# How To Catch BIG Carolina Flounder: Capt. Trevor Smith



## ProFishNC (May 4, 2013)

Wrightsville Beach & Topsail Beach, NC Fishing Report 5/7 (short version)

The Bigger Flounder have moved in to the backwaters this week in good numbers! We kept a good number of large Backwater Flounder which were aggressively hitting soft plastics pinned to a jig head... we boated numerous Speckled Trout & Red Drum as well. Specks came on Billy Bay Halo Baits scented with ProCure Mullet. The majority of our Red Drum came on on Jerk Shads with weighted Gami hooks. Lots of Bluefish at the WB Jetty.. Both the Kids (Family Fishing Trips) and Adults had a BLAST with the constant action. Large schools of Menhaden are now schooling/ migrating off our coast and were washing over the North Wrightsville Beach Jetty wall.

Wrightsville Beach, NC Fishing Report & HOW TO CATCH BIG CAROLINA FLOUNDER! (Detailed Version)

Fishing for and more importantly CATCHING BIG Flounder is by far one of my favorite types of angling due to what I term the “Recipe For Success”.

In successful Flounder Fishing, once you have obtained the knowledge (some call it “secrets” and speaking in terms of the What, Where, When, Why, How) combined with the on the water experience you can successfully target LARGE Flounder on a consistent basis.

When Flounder Fishing, portion of the “Recipe” is Variable & the other is Consistent.

Variable includes but not limited to: Seasons, Water Temp, Bait Type & Current Diet, Weather, Water Clarity, Depth, Turbidity, Salinity, DO Levels (the percentage of dissolved oxygen in the water influences the fishes feeding patterns), cloud cover, Jighead &/or Sinker Weight and Much More…

Constant includes but not limited to: Reaction Time to Initial Bite, Rod Angle & Hook Setting Angle < (VERY VERY IMPORTANT), Presentation of the Specific Bait you are using, Leader Material & Color (Hint: PINK Fluorocarbon as pink disappears in the water column about 2ft under the surface giving your bait a “naked presentation”), Jigheads (1st choice.. Blue Water Candy or 2nd choice.. Cotee) and Much More…

5/7/13 Flounder Fishing "Recipe"

What (Gear):

a) Pink & White 3/8 oz Jigheads: Pink (Blue Water Candy), White (Cotee)

b) “Berkley Gulp Swimming Mullet” GREY w/ Pepper Flake (Secret: I scented the already scented GULP with ProCure Mullet)

c) Pink Yo-Zuri 20 & 30lb Fluorocarbon

d) 15 & 20 lb PowerPro Braided Line

e) 7ft Graphite Rods

f) 2500 – 4000 Series Reels (I use Shimano, Penn & Okuma)


Where (Geographically):
Backwaters of Wrightsville Beach, Figure Eight Island & South Topsail Beach
Both in the Inland Creeks West of the Intracoastal Waterway and the Mid-Waterway Flats & Channels


When (Weather Forecast & Tide-Wise):
Decided on 8am due to Tides, Weather Forecast & Duration of Fishing Trip
Fished the Last 3 hours of Outgoing and First 3 hours of Incoming (6hrs of Fishing)
note: Weather Forecasted for PM Showers & Storms

(TIP: For Optimal Success when Flounder Fishing Fish the Lower Tides in the Backwaters and the Higher Tides around the Creek Mouths and Inlets)

WHY (Water Temp, Bait Movement, Time of Year):
When the Spring Water Temp Rises to around 63 degrees, the Flounder move into the Backwaters & Flats to Feed after the Spawn and GORGE on the baitfish & shrimp both in Fry and Juvenile stages.

How:
Mimic the Size, Color and Action of the Baitfish & Shrimp the Flounder are feeding on for the time of year (Stay in the Flounder Strike-Zone… bottom to 24 inches up the water column). This time of year I use the Smaller Artificial Presentation (3” baits now… whereas in the Heat of the Summer and into the Fall I bump up to 5 – 6” Baits) to produce that Reactionary Strike of the Big Flounder.

Choose the Correct Color for the Season! In the Spring when using artificial baits, I use Grey and White Variations (Grey Pepper Flake, Pearl White, etc)… Reason, when the Water Temp are in the 60’s & 70’s the Baitfish have more of a lighter tent… as the water warm the baitfish and shrimp become brighter from Flashy Yellow, Silver to Copper. KNOW your Bait Color and Presentation for the Time of Year!


Tight-Lines and don't forget to Take a Kid Fishing this Season!

Capt. Trevor Smith


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## gshivar (Aug 29, 2006)

Hello! See you are new to this board. Just wondering what you consider a "BIG Carolina flounder". Lot of folks on this board are in SE NC and it takes a 8lb'er+ to raise eyebrows. Not trying to be ugly. Just wondering. best - glenn


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## poppop1 (Feb 16, 2004)

I'll be interested in hearing that answer too, however I never have caught a flounder larger than 21 inches, I get to fish a couple of weeks in Sept./Oct. time frame at the New River Inlet and on the surf in that same area, I use a Carolina rig, fluorocarbon leader, 1/0 gold kahle hook with a live finger mullet, I catch keeper flounder but never a doormat, any suggestions ??


