Northwest Fishing Reports

What's your favorite rod and reel setup for flounder from shore or off shore. My favorite for both is a 6 foot 6 inch, medium action Uglystick with a Daiwa Regal spooled with 14# line.

Probably my cheapest rod/reel. No need to get fancy with flounder. Just need something that can take a beating and I don't care if I drop it in the sand or water or get fish guts all over it. I usually use an old trout combo so it's usually spooled with 6lb test.

They sure are good tasting though...I only keep em if I'm fishing in open, clean water. I wouldn't advise keeping them when caught in dirty water around a bunch of boat or gast docks and the like...

I think I've only found one so far with worms.

Yep if you watch out for the worms your usually not going to find too many infested flounders. They are scrap feeders too though, so sometimes you gotta watch out....

yeah i like to use some light tackle for them and what do u guys like to use for bait

Anything works for bait really. They'll hit anything. I just go out and dig clams and use the necks (they stay on the hook very well) or I buy a pack of frozen herring and cut it up into as many pieces as I can...

where do u usually fish for them

Sam Kafelafish wrote:They sure are good tasting though...I only keep em if I'm fishing in open, clean water. I wouldn't advise keeping them when caught in dirty water around a bunch of boat or gast docks and the like...

I have to echo what Sam says here. I have caught more than a few flounder with tumors growing off their underside. :cyclops: Yuck. But i supposed in clean water it's probably all as well.
I too like a light trout rod with anything for bait, herring, clams etc. They always seem like too much work to get any meat out of these things, so I have never bothered to keep one. But considering how abundant they are, if you know how to fillet, you could sure fine with a whole bucket. (check the regs--- when I say "Bucket" although I think they do not have a limit on them.) Look for sandy bottoms.

do u guys have any good spots for them

I have done well with Herring chunks, Shrimp, and even night crawlers. I also have caught many flatfish, on flatfish trolled slow near the bottom...

fishingmachine wrote:do u guys have any good spots for them

Anywhere that you have a sandy bottom. For me, I live right out from Golden Gardens, ballard (Seattle)
they can be found anywhere there. Also right off of Carkeek Park, 1 mile north of Golden Gardens.

i've always done well off the bank between owens beach and the boathouse at point defiance. i usually fish with pile worms. i get a few kelp cod now and then too there

fishingmachine wrote:where do u usually fish for them

They are everywhere. No exaggeration. Sandy or rocky bottoms will hold flounder...Super easy to catch....

Sam Kafelafish wrote:They are everywhere. No exaggeration. Sandy or rocky bottoms will hold flounder...Super easy to catch....

That is probably why I like to fish for them so much.

Yep. If you are also willing to fillet them they sure are pretty good deep fried. Serve em up and you will think you are eating some halibut...

They are also good pan fried and done on a bbq...

I have to try them on the BBQ. We usually just pan fry them.

quadradomus wrote:

Sam Kafelafish wrote:They sure are good tasting though...I only keep em if I'm fishing in open, clean water. I wouldn't advise keeping them when caught in dirty water around a bunch of boat or gast docks and the like...

I have to echo what Sam says here. I have caught more than a few flounder with tumors growing off their underside. :cyclops: Yuck. But i supposed in clean water it's probably all as well.
I too like a light trout rod with anything for bait, herring, clams etc. They always seem like too much work to get any meat out of these things, so I have never bothered to keep one. But considering how abundant they are, if you know how to fillet, you could sure fine with a whole bucket. (check the regs--- when I say "Bucket" although I think they do not have a limit on them.) Look for sandy bottoms.

Limit is 15 flounder, if you keep no other bottomfish. Total aggregate limit of bottomfish is 15.

I live in Area 11 and the regs say the limit here is 2 bottomfish.

fisherhall wrote:I live in Area 11 and the regs say the limit here is 2 bottomfish.

It says limit is 2 "for all other fish". If you look above a few lines, it says "BOTTOMFISH - Limit 15"

The "all other fish" is intended to cover certain obscure species that do not fall under the specific "bottomfish" definition, like gobies, sticklebacks, sculpins that are not included in the definition of bottomfish, or other fish that people never really catch and are not included in the bottomfish definition. Flounder are included in the definition of "bottomfish". If you look under the area 11 rules, you'll also see that "Bottomfish" have their own subsection/format etc. in the special rules listing, while the "All other fish" section is separated from the "Bottomfish" section above it.

The same confusion arises with Kelp Greenling. People think the limit is 2, but the limit is 15 if you keep no other bottomfish.