# Flounder in the Surf!



## SmoothLures (Feb 13, 2008)

I've been reading all I can about it online and it seems pretty simple. I was wondering if anyone has any info they can add or share. I'm particularly interested in bait choices - live mullet, cut strip baits, Gulp and which flavors, ect. I would prefer live finger mullet but see no easy way to carry them while walking the beach to cover ground.


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## AbuMike (Sep 3, 2007)

Gulp Swimming Mullet or Shrimp. White, Chart, New Penny and I like Pogy...


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## J Barbosa (Aug 22, 2012)

I can outfish the live finger mullet all day with 4" swimming mullet...but you will probably get the bigger fish.

I can cover probably 100x more ground than you can. Fish out an area and move on.


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## SmoothLures (Feb 13, 2008)

J Barbosa said:


> I can outfish the live finger mullet all day with 4" swimming mullet...but you will probably get the bigger fish.
> 
> I can cover probably 100x more ground than you can. Fish out an area and move on.


Do you fish them on Jigheads? Heard of a few people rigging them on a Carolina rig.


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## J Barbosa (Aug 22, 2012)

SmoothLures said:


> Do you fish them on Jigheads? Heard of a few people rigging them on a Carolina rig.


I use light gear, I'm fishing a 8.5ft ultra sensative salmon rod with a 4/5000 series reels and using 20lb suffix braid. all rigs use a 4/0 gami j style bait holder hook.


I fish a few different rigs.

First rig:
I tie on a 80lb spro swivel to the braid and then attach a 3ft leader that I have a dropper loop on about 1ft from the swivel. This gives you 2 feet until a 3 way swivel w/snap for sinker. On the other end of the 3-way swivel is a snelled hook with about 12" of line (keep it short and it will never tangle with the top hook). I will use 40lb for the dropper loop and 20lb for the second hook. Some areas I get snagged so this way I only loose one hook most of the times and can be fishing again in seconds. I can cast this about 60-80 yards which is more than enough where I am fishing.

Second rig:
As light as possible Bucktail on a 50lb TA clip with a dropper loop about 12-14" above with gulp mullet on the teaser and buck tail. Casts horribly but the side effect of this rig is lots of weakfish and the occasional smaller bass. 

Third rig: when I need distance
Same as first rig except that I eliminate one of the hooks. When I know I am going to be removing the back hook I attach it via a perfection loop for easy removal.


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## J Barbosa (Aug 22, 2012)

You could use a jig head, I prefer the buck tail as it weeds a lot of smaller fish out and the reduced casting distance and catching less smaller fish doesn't hurt my ego much.


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## Lickinfrogs (Mar 12, 2006)

White bucktail tipped with white 4" swimming mullet. Most of the fluke I have caught from the surf have been in pretty close, so I wouldn't worry about casting distance.


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## SmoothLures (Feb 13, 2008)

J Barbosa said:


> I use light gear, I'm fishing a 8.5ft ultra sensative salmon rod with a 4/5000 series reels and using 20lb suffix braid. all rigs use a 4/0 gami j style bait holder hook.
> 
> 
> I fish a few different rigs.
> ...


Interesting. And you fish swimming mullet on each hook on your two hook rig? 
I picked up a pack of 4" white swimming mullet I was planning on using, I may tie some bucktail teasers on the hooks and just fish them with a Gulp on it.


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## SmoothLures (Feb 13, 2008)

Lickinfrogs said:


> White bucktail tipped with white 4" swimming mullet. Most of the fluke I have caught from the surf have been in pretty close, so I wouldn't worry about casting distance.


How are you working it? The reason I was pulled to the Carolina rig is that while dragging it slowly on the bottom it won't be pinned there like a jighead would be.


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## J Barbosa (Aug 22, 2012)

90% of the time it is a swimming mullet in 4". I prefer white but all my keepers come on chartruse but I keep buying white also(???). I always have two different colors, I like pink but its super soft and not worth the $.

I am always trying new things as the gulp has become so expensive but keep going back to the gulp. I am almost through my *third* 30oz tub since May (this is the larger tub not the smaller one that sells for $20).


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## SmoothLures (Feb 13, 2008)

I see. I may tie some different colored teasers and just use two white swimming mullets, since Gulp is a bit pricey. Still I don't mind buying it if it works.


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## Lickinfrogs (Mar 12, 2006)

I usually just bounce it off the bottom.


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## greg12345 (Jan 8, 2007)

Here's how I do it in NC, not a pro but...if the conditions are right (clear water, not that much wind, and good structure - sloughs with cuts, etc.) i just walk the beach with a 7'6" rod, 8lb braid alberto'ed to 18-24" of 20 or 25lb fluoro leader, 2500 to 4000 class spinner (usually use my 2500 sahara) usually use a 3/8oz red jighead with either 4" gulp swimming mullet (chartreuse is my favorite color) or 3-4" gulp shrimp. Cast to a hole, cut, or in the slough and hop it back slowly for the mullet or drag it back w/pauses for the shrimp...if you feel like you got hung up then set the hook. Don't give up early either...have watched them follow the bait all the way to my feet before deciding to hit it 3 feet away...


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## originalhooker (Nov 26, 2009)

don't get tied down to one tactic or bait. heck, been catching surf fish (flounder)for 30 yrs before gulp. simple jig head with soft plastic 20-30lb leader, change body styles/colors, same jig head with minnow works also. I like to fillet the minnows & these work well. flutter spoons will knock flounders,  if the bch is clean of breakoffs 10lb braid, 6-8 mono, stucture might go to 30braid, 14-17 mono-depends how aggressive you fish.

