How to Catch a Flounder with Live Mullet

Tempt them with live bait.

Flounder love live bait and live mullet is among the best. Flounder fishing is a very enjoyable sport and with the right information you will be enjoying fresh fish in no time.

Things You'll Need

• 12-to-14-inch 25 lb. monofilament
• Egg sinker
• Swivel
• Hook

Instructions

1. Assemble the flounder rig. Take the monofilament leader and tie one end to the swivel.

2. Tie the hook to the free end of your monofilament leader. When doing this you want the overall length of your leader from end to end to measure approximately six inches.

3. Attach the leader to your fishing line. Do this by first placing the egg sinker (one-quarter oz. to one oz. depending on water conditions) on the free end of your fishing pole line and tying the swivel to the fishing pole line. This should allow the sinker to freely slide up and down the fishing pole line but not allow it to pass the swivel.

4. Bait the hook. The idea is to place the hook starting from beneath the lower jaw with the tip coming out one of the nostrils on the dorsal (back) side of the mullet. The hook should be "holding on" to only about an eighth to a sixteenth of an inch of the fish. This will allow the fish to move freely and not tire quickly, and allow more realistic behavior when you are reeling in.

5. Cast the pole. When selecting a position for to cast to, try to locate a smooth sandy bottom. Flounder like to camouflage themselves in this environment and wait for prey to pass.

6. Allow the bait to stay in one place for about five minutes. After this time if there has not been a bite, pull the rod back to move the flounder one or two feet across the bottom. This will allow the bait to move in a smooth, natural fashion. Now you can reel in the additional slack to allow the bait to remain in this area for a few more minutes.

7. Continue until a flounder bites your rig. It can be a little tricky at first to feel the subtle bite of a flounder. Most of the time you will not even notice a flounder has taken your bait until you attempt to pull another one or two feet of line back. At this time you will feel a distinct "heaviness" to your line that was not present before, and you may even notice the flounder tugging your line. Don't try to set the hook yet!

8. Allow the line to go slack by letting some out. This will give the flounder an opportunity to fully take your bait in. You should give the flounder a minute or two to do this. It may seem like a long time but the flounder will not drop the bait. After this time has passed, set the hook with moderate force and reel in your fresh flounder.

Tips & Warnings

• Tie multiple flounder rigs before going fishing. Losing rigs is inevitable and it is no fun to have to stop fishing and make a new rig.

• Have plenty of bait: flounder fishing with mullet is most productive with live, undamaged, active bait.

References

• NC Fish and Game: Flounder Fishing