How much weight will I need?

[ESyakr]

Id really appreciate some advice here on this. I will be, for the first time, specifically targeting flounder this spring and summer. I will be using a normal flounder rig for our area, drifting live minnows and squid strip. My question is how much weight will I need to keep on the bottom for these areas? I know the current can run strong at times here. I have a 7' stick rated up to 2oz that I am hoping to use, but I need to know ahead of time if this will be enough. Should I get a heavier rod? If so, how heavy? 3-4oz? Thanks, I really appreciate it.

[rocksteady]

The rod you have is just fine. You will probably never need more than 4oz max and will get away with 2 or 3 most times.

[awh]

The rod should be plenty. I like to use as little weight as I can. Most times 1 1/2 to 2 oz is plenty if you are drifting. Sometimes in deeper water or if the wind and current are going in opposite directions, you might want to use 2 to 3 oz. Rarely will you ever need more than 3 oz of weight in the bay...

[longfin2]

Depends on how deep you are fishing. I fish the shallows so I rarely use more than a 1/2 ounce or 2 tandem 3/8 ounce jigs. Here is one just shy of 12 pounds, look at the size of the egg sinker. Left over ballyhoo chin weight, probably half ounce if not less. Use just enough to keep you on the bottom while keeping your line as vertical and as close to the boat as possible.

[Neurodic]

Lance - you are such a shameless self promoter. You will jump at any chance to get those rejected Playgirl photos out to the public.

Paul

[longfin2]

Paul, I keep trying and trying. They keep telling me to put a damn shirt on and go fishing! I just love that fish. I need to take a picture of the mount and post it on here. Man I hate winter, except for days like this last week..........

[rich daiker]

Hey Lance...It that a Morgan Run brownie????

[longfin2]

Nope, it came out of Deer Creek way up towards the PA line in Baltimore County on one of the farms the company I work for owns. Not stocked and there are only a few in there but they are BIG! Only time you can catch them is in the dead of winter. Any other time you can't get a lure past all the fallfish and creek chubs. At work we call it "single line sampling, lol." It actually confirms that there are wild trout in the stream and can actually help us get the needed go ahead from agencies to create wetlands and reforestation on the properties. We have another farm in northern Baltimore County that has a tributary to the Gunpowder running through it. That stream is only about 3 feet wide and has some HUGE wild brown's in it like this one.................Sorry to hijack the thread.

[rich daiker]

Got a stream like that near me in Carroll co...I only hit it from Thanksgiving to Easter, but it has some hammer browns and bows. Not much on the plate, but a blast to catch

[Gotta Gaff 'Em]

well guys back to the mans original question about weight.......
in the shallows the guys are right hardly ever need more than 3oz,and that stands for the inlets and the eastern shore. once you get out to the bridge though, outgoing tide you can expect to need nearly 10oz jsut to tag bottom in some areas. there we use little bit heavier rods a good ugly stick will do you right, as for the shallows stuff your rod will definitely be fine

[TerpHeels]

inside or outside is z question. Outside I know guyz using 8+oz outside as they like 2 stay vertical, I find 5 is usually sufficient using spectra. Inside much lighter

[Fishman]

It depends on where you are fishing like the (Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel or some where shallower) how deep the water is and how strong the current is running. I carry any where from 2 to 6 ounces of lead. I use 30lb Power Pro line on a Diawa millionaire S or CVZ bait casting reel

[home cookin']

also be sure your weights are the right shape. No pyramids; you want to slide along the bottom, not snag. I like the torpedo shaped with the eye at each end even for the bottom of a double rig. They also pick up less grass than the teardrop.

[chipsyukon]

home cookin' that's good advice

[old town angler]

3-4 oz. inline weights are best. The slim shape helps keeping it moving easily through the bottom snags.