THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, April 9, 1995 TAG: 9504080412
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C13 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: Bob Hutchinson
LENGTH: Short : 36 lines
Flounder can be very subtle strikers, especially early in the season, when the waters is cold and the fish a bit lethargic.
Only experience will make you
good at hooking flatfish. Even then, some folks really have a tough time.
But once you have pulled in the front half of a minnow, plus the hook, you should realize that flounder demand a slow strike.
When I feel what I take to be a flounder bite (you can't really call it a strike), I lower the rod tip, allowing the fish time to get the entire bait. If you hit too quickly, you'll end up with that half-minnow.
Of course, there will be lots of times when the pull on the other end is mere a small ridge in the bottom and other times when all you'll hook is a clump of sea weed. It all feels like a flounder bite.
As for bait, a lot of folks are convinced that all you need is a minnow and that whether it is alive or dead doesn't matter. When flatfish are abundant, they may be correct.
But when the fish are scattered, I'm really convinced that it helps to have a live minnow and a strip of fresh squid. The latter should be about a half-inch wide and between three and five inches long. MEMO: Do you have an outdoor tip worth sharing? Mail it to: Bob Hutchinson,
The Virginian-Pilot, 150 West Brambleton Ave., Norfolk, Va. 23510, or
call 446-2342.
by CNB