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## kayak456 (Jun 5, 2012)

i used live mullet 5-8 inches. a 5 pounder or bigger will take it live a mud minnow


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## ProFishNC (May 4, 2013)

gshivar said:


> Hello! See you are new to this board. Just wondering what you consider a "BIG Carolina flounder". Lot of folks on this board are in SE NC and it takes a 8lb'er+ to raise eyebrows. Not trying to be ugly. Just wondering. best - glenn


Good Question... For some... It may 8lb Flattie to be considered "Big" (usually from the "old timers" that experienced Epic Flounder fishing "back in the day"); to me thats a Monster Flattie and an Ol' Breeder Girl; however, I defer to our NC Citation Fish program for my Baseline as "BIG". 

Also Note Below: "to me"... 
I term Flatties below 15" "short"
Flatties 15" - 21" "keeper"
Flatties 21" - up to 5 lbs "Large"
Flatties 5 - 8 Lbs is "Big"
Flatties 8+lbs is a Monster Dormat! 

Best of Luck and Tight Lines!

Capt. Trevor Smith


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## lookinglasself (May 30, 2010)

Definitely good info. Thanks for the report Capt., and welcome to the site!


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## gshivar (Aug 29, 2006)

Thanks for your reply. "back in the day" big flounder fishing has been going on over the past 20 years. Seen more 10lb+ flounder caught in the past 20 yrs than the prior 20. Absolutely no doubt to more fishing pressure for big flounder. When I fish for big flounder I am looking for ONE bite; not something a charter would want. I wish you the very best in your charter interprise. best - glenn


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## Eattheflounder (Apr 24, 2011)

One of these days I am gonna meet gshivar and get him to let me go fishing with him and learn some s%&t. I saw his flounder pic. The bigger fluke get, the better they taste. He catches some fish. 
My next trip to the coast will not be from the sand or the pier, at least I don't think it will be. Nope. I'm gonna take the skiff and chase flounder for dinner.

ETF


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## doubleb (May 19, 2009)

great post.. i,m only catching small 14-16 inch summer flounder in the suds.. have not seen the bigger southern flounder show up yet...mostly on mud minnows..


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## Ryan Y (Dec 1, 2005)

Eattheflounder said:


> One of these days I am gonna meet gshivar and get him to let me go fishing with him and learn some s%&t. I saw his flounder pic. The bigger fluke get, the better they taste. He catches some fish.
> My next trip to the coast will not be from the sand or the pier, at least I don't think it will be. Nope. I'm gonna take the skiff and chase flounder for dinner.
> 
> ETF


You will be thoroughly impressed by fishing with the Legendary Glenn Shiver! I know I was and still am. I could sit and listen to him and Bill Starling talk for almost half a day! (The other half I'd have to go fishing.)


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## Finger_Mullet (Aug 19, 2005)

Ryan Y said:


> You will be thoroughly impressed by fishing with the Legendary Glenn Shiver! I know I was and still am. I could sit and listen to him and Bill Starling talk for almost half a day! (The other half I'd have to go fishing.)


I have not been fortunate enough to meet Glenn but I have spent a considerable amount of time fishing and hunting with Bill Starling. I am happy to call him a good friend. I call him often to pick is brain about fishing or guns or just life in general. He is a walking and talking encyclopedia. 

The first I met him was at a shark fishing get together. He pulled out a big Penn reel and used weedeater string for a leader, a tuna head for bait and a brick for a weight. I thought he was a loon. Then he hooked a sizeable blacktip and a gear broke in that Penn. He used his thumbs to turn the spool to wind that shark in. Impressive.

I do feel lucky to take him on his first crappie fishing trip. We did well that night.

Darin


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## KB Spot Chaser (Nov 19, 2009)

I say Live bait in CRF, Snow's Cut, CB Inlet in the dog days of summer big lively baits


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## gshivar (Aug 29, 2006)

give me a break. you fish a lot for 60 yrs and sooner or later you get lucky. KB Spot Chaser got the big flounder pegged. best - glenn


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## Captain Awesome (Jul 27, 2010)

Thanks for the report, good info from the whole thread! I live too far inland right now to make a habit of it, but I have become mildly obsessed with flounder fishing. Cape May, NJ is my best/closest local destination but I love hearing reading stuff from all over.


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## surf rat (Jun 30, 2004)

How about some pictures of some of those big Flounder you guys are catching. Do you know an old bird named Capt. Jimmy Price? Do you fish out of Sneeds Ferry? Dales marina still there? I use to fish the area around the fish house and Browns inlet. I am heading down there in a couple weeks.


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## bstarling (Apr 24, 2005)

*Legend = OLD*

Ryan, Darin thanks for the accolades. I guess if you fish enough and remember only half your screw ups, you still need luck to catch. I've fished with Glenn and one of us skunked the other fishing the same bait in the same hole. Can't even count the times we both have been skunked. Of course there was something about a blind hog finding an acorn every once in a long while. I suspect than anyone that knows me knows I like to talk, some sense and some BS (look at my initials ). Ryan left the beer part out of the sitting and talking :beer::beer::beer::beer::beer::beer::beer::beer::beer::beer:. Truth be known, Ryan has likely caught a ton more drum that I have, I'll let Glenn speak for his success. A lot of out drumming was when they weren't always so easy to come by. If you put in the time you will catch the fish. Knowing which hole to fish in helps a lot too. 

I'll quit rambling now. Old guys do that a lot I'm told.

Bill:fishing:


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## Fishman (Apr 23, 2000)

Thanks for the informative info and report.


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## surffshr (Dec 8, 2003)

They are in sound at Ocracke to, Commerical guys gigged about 200lbs couple of nights ago.


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