Welcome to my Flounder Gigging site. My objective is to provide you with tips and techniques that will help you get more fish while Flounder Gigging . Before going flounder fishing you should check with the Marine Fisheries to see what the latest rules and regulations are for your area.Flounder gigging is done at night in shallow waters. We need a way to light up the waters so we can see the flounders laying on the bottom waiting to attack their prey. I first used a hand held gas lattern then hand held under water battery powered flounder lights. Now I have a small generator with 120vac 150watt lightbulbs,one on each side of the flounder fishing boat at the front. While standing on the front of the boat I use my 5 prong #7 steel spear with a 8 to 10 foot wooden handle to slowly move the boat, looking for the flounder.Sometimes I just relax and use the trolling motor. Be sure to go slow and concentrate. You will miss alot of flounder by going to fast or looking off into the distance.
Flounder gigging is like fishing sometimes you see one right away then again it may take awhile to find one. When you see a flounder of legal size limits do not rush and try to gig it. Wait until you are close enough to get a good stab straight down. Try to gig it in the head right behind the eyes. After the gig hold it on the bottom and give an extra push making sure the gig goes all the way through the flounder. Now turn his head toward the rear of the boat and sweep him along beside the boat then up and over into the boat. You got him! Put the fish in the cooler and get ready for the next one. Now a few flounder gigging tips that may help you get more flounder. When the wind is blowing the flounder do not come up and lay down as well as they do on a calm night.
It is better to go flounder gigging when the winds are calm or very low. If the wind is blowing you may have better luck flounder fishing on the calm side of the island or marsh. The next thing is the tides. It seems to me that the flounder like to come in with the water. First the small ones then as the water gets deeper the larger ones come in and lay down. I like to go when the tide is low and coming in. This also keeps you and your Fishing Boat from getting left on dry ground when the tide goes out. Also the darker it is the better I like it. If the moon is out they may see you and run. Plan to wear dark clothes and be a little faster on the gig. Be careful , have fun and go do some flounder gigging.
How To Clean Your Flounder Gigging Catch Let me explain how to clean your flounder gigging catch. If you follow my procedure your flounder should keep for at least 6 months and still taste as fresh as the day you caught them. Keeping your flounder fresh starts the very moment you put it in the boat. I use a couple of plastic bottles filled with water and frozen in the bottom of my cooler. Then I cover my flounder with plenty of ice and always clean them as soon as I can the following day.
To get started cleaning your flounder you will need a fish scaler a sharp six inch fillet knife and a large bowl. Rinse one or both of the plastic bottles from the cooler and place them in the large bowl filled 1/2 full of water. This is where you will put your flounder fillets so they will stay cool and moist.( This also keeps the flies and knats from getting on your flounder fillets.) Start by scraping the scales from both sides of the flounder and rinse. Lay the flounder flat with the white side up and you will see a line running from the center of it's tail up towards it's gills. Make a straight cut from the tail to the gills using this line as a guide. Now cut under the gills to the outside edge of the flounder making a tee. Make another tee at the tail. While using only the tip of the knife at an angle carefully cut under the fillet from either end of the first cut to the other. Lift the meat with your fingers and let the knife follow right against the bones. Repeat this procedure until you reach the edge and cut the fillet from the bones. Check the fillet for any small bones you may have missed and trim them out. Now put this fillet in the bowl of cold water and finish this side using the same procedure. Then flip the flounder over and use the same technique for the dark side.
It may not be pretty to start with but keep practicing, you will be a pro in no time. Now that you have a bowl full of flounder fillets I have one more thing that will help keep your fish fresh. Put one meals worth of fillets in a freezer bag. Now cover the fillets with cold water and squeeze all the air out as you seal the bag. Now you should have a bag with flounder fillets and water and no air inside, ready to place in the freezer for later.
