start moving.

Bigfish5

Morocco,  i will keep at it im sure,  i have this thing where the only fish I want to fish for inshore is flounder.   If i catch a red or trout that is cool, but i am only impressed by flounder.      I need to find a new area to fish of the bank for them.   i lost one of my favorite spots after the last storm.      I will keep my eye on the barometer now also.

Bigfish5

I went a terrible 2 for 6 on flounder the other day fishing around docks on heckscher,    The worst part is i lost a huge flounder when my knot separated where i attached my leader to the braid.     I am going again this afternoon, i will report.

chronicbreak

Bigfish5 said:

I went a terrible 2 for 6 on flounder the other day fishing around docks on heckscher,    The worst part is i lost a huge flounder when my knot separated where i attached my leader to the braid.     I am going again this afternoon, i will report.

At least you had a shot at 6. Good update.

ebirkitt

Anyone know where I can buy mud minnows? Everyone is out in Fernandina and Hecksher.

Bigfish5

caught 3 flounder around docks with gulps,   unfortunately only one was legal and he was nothing to brag about.   Will try again in a few days.

chronicbreak

Fished the docks until about 11 and only 2 good trout to show for it. 

B&M had mud minnows.