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Jesse's Hunting > Fishing Articles > Articles > Flounder Migration Gets Gulf Coast Fishermen Moving
Flounder Migration Gets Gulf Coast Fishermen Moving
Chris Fullilove - JHO ProStaff
- Texas
October 25, 2005
The humble flounder
The fall migration of this flatfish into the Gulf stirs fishermen from up and down the Gulf Coast to head to the waterfront. |
Roads and cities along the Gulf Coast are about to be overwhelmed with traffic congestion. Be prepared for long lines at bait stores, gas stations, and boat ramps. Long lines of motor homes, pop-up campers, boat trailers, and family cruisers with fishing poles out the back window will be on the road. People will be lined up along bulkheads, jetties, piers, and passes, sipping steamy, hot coffee and dressed under layers of winter clothing. An observer may find it odd to have such overcrowding in small coastal communities, but to the veteran flounder fisherman, this congestion is the result of the great calling of the fall flounder run.
Every fall when the water temperature begins to drop, flounder migrate out of the shallow bays and bayous and into the warmer Gulf of Mexico to spawn in the deep gulf waters. Timing the flounder run is very important. Studies indicate that the combination of cooler inland water with a shorter photoperiod triggers the migration. Historically, the first strong cold front of November drops the water temperature significantly, thereby setting off the mass exodus of flounder. Anglers take advantage of this behavior every fall, hoping to load up their stringers with flounder.
Typically when fishing the fall flounder run, anglers will position themselves along routes of travel that lead to the Gulf. It helps to be aware of sub-surface structures such as reefs, channels, passes, shorelines, or islands; all of these attributes calculate into the path that flounder will travel in order to make it into the Gulf.
Due to the flounder’s flat shape, they are typically not long distance swimmers, therefore one will usually see more flounder moving towards the gulf when they can swim with a strong outgoing tide. The outgoing tide will assist them in moving closer to the Gulf with less effort.
Once you have determined when and where to fish for flounder, the next important question is what bait to use. Artificial and natural baits both work well. A variety of live baits can be used; most notably live shrimp, mullet, and mud minnows. Mud minnows have long been the preferred bait of flounder fishermen. Since flounder swim along the bottom, fishing on the bottom has proven to be the most successful.
When using artificial baits, a dark color is preferred, such as a root beer, or strawberry colored plastic tail with a lead jig head. Since flounder are looking up at the water’s surface, using a dark lure will silhouette the bait against the bright sky and the fish can identify it easier and sooner than a brightly colored lure.
So, alongside the great flounder migration is a great fisherman migration. Anglers make this pilgrimage every fall with great anticipation, for a chance to take advantage of the journey that flounder make.
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