Flounder fishing with live spot / croaker

[clarkaa777]

I have never fished for flounder with any live bait besides minnows. Headed to 42 on sat and thinking about trying the big live baits at least on one rod for a change. Any tips. I am assuming you still use the fishfinder or 3-way rig. Do you hook the spot or croaker just below the dorsal fin? what size fish is prefered? Thanks for your help

Andy

[swhit]

a 5" spot is pretty good, on a naked hook. 3way or ff rig

thru the nose/lips is how I do it

[clarkaa777]

if I cant manage a spot, will a small croaker work as well

[Pointin`Dog]

You can use a croaker or a spot, and I'd hook them through the lips with a circle or kahle hook (flounder hook) with about a three foot leader. Use the fish finder rig but don't attach the sinker directly to the sliding sleeve, but rather use about an eight to twelve inch leader (particularly if you're worried about snags, otherwise it doesn't matter). Once you feel a hit, give the flounder time to scale the bait in it's mouth (I'm sure you've caught flounder before so you know what I'm talking about), and then set the hook. I wait about thirty seconds and that feels like an eternity. If you're not planning on holding the rod, use a longer leader so the fish has more time to scale the bait before it get's pulled by your drift.

Good luck!

[clarkaa777]

Thanks for the info, I will post report when I get back


Andy

[MrJsPleasure]

Im no flounder king but I fish the 3way droper rig with 12"drop and 6'-8' of leader. I hook my fish through nose too. Last year Henry(Tammy's Rival) and I were fishing and on a slow dirft and he was hooking his behind the dorsel near the tail. I hardly got the words of my mouth that he was going to drown the spot when the other rig has doubled over rigged the same way. Adapt to the situation and play with the rigs. That day during the slow drift tail hooked spot where king. Never used croakers but try them.

Have a good one

Bobby

[Cutbait]

y'all ever have luck catching mini spot with sabaki rigs?

[Cutbait]

mini spot cost 1$ ea @ smith pt marina which is prob a fair price but catching yourself more fun

[Memory Maker]

Isn't there a size limit on Croaker?

[TexacoRide]

Maryland-yes. Virginia-no

[MrJsPleasure]

I think Queens Creek sell spot too. I catch my own and pen them 10 to 5 gallon bucket. Drill 1/2 holes in bucket and feed them dry dog food.


Bobby

[Pointin`Dog]

Never used a Sabiki rig. Do they work for mini spot/croaker. I just use small hooks and blood worms.

[jeffh4079]

this is all new to me, what a great forum!!!

maybe i'll slide down to the creek early tomorrow am and see about acquiring some mini-spot!

I tried penning them last summer but they got slimy and croaked on me.

[happy hours]

sabuka rigs work for spot and croaker.use them all the time.I made a pvc pipe rig for storing the sabuka rigs in so they are easy to pull out and hook-up to the rod.

[Cutbait]

friggin' things will def tangle up your box

[clarkaa777]

well it was slow flounder fishing on sat. fished 42 and the cell. caught 2 throwbacks, a bluefish, tons of croaker, and a decent sandbar shark. Caught the 4 ft shark on a live small croaker hooked through the lips. didn't get the big flounder I wanted but enjoyed the time on the water.

thanks for the tips

tight lines

Andy

[capt. dave]

I like to hook the spot on one side of the dorsal fin and parallel to it just under the skin with the point of the hook toward the nose end of the fish. This does little damage to the fish and has your hook in the right position to set it when the fish takes the bait head first. If the current is really ripping and your drift is real fast it might be best to lip hook the spot.

I use an 18 in. or longer snelled octopus style hook in size 3/0 up to 5/0 and a fish finder rig. I use 50# mono for the snell. When I get a pick up I drop back quite a lot of line to give the flounder time to ingest the spot before I set the hook.

If you try using a circle hook, it might be best to not set it hard or you may just pull the spot out of the flounder's mouth, just start reeling in the line and the hook should set itself in the corner of the fish's mouth.

The system works and you could get a big grey trout , cobia, rockfish, bluefish, or other lunker on this set up.

[capt. dave]

Oops

[capt. dave]

Oops again.

[Kevin Smith]

Live peanut bunker & finger mullet are their favorites and very small eels also work well-on a 3 way rig with a dropper. You might pick up some nice trout while doing this.

Kevin
Weekend Mistress