# Flounder Bait



## SmoothLures (Feb 13, 2008)

I've done plenty of reading but I haven't found many founder specific threads. I searched and went back 5 or 6 pages but no luck. 
I currently don't have any way to make/buy a container for live mud minnows. I will in the future, and will be doing a small cooler conversion to a livewell that can hold them, but that's not an option for a while. 

That being said, if you can't use live bait for flounder, what would you fish with, and how successful would you expect to be vs. if you were using live bait? I've always heard you have to have live bait for flounder. 

I'll be surf fishing, so I'd prefer to throw a dead finger mullet/mud minnow or cut bait or something out if possible on some kind of bottom rig and let it roll around til I get a bite. 

While I drown some dead minnows or cut bait, I'll probably try casting something, like say Gulp. 
I'll pick up some 3-4 inch Swimming Mullets in white, pink, and chartreuse, maybe new penny. 

What other Gulp stuff do you recommend? I don't want to spend too much getting everyone that looks good, so something that'll be effective for multiple species like flounder, sea trout, blues, ect would be great. 

Thanks for any help. Hope to go after my first one when they start coming in around June I believe.


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## bassnut (Jun 4, 2006)

5" white gulp jerk shad work well. Ive also had luck with electric chicken bass assasans. Probably the best would be a carolina sandwich,strip of squid/mud minnow/strip of squid and drag it slowly across the bottom.


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## Rockstar (Jun 23, 2004)

flounder will eat anything that stinks if you put it in front of them... squid, old mullet, dead minnows, any cut bait, gulps, whatever...

I personally like fish bites or gulps on a 1/2oz. jighead, if i'm in deeper water i'll drop a chart. butterbean bucktail with bait of choice, or a carolina rig w/ live bait for the doormats. You'd be suprised the size baits these fish can consume.

bassnut has it right... try that sammich with a fishbite... it will hold to the hook better, and keep that minner on tighter too.


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## SmoothLures (Feb 13, 2008)

Alright I'll do that. What kind of fish bite would you use, squid?


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## POMPINOLOVER (Jun 29, 2006)

Back 20 years ago or so , when size limits were not as big as they are now ... I used to slay them with a carolina flounder rig, using flounder belly on the hook , cut into small 2-3 inch strips which would resemble a minnow .. slowly wind in the rig dragging the weight across the bottom with the float , the bait stayed only about a few inches of the bottom, when you felt the line tighten , wait about 3-5 seconds then set the hook, I caught 100's this way as a kid and teen ..... but with current flounder regs , its almost a waste to cut up one legal flounder to catch a few more , but trust me the flounder belly works ..


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## rattler (Jul 3, 2004)

most strip baits work...squid cut in a 5"V...keep it moving is the key...I've caught flatties on a strip of rag when I ran out of bait...


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## dmaaero (Jan 27, 2008)

Must have been a............ bait rag


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## Ryan Y (Dec 1, 2005)

*A mudminnow must have.*

Forget about the live wells. If you are fishing from the shore all youll need is a styrofoam ccooler from a grocery or stab-and-grab.

Use the water the minnows came in or if you catch them yourself then use the saltwater.

They will stay alive overnight in a styrofoam cooler cause of the oxygen trapped in the foam.

We've kept them alive for over two days under the house at CB doing that. All they will need is couple pieces of shrimp or smashed crab to eat.


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## jay b (Dec 1, 2002)

I don't go fishing for Flounder anymore without a cast net and the yellow floating bait bucket to keep them in. I fish them on a 2/O -4/O circle or kahle that's on a 18-24", 40 lb. flouro leader with as much of an egg sinker above the swivel that it takes to keep the minnow near the bottom.

If live minnows or shrimp are not available or if it's slow and I can fish a second rod while the bait is out I like the 4" Gulp curly-tailed grub in either the chartruese or white colors unless there's shrimp in the water and then the new penny colored shrimp gulps are great as well. I use as light of a leadhead as possible that's needed to get the bait to the bottom, throw it upcurrent and jig it slowly as it floats with the current.


