Deadly on Doormats

Fluke killers, flounder pounders, and doormat destroyers have come to realize it’s true: jigging for flounder is a deadly tactic, one which sometimes out-produces bait. Are you ready to give flounder jigging a shot? Then follow this drill.

TACKLE should consist of a relatively short fast-action rod (either casting or spinning) with a very fast action tip. The reel must be spooled with a superbraid; 12 pound test/four pound diameter is about right. The best jigs are soft plastics in the four to five inch range, with the slender profile of a jerkbait. Flat paddle-tails (not shad tails) are also effective. Chartreuse, white, and yellow are usually the best colors, though purple sometimes gets ‘em in cloudy water or low-light conditions. The chartreuse five-inch Berkley GULP! Jerk Shad is a prime candidate in most places, at most times. These plastics should be rigged on half ounce to one ounce jig heads, using the least amount of weight possible according to the conditions. The goal is to keep your jig right on bottom, without having to constantly let out line.

TACTICS are simple: find an edge or drop-off that should hold flounder; usually the eight to 26 foot range is prime territory, and the sharper the drop-off is, the better. Drop your jig to the bottom, then sweep the tip up no more than three feet with a quick, popping motion. Without any hesitation, immediately drop your tip again. Drop it fast enough that the jig falls freely, yet don’t drop it so fast that any slack gets into the line. Your goal is to let the jig fall as fast and as naturally as possible while you maintain the ability to feel strikes. When you do feel one, set the hook immediately—you have about one second to slam the hook home before the fish spits it out. Remember that this method should be applied only when fish are in relatively shallow water, without a ton of current. Otherwise, you won’t be able to effectively hold bottom with these relatively light lures. Up-sizing the head beyond an ounce doesn’t work well, because it affects the falling action of the jig; four or five inch tails on light heads will make a slow spiral as they fall, but on heavier heads these same tails will merely drop like a rock.

TIP: Always start the up-swing with plenty of vigor. Quite often flounder will inhale the jig just as it touches down, and you’ll never feel the take. When you sweep your rod tip up, it’ll simply feel like you’ve hooked bottom… until the bottom shakes its head, and starts swimming away. Start the sweep up with lots of power, and it’ll turn into a de-facto hook-set.