Well it is almost that time of year when gigging is shut down and the fish are flooding out of the bays. I figured I would give some of my tips for that time of year since I hinted on it in a previous post.
#1 If you do go out with your boat or walk do not carry anything with a point on it. The game warden will never believe you are not gigging. Lets face it, No one likes to be hassled by a warden so just save your self some time and leave the gigs at the house.
#2 Lighter is better when selecting tackle. I prefer crappie jig heads in the 1/16 oz. to 1/32 oz. range or just a j-hook with with your favorite plastic threaded on it.
#3 Distance is your friend. I found that if you get right over the fish they spook quicker. So I use a 10 foot Bn'M Heavy action jigging rod made for deep brush pile crappie fishing.
#4 If you choose to use live bait.... Shrimp is the way to go. Mullet and mud fish are to sporadic in shallow water and are very hard to get in front of the flounders face without using a lot of weight. When I do decide to use live I prefer a number 1 octopus hook but if you can find a smaller strong hook the smaller the better.
#5 Try to mimic what is in the water with your lures. This is where my fly fisherman in me comes out. I look and see what is swimming around in my lights and then I have a assortment of sizes and colors of our natural baits here.
The 6th step is the most important step....
#6 DON'T Panic and set the hook right away when you see your bait vanish. I know it's hard but this is an import key to remember. Give it 3 seconds and then set. If you set when you see the lure vanish you have a 50/50 chance of pulling the bait out of its mouth and there is nothing more disappointing then seeing a 28 inch flounder bolt getting over anxious
Good Luck
#1 If you do go out with your boat or walk do not carry anything with a point on it. The game warden will never believe you are not gigging. Lets face it, No one likes to be hassled by a warden so just save your self some time and leave the gigs at the house.
#2 Lighter is better when selecting tackle. I prefer crappie jig heads in the 1/16 oz. to 1/32 oz. range or just a j-hook with with your favorite plastic threaded on it.
#3 Distance is your friend. I found that if you get right over the fish they spook quicker. So I use a 10 foot Bn'M Heavy action jigging rod made for deep brush pile crappie fishing.
#4 If you choose to use live bait.... Shrimp is the way to go. Mullet and mud fish are to sporadic in shallow water and are very hard to get in front of the flounders face without using a lot of weight. When I do decide to use live I prefer a number 1 octopus hook but if you can find a smaller strong hook the smaller the better.
#5 Try to mimic what is in the water with your lures. This is where my fly fisherman in me comes out. I look and see what is swimming around in my lights and then I have a assortment of sizes and colors of our natural baits here.
The 6th step is the most important step....
#6 DON'T Panic and set the hook right away when you see your bait vanish. I know it's hard but this is an import key to remember. Give it 3 seconds and then set. If you set when you see the lure vanish you have a 50/50 chance of pulling the bait out of its mouth and there is nothing more disappointing then seeing a 28 inch flounder bolt getting over anxious
Good Luck
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