Fishing Frenzy

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.

A self-described flounder fan, Captain Skip James does a lot of angling on Sabine Lake. He's been carefully studying the movements of the flounder run for years with telemetry instruments. As James reports, "I follow what the large females are doing, since she's always followed by a whole group of males waiting for her eggs to drop."

James, as good a source of flounder fishing reports as any we've found tells us that the flounder run is already well underway. "The run starts slow around mid-September and winds down by mid-December, with the peak being late September to late October." During the migration to the gulf, Texas fishing enthusiasts like James have it easy. "I've been using just a 4" bayside speck grub; that's it. We've been catching flounder as big as 6 lbs - if the run keeps up like it has been, I'll be more than happy with the fall season.", reports James.

Phil Ortiz of Galveston tells us that despite the conventional wisdom, you don't have to wait for the first cold snap to catch plenty of flounder. Ortiz tells us what the better fishing reports have been saying for some time - "Flounder know to migrate because the days grow shorter; it's not just temperature. Of course, once the first cold snap hits, they'll really start moving - but I'm catching plenty even now."

As far as his lures go, Ortiz uses artificial lures for flounder, including of course his own invention 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.

"Those looking to catch flounder during the fall run should look at the Galveston Channel or Sea Wolf Park Flat," states Boudreaux. "Live baiters do very well using mud minnows and finger mullet on a Carolina rig."

Cody Stripling has spent many autumns on the lower coast angling in areas near deep water and the grassy structures on the Lower Laguna Madre. While fishing for flounder, Stripling prefers to use a trolling motor.

According to Stripling, flounder fishing is a little slower on the lower coast. "Flounder have been scattered lately but I expect when cooler weather reaches us down here we will see more on the move."

"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."

"Soft plastics on 1/4 ounce lead heads work great for flounder," he recalls. "I work them with a bass retrieve by bumping it on the bottom and letting it sit for two or three seconds before jerking it again.