Flounder giggin

Got my floundering set up on my tin done last week and took her out Sat night. Weather was great, about 65 degrees and not a whisper of wind. Didnt take long to find some clear water and the fish were everywhere. The flounder are making there run at this time of the year hear and if the conditions are right it can get rediculous. Stuck a limit in short order and could have gigged 20 more if I were an outlaw. Hit the water at 8pm and back on the trailer just after midnight.

Nice catch there.

Now that's something I don't see happen in the Great Midwest. Nice haul!

Yum! Grilled, Broiled or Deep Fried ?

I will take two fried or grilled please! :LOL2:

Just curious, but is the term "giggin" a local term for spearing ?? All those fish seem to have been taken with a 3 or 4 prong spear. That tactic would get you a big fine up here in NJ waters, so I'm really curious if the fish stock down your way is that plentiful to be able to support a no release style of fishing.

We have a strict size limit on summer flounder (fluke) of 18" and a bag limit of 6 per day. It's a tough set of regs that makes limiting out rather difficult. Interesting to see how similar fish stocks are managed in different areas.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gigging

:wink:

That is what it is referred to around here as well.

Flounder gigging is a big deal along the coastal south.

nice!

got any pics of your setup?

DocWatson said:

Just curious, but is the term "giggin" a local term for spearing ?? All those fish seem to have been taken with a 3 or 4 prong spear. That tactic would get you a big fine up here in NJ waters, so I'm really curious if the fish stock down your way is that plentiful to be able to support a no release style of fishing.

We have a strict size limit on summer flounder (fluke) of 18" and a bag limit of 6 per day. It's a tough set of regs that makes limiting out rather difficult. Interesting to see how similar fish stocks are managed in different areas.

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The flounder are pretty plentiful around here this time of year. Alabama limit is 10 w/12" min. Miss. is 15 w/12" min. I could have easily gigged 40 the night I got these. The flounder will come up in the shallows at night and if the water is clear are pretty easy pickins. I use a set up consisting in 2)300w quartz flood light on the deck and 2)100w incandescents for under waters. The gig I use is 5/16" stainless steel threaded rod bent and welded into a 4 prong gig on a 10ft pole. The threaded rod is used because you do not have to have barb in the gig, the fish will stay on the threaded rod and not come off while lifting them out of the water. Anyway that was a good night, seeing that many fish doesnt happen often. Its not like you can go out every night and do that. I went last night and gigged 4, which should have been 8 if my aim wasnt bad. I have several freinds that have commercial liscence which increases the limit to 100 fish but all that have them usually sell there fish to fish houses for extra income.

Loggerhead Mike said:

nice!

got any pics of your setup?

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I will get some and post when I can. Its hard cause my setup doesnt go on the boat till it comes off the trailer, and by that time its usually dark. Ill see what i can do.

Thanks for the informed replys. I've seen the flounder up on the flats here as well and had thoughts of spearing my dinner rather than cast netting the bait to go catch their cousins. :wink:

Because of the new "conservation minded" size restrictions are working so well, we can catch tons of short flounder all day long, but a "keeper" is often one fish out of 20. They seem to be raising the size limit by 1/2" - 1" every year, so the numbers are increasing, but the average size hasn't changed much from what I can tell. There do seem to be more doormats taken, but like all large members of any species, I worry about the pollutants and mercury levels that accumulate in the flesh of these fish.

Unlike Redfish, kings, spanish and several other species around here, the larger flounder do not seem to have the higher merc levels and the more fishy taste. A large flounder for this area is 21-22" and up. I have not personaly caught or gigged a flounder over about 22" but have seen many well over that in others have. The same night I got these another buddy gigged 55 with 9 over 5lbs and 3 of those were over 7lbs. They are very desired on the gulf coast because of their table fare. In my opinion they are the BEST eating fish that swim in our waters and I would have NO hesitation eating the bigger fish. I do alot of fishing and release most all Redfish and Trout I catch, they are fun to catch but not even close when compared to the "flatties" for the dinner plate. The only place I release a flounder is into the grease!! :mrgreen:

rook said:

..... The only place I release a flounder is into the grease!! :mrgreen:

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Try baking or sauteing them. You'll live longer and get to eat more flatties. :wink: :LOL2:

:twisted: Nice!!! One of my favorite fish to eat.

Nice flounder!! I went a month or so ago and got 45 flounder. Been back 2 times since and only seen two.

DocWatson said:

Thanks for the informed replys. I've seen the flounder up on the flats here as well and had thoughts of spearing my dinner rather than cast netting the bait to go catch their cousins. :wink:

Because of the new "conservation minded" size restrictions are working so well, we can catch tons of short flounder all day long, but a "keeper" is often one fish out of 20. They seem to be raising the size limit by 1/2" - 1" every year, so the numbers are increasing, but the average size hasn't changed much from what I can tell. There do seem to be more doormats taken, but like all large members of any species, I worry about the pollutants and mercury levels that accumulate in the flesh of these fish.

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Usually, if you are catching a lot of fish just under the limit, it means that there is a lot of fishing pressure and that as soon as a fish reaches legal size he goes home to dinner.