Doormats? These are our bigger flounder that start their migration as the water cools below 80 degrees and by this upcoming week watch for them to start stacking up along the banks of the ICW. Rigging yourself a couple underwater lights along with a gig silently motoring in 1-2 feet of water, look for the outline of a flounder and his glowing eyes laying in sandy areas in search of passing baitfish or shrimp. If you come across a flounder and see him at the last minute as you drift over the top of him, chances are better than not if you turn around and go right back to where he was, he will still be laying in the same spot. Make sure before you gig a flattie he is the legal size as there is usually a few shorts in the mix.
This is also the time of year the shrimping starts to heat up in our region and netting your five gallon limit on the new and full moons should be pretty easily done on the right nights. The few days before the full moon in the upcoming months is by far the best to get yourself a mess of shrimp. These shrimp will be pretty good size unlike the spring run when they are usually a little smaller, going 30-40 per pound.
If the shrimping or floundering is not happening, bring youself a couple rods spooled up with 20 pound braided line and hit the dock lights in deeper water for good shots at trout, snook, and other gamesters. Keep your drag set tight enough so if you do hook into a big snook it will be easy to yank him out of the pilings as he will head straight for cover. Rip Tide Realistic Shrimp on a 1/2 ounce red jig head in the glow color will not be passed up by a hungry night time snook or trout. Topwaters thrown in the lights will also be a great artificial. As for live bait, finger mullet will be your best pitched up current allowing it to drift back through the lights.
Interested in a shrimping or floundering trip? Give me a ring and I'll teach you all there is to know in one evening on the rights and wrongs about these flatties and shrimpies!!
-Captain Jeff