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Flounder Rig

May 4, 2009 Rigs

Flounder are some of the most sought after fish from the piers and surf. The mild taste of the flakey white fillets is a huge reason why so many people are flounder fishing. Another thing that makes them so popular is that there is no need for a vast amount of specialty tackle. Let’s take a look at what you should be looking for in a flounder rig.

Flounder are ambush feeders and lay in wait for their prey to drift by within range. For this reason the perfect flounder rig should be able to cover as much area as possible. You will never find a flounder rig with a 4 ounce pyramid sinker. If the fish does not move and the bait does not, you will never get a bite. By using a round sinker, disc sinker or cigar sinker gives the surf fisherman the ability to cast the flounder rig and retrieve slowly to cover as much ocean as possible.

Video of Flounder ambushing a flounder rig

When choosing a hook for your flounder rig you should keep in mind that flounder are subtle biters that must run with the bait. This is the perfect place to use a circle hook or a Kahle hook. Both of these hook designs provide the fisherman the ability to let the fish run while assuring that the fish will not be hooked deeply. This means that you miss fewer hook sets and also have the option of releasing the fish unharmed.
Offshore Angler Circle Hook Rig

The flounder rig is a saltwater version of the Carolina rig worm. The main line is threaded through the sinker and then tied to a swivel. A 20 inch leader attaches the hook of your choice to the sinker. You are now ready to bait your rig with a live finger mullet or a trimmed pied of squid or bunker.

Some fisherman even make things simpler by discarding the leader and sinker and using a jig head.  Now you add your live finger mullet or cut bait to the jig head and bounce it slowly across the bottom.  Just at long as you maintain a slow retrieve and keep contact with the bottom you will be in the flounders strike zone.

Tags: flounder fishing, flounder rig, surf fishing, surf fishing rigs