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## Waal (Jan 23, 2008)

I thoroughly enjoy fishing for flatties over here in Scotland. As a rule of thumb, I tend to arrive at the local beach early, at low tide of course, dig up as much live bait as possible, it's called ragworm or blacklug here. That way you have very fresh bait, which still wriggles around when you cast it out onto the sand. Another good tip I have found helpful is to attatch 8 - 10 small couloured beads above the hook, this will help attract the flounder as the bait sits just above the sand with the beads supplying a bit of buoyancy, it works for me. I'll be using this technique in the spring to summer months, for Dab, Flatties, Lemon Sole etc.

Let me know how it goes!

Alternatively, you could use eels or ribbins of fresh cut bait, not to large, and use a hook that's not to large, but again not to small, a 2.0 maybe. Depends on the size of flatties you get.


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## outfishin28 (Jul 15, 2005)

put a can of wet dog food in a bucket, punch a couple of holes in the can, the mud minnows will stay alive for weeks, just make sure the bucket is in the shade.


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## RuddeDogg (Mar 20, 2004)

*Bait*

While is there is really no substitute for live bait there are some great alternatives.

Up here in yankee land I use squid. Not pro-cut or any other processed bait. I go to the nearest grocery store and buy the squid by the box. Thaw it out, clean it but keep the heads cause they work well also. Cut the tubes length wise in a triangular pattern with the top of the tube maybe 2-3 inches wide down to a point at the bottom. I use either plastic wonton soup containers or lunch meat containers for storage. 

If ya don't wnat to do that, I use the Gulp line. Squid, shad etc.


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## SkunkApe (Dec 9, 2006)

*Flounder*

I've found that Flounder prefer a kahle 2/0 - 5/0 w/ a skirt and cut finger mullet. in my neck of the woods..(in a V pattern) it's the way to go! Let them eat it and raise the rod!! (FISH ON!!!)


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## Ryan Y (Dec 1, 2005)

*I must say I got schooled this fall.*

The Inlet was loaded full of bait but little minnows were no where to be had.

I met a guy that had put together a flounder rig.

FIrst, he cut about a quarter inch off the head end of a gulp bait, and rigged it carolina style. Bbut above the hook he put a small piece of foam float he cut in half to help the grub float just a hair. We were both using quarter ounce weights as well. Did really good.


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## jhmorgan (May 16, 2007)

When he have a large group of anglers book a flounder specific trip for the big boat, live bait is not always a feasible option. Some of our BEST days have been using simply cut croaker, and then flounder belly once a flounder is landed. Just fillet the fish, and make sure that the strips have a TAPERED end. That lets it "flutter" in the water. Always has produced for me


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## Fishman (Apr 23, 2000)

You can still use live bait all you need is a 5 gallon bucket H2O and bait of choice for larger baits like finger mullet you’ll need to change water often. What ever you use make sure you move the bait slowly along the bottom.


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## hengstthomas (Mar 11, 2006)

Firespyder7 said:


> The Inlet was loaded full of bait but little minnows were no where to be had.
> 
> I met a guy that had put together a flounder rig.
> 
> FIrst, he cut about a quarter inch off the head end of a gulp bait, and rigged it carolina style. Bbut above the hook he put a small piece of foam float he cut in half to help the grub float just a hair. We were both using quarter ounce weights as well. Did really good.


Take a piece of leader about 2 foot long and snell a hook on one end .. Now go up from the hook about 8" and peg one of those small round chartuese floats the size of about a nickle .. Attach an "egg rig" and attach to your main line .. Dont foregt the bead (protect the knot) .. Add a Gulp Shrimp .. Catches everything 
I Trout fish with that rig from the beach and have done well for 3 years now ..


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## Rockstar (Jun 23, 2004)

SmoothLures said:


> Alright I'll do that. What kind of fish bite would you use, squid?


have done good with the EZ squid stuff (pups and trout will hit it too), oddly enough the biggest one i've caught on Fish Bites was the crab flavor.


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## Fishman (Apr 23, 2000)

hengstthomas said:


> Take a piece of leader about 2 foot long and snell a hook on one end .. Now go up from the hook about 8" and peg one of those small round chartuese floats the size of about a nickle .. Attach an "egg rig" and attach to your main line .. Dont foregt the bead (protect the knot) .. Add a Gulp Shrimp .. Catches everything
> I Trout fish with that rig from the beach and have done well for 3 years now ..


Pictures please


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