By Ed Snyder/Outdoors
Frigid weather promised icy rains for the day, but some anglers were rigging for flounder even though the cold winds of winter were still upon us. One such angler, who’s garbed for the chill but geared for flatfish, is Johnny Clovis of Fort Worth, TX. “I see they’re catching cold water sea-trout across from me, he stated, and I do like to catch and eat trout, BUT, he continued, I much prefer to catch and eat flounder instead. Asked if he was pushing the flounder bite a bit too early was answered with a quick, “Hell no!! They’re already here!!

This is not the annual Autumn run of flounder of November, with flounder migrating out of the pass for their spawning rituals in the Gulf, but in late February for the RETURN of flounder on their migration BACK thru the pass into bays after their spawning rituals.

Now, I know what your thinking, BUT I’m not nuts, nor am I a joke-ster trying to pull a fast one. Seems that everyone pretty well has knowledge of the FALL run of flounder when they’re leaving, but seems quite aloof to the Spring run of flounder when they return. The only differences being during the Fall run they are heading out, while during the Spring run they are heading in.

The newly hatched flounder appear like most fish, at first, with eyes on both sides of their head, but as tides and currents eventually bring them back through the pass they begin to morph into flounder like fish with their eyes rotating to one side of the head and flatten out into a flounder.

These 2 to 3 inch flounder fry hide in the sea-grasses and mud flats of estuaries for protection, feeding ravenously where they’ll grow 5 to 7 inches during their first year. Second year flatfish grow to be 7 to 12 inches, with 3rd year flounder reaching 16 or more inches. Amazing!

Fishing for these Spring flounder is the same as you fish for the Autumn run. In fact I think we get a heavier class of flounder in the Spring such as we had last year with several 6s, 7s, and 8s being caught during the months of April/May.

Anglers smiles are the same, even their WHOOPS and HOLLERS or quiet whispers on catching these flounder are the same. They even taste like flounder (not chicken). Five flounder daily limits are also regulated instead of the two per day of November. The weather is normally warmer as are the waters. PLUS during the Spring run the flounder will have plenty of company such as speckled trout, red-fish, drum, and a variety of other species for you to catch along with the flounder.

Best tackle for these early flounder are any fishing gear you’re comfortable with whether it be spin-cast, spinning, bait-casting, or a bamboo pole, your choice, your fun. Best bait for flounder are always live bait with mud minnows leading the pack, closely followed by finger mullet, or live shrimp. And last, but not least, we can’t leave out those scented soft plastic lures that are irresistible to flounder, the Berkely Gulp. Best technique is bottom fishing with slip-rigs. These are barrel (round) or no-roll type (flat) sinkers where line can slip thru\ough the weight when the flounder hits. The Gulps are usually fished in tandem with ¼ oz jig heads bounced along the bottom, or slowly swum near the bottom for flounder.

Rollover Pass is fortunate to be small (50yds X 200yds) where the fish are funneled through the pass from the Gulf to the bay making them easier to catch from the bank. Rollover is one of the few fishing areas where anglers can drive up to where they want to fish, making Rollover accessible by the physically impaired anglers who can roll right up to the edge of the pass to fish.

The flounder are here right now but the main run won’t occur until mid-March through April, May, or even June. Presently the average is one keeper sized flounder (14 inches) for every 10 undersized caught, but will much improve as the waters warm. Last Spring’s run produced many large flounder for anglers from 5 to 7 lbs, with one “saddle blanket” flounder catch reaching over 8 lbs. So start cleaning the winter cobwebs off your fishing tackle folks and shake off the cabin fever, it’s almost time!

This Ed Snyder/Outdoors Article Sponsored by Miss Nancy’s Bait Camp, The Beach Triton, FishingWorld.Com, CrystalBeachLocalNews.Com

(This article published 2/23/2015)