How to keep mullet alve? 5 gal. bucket w/ lid or a troll bait bucket. sm. aerator runs on D batteries. easily keep 2dozen alive in 3 gal of h2o- key is to change water. little water when moving, get to a good spot - fill it up & fish, remeber to keep it above the tide line


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## Fishman (Apr 23, 2000)

Here is what I have use 1st rig is a Carolina rig I like small light wire hooks usually 1/0 or 2/0 and ¼ oz egg sinker with about a 2 foot piece of leader material between a small barrel swivel and the hook don’t forget to put a plastic bead between the egg sinker and swivel. 2Nd rig is a ¼ oz. red jig head with a 4” Gulp swimming mullet either in pearl white or chartreuse.

I fish light tackle so I’m using a 2500 series Daiwa reel and a 6 to 7 ft Md. action rod. with either 8 or 10 lb. test line.


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## SmoothLures (Feb 13, 2008)

Bump for any last minute input.


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## surfchunker (Apr 10, 2006)

yes River Rigs also kill them just use a flat sinker instead of a pyrmid ... believe me we did it and they tear it up ...


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## yerbyray (May 18, 2010)

I have a rig that dad called the Liver Rig that I have used for Flounder and been somewhat successful. I use 30# fluoro in a length that is 66". I double the line with a swivel in the loop and tie it close with a figure eight knot. I thread a bead, an egg sinker (1/2-1oz.),another bead. I go down about 20-24" and tie a spider hitch. leaving about two tag ends a foot or so long. I slide a chartreuse jig skirt on each of the two tags and then snell on my hook of preference (usually a 1 or 1/0 circle). Sometimes I snell one shorter than the other so they "follow" one another.

For bait I use a strip of white belly meat of a fish or something fresh.

It works for me but then again I am mainly fishing to drink beer and have fun. Catching huge fish is a by-product of why I am there.

My dad taught me this rig when we use to fish for catfish along the Catawba River, he said he used it in the days of dacron main line and they used a lighter leader material. He used liver, thus the name. Catfish are bottom feeders and they follow a bait if it moves so I adopted this for flounder. There are additional benefits as the double line doesn't get worn out with the abuse that it gets going over debris, It allows the fish to pick up the bait and swim with no weight resistance like a fish finder rig, and it is fun to tie and adapt.

I'll go grab one out of the box and take a pic in a few.









I've been sort of holding off showing this one since the one with the similiar name has been the talk of the town.


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## surfchunker (Apr 10, 2006)

looks like it would put it to them and very simple to tie


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## Charlie2 (May 2, 2007)

This is where tandem floating jigs with a strip of squid comes into play.

Rig it Carolina(Fishfinder) style. Drag it slowly across the bottom in short jerks. This makes the jigs really 'hop' around. You can also catch other fish species when using this rig. Fish the rig all the way to your feet.

I have found that after catching my first flounder, I replace the squid strip with a piece of Flounder belly. Check your local regulations before doing so.. C2


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## BeachBob (Aug 27, 2010)

i use a 2oz t-hex with silver threaded bucktail, an 8'6" steelhead rod and an abu 5501c3 loaded with 12# mono - caught two last month that were both over 6#. fluke's good eatin'!


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## OceanMaster (Dec 22, 2011)

I do it slightly different - tandem rig I might add.


Working off the old school SPEC RIG design (double drop jigs - one short and one long - both on 20lb clear mono).

The front lead head is 1/4 ounce red with a swimming tail (mullet and or Mister Twister style)

The back lead head is 3/4 ounce up to 1.5 ounce (depends on depth and distance to cast) Heaver sized lead heads (1 ounce or over) when I'm working extra deep and or maker long casts to cover. I use lighter lead heads when I'm fishing finesse around pilings\rocks and or in super clear water.


Both lead heads swim with different colors till I find a color combo that works for the day. Typically I use a light color on my front jig and darker color on the trailer - for starters. 

The back trailer jig, I can pull the plastic swim tail off and lip hook a live finger mullet and or mud minnow, and cast and work it with a lure in front and a swimming live bait on the follow. This works like crazy and covers a lot of water for me....the best of both worlds. Add a small plastic rattle insert, used by a lot of Pro Bass guys when they want rattles on their Texas and or Carolina rigged plastic worms....work well with plastic swimming bodies as well. Or you can add a little rattle holder just in front of the double drop, tied to your main line...to bring SOUND into the mix...when the sun goes down. I do this a lot fishing sand flats near jetties here at home...covers a lot of water with a rattle sound = they find the bait quickly when they are active. 

I also dress up both jig hooks with either squid and or fresh dead finger mullet filet and hooked - very small and narrow strip of cut bait or squid, to add scent and flavor to an already active and lively lure offering.

The beauty of using dual lead head droppers...you can add plastic, gulps and or even cut bait or live bait.....to each hook...using the lead heads as weight to cast. Cast it as far as you can toss it....let it sink till the line goes slack...then bounce retrieve to cover ground. Live bait and or lures and or both....you can mix it up anyway you want with this setup.

There are many times I will hook redfish, specks, jackfish, pompano....you name it...fishing this rig - targeting flounder. Once I hook-up....I will swim this fish a bit....dragging the second bait with it. Many times I get double hook-ups and that other fish...may be a redfish and or speck and or blue......doubles when it's really on!


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