If you’re dissatisfied with the cold weather and want to start fishing, you’re probably considering ice fishing. If you live in New England, you’ve got plenty of opportunities just waiting for you. Striped bass are available as early as March and in April you’ll have the opportunity to begin fishing for fluke (also known as winter flounder). The reason they are so plentiful at this time of year is that they are spawning along the coastline.
There have been new restrictions placed on winter flounder due largely to over-harvesting and unsuitable habitats for spawning. This has reduced the winter flounder season to 6 or 8 weeks. But, these 6-8 weeks provide ample opportunity for great fishing.
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.
Chumming is another successful means of fishing for fluke, whether you opt to fish while anchored in a boat or from the shoreline, and this method attracts large schools of winter flounder. To have all the equipment you need to take full advantage of your winter flounder fishing event, just pick up your chum pots at a local bait and tackle shop. You need simply attach the pots to a nonflexible object near the shoreline or secure them to the boat.
If you’d rather cast two or more rods at the same time, you can do so behind the boat, one in the same direction as the current is flowing and the other alongside the boat by the chum pot. This is a very efficient way for you to maximize your day’s catch and the equipment used, a plus for any fisherman.
You have a great chance to catch a large number of winter flounder in fairly shallow water since they have a predisposition of gathering together in areas where they can find food in large quantity. In most instances, the more shallow the water is the warmer it will be, and consequently the more plentiful the fluke’s source of food. As a result, you can typically find a school of winter flounder near areas of sand and gravel that commonly become muddy frequently.
If you’re a saltwater angler, winter flounder is a great way to break back into fishing after a long and cold winter. These delicately flavored fish also help restock your freezer after the winter and before the summer fishing season gets underway.
When fishing for winter flounder you want to make sure that you have the proper equipment, some products to consider are Shimano Fishing Reels and Penn Reels
