# Flounder question???



## texn8 (Oct 7, 2004)

I lost a flounder last week while wade fishing Port O. A real beauty too. About 26", best guess. Which bring up a question. Is there a good technique for landing a flounder without a net while wadefishing???? Little SOB's don't have a good handle to hold onto. I have lost plenty of them while wadefishing and never have really ask around for a good way to land them, short of walking them to the closest shoreline. If anyone could offer some help I'd appriciate it.
THANKS


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## waterspout (May 21, 2004)

net! 

I'm no expert but I grab them hard in the gills right under it's bottom jaw,seems to work.


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## seacat (Feb 6, 2005)

22 pistol......


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## finseeker (May 21, 2004)

*Get a net*

*Get a net! I started carrying a net for that very reason.Just got tired of those flatfish swimming away at my waistline.Hope you land the next one!*


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## Bucksnort (Jun 29, 2004)

after losing the trout of my life in 1986...and I'm still sick to my stomach, I went and got a net...I carry a net with me all the time while wading...i have it for big fish. A net came in handy on this one


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## Cru (May 24, 2004)

Lip 'em like a bass.


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## tomcatt (Aug 10, 2004)

Yea Cru, I tried that one time thinking "I'm tough". I almost cried when he started shaking. A net is the way to go.


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## jewfish (Feb 16, 2005)

T O P S E C R E T N E T


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## jewfish (Feb 16, 2005)

Lip them like a bass with F A N G S


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## SEAHUNT186 (Dec 24, 2004)

Bucksnort that is the biggest flounder I've ever seen. I'm jealous!!! I've only caught one of those in my life! Well, I've only been saltwater fishing for not even a year yet.


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## daparson (Dec 4, 2004)

*Flounder?*



Bucksnort said:


> after losing the trout of my life in 1986...and I'm still sick to my stomach, I went and got a net...I carry a net with me all the time while wading...i have it for big fish. A net came in handy on this one


 Is that the one you caught when you and I were wadefishing?

Mark


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## Sow Trout (Jun 28, 2004)

Get in shallow water and stab the sharp end of your stringer through them like it was a gig. Then reach under and pick them up. Watch out for the barbs.


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## Freshwaterman (May 21, 2004)

Bucksnort said:


> after losing the trout of my life in 1986...and I'm still sick to my stomach, I went and got a net...I carry a net with me all the time while wading...i have it for big fish. A net came in handy on this one


So how big do ya estimate the trout was?? I lost one off of the Flagship in Galveston due to no net. I and two other people there all agreed that trout was an honest 30". she was big enough that she snapped the dog mechanism of a Garcia 5000 in half. For those of you thta don't know the upper level of the Flagship is approx. 25' from the water. I got her all the way up to even with the rails before the dog snapped. She fell back in the water and was still hooked soI tried again and only got her up about halfway before she bit through the line. I **** near broke my thumb and fingers when that dog broke and then again on that second attempt to get her up. I still get sick to my stomach after that one!  They say grown men should not cry, well they have never lost a trout like that!!! lol
Billy


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## Cat O' Lies (May 21, 2004)

Believe it or not, after getting a flounder bite or hooking one and then it comes unbuttoned, you can almost bet your paycheck the flounder is within about a 5 ft radius of where the hit occured or he came unbuttoned. I have led them from 50 ft out all the way to the boat before getting a hook set and have recaught the one that got away.


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## allicat (May 20, 2004)

man, i would be sick if i lost a big flattie like that! 26" would be a HUGE flounder doncha know. TAKE A NET....thats my thinking. 

hey buck, did you get a weight on that big girl?? beautiful!

trudy


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## Stay Bent (May 22, 2004)

It still hurts to tell this story. The flounder was over 8-ish and around 25+ and "I had a net". I go underneath it so it couldn't see the net and low and behold it just sat on top of the net. Got to see what I was dealing with and got even more nervous. Too big to net that way, so I figured I go from the back and scoop up. Well that didn't work either. As I scooped from behind and raised rod tip, the weigh of the fish broke my line and the fish used the net as a spring board and shot about 2 feet out of the net and across the water about 15 feet. I cast and cast, but never hooked up to it again. The sad part was a buddy was there laughing instead of helping. (I call what he did defense)


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## Bucksnort (Jun 29, 2004)

Hey DaParson yeah thats the flounder I caught when we were wading last summer. I caught her on a gold spoon. I can't remember her weight but I believe she was 23" 'r. Hey Billy the trout was a solid 9lbr maybe a 10...it was huge...never caught anything like it prior or since....hooked her in the boliver surf fishing a mirrorlure 51m28. If'n I had to do it all over again she would be caught...then released...but that was 1986...a while back. And they didn't make replicas like they do today..We couldn't believe that big sow was in there because we have never caught one that big in the surf before..mainly those 18-20" trout.


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## bslittle79 (May 24, 2004)

Stay Bent I think that is a problem most people have with larger fish. Those wade nets are small. Althought that is a good problem to have. With nets I think most people bring fish in too green(fresh) and the fish will still be trying to get away. I don't catch a lot of flounder, but there are times that I wish had a net. One thing I've learned from other people and myself, while either wading or in the boat, is don't bring the fish straight to you and raise the rod tip. Take the fish around in circles until the fish is ready to come in. I've circled myself till I was almost dizzy with some trout(flounder too).

I had my first Texas Slam going, 25" trout, 25" red, and a good flounder(between 20-25") as I was walking back to the boat. I bet I grabed that flound two or three times before it came unhooked. 

I don't like the nets, but if my life depended on living on flounder...i'd have a net.


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## Tight Knot (Sep 8, 2004)

I am sure most have seen BS Little trout video-very good technique of pressing the fish against his leg with the rod away from his body.I have a buddy in Aransas that has a large shallow net-scoops um up like a frying pan.I've also seen the circle move,but have never caught a trout big enough to use it.

 Bob


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## TooShallow (May 21, 2004)

The only time I carry a wading net is when I'm fishing for flounder. Without a net the best way to subdue them is with a death grip on the gill plates. You can sink your fingers in there and it seems to paralyze them for a moment. I'm sure everyone knows this but never ever unhook the fish until it's on the stringer. Even if the fish is in the net, put it on the stringer then extract the hook.


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## Bucksnort (Jun 29, 2004)

big trout don't give ya a choice on the circle move....they make you do it...then you have to untangle yourself..


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## Redfishr (Jul 26, 2004)

I grab what few I hook on the back side of thier head , where my fingers are on each side of their gill plates. They kinda stop thrashing at that point. But it still aint easy.
But I dont carry a net, so no other choice. If they get away , thats the breaks.


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## Fish-a-mon (May 21, 2004)

I have a buddy that takes them and pins them too his chest, strings them, then removes the hook. I've seen him do this to Flounders up to 6lbs. I carry a net. I've even asked him if he need it he said no, I'll pin it. I had a Flounder rip two nuckles up trying to unhook it. Bad fish!!!


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## Bucksnort (Jun 29, 2004)

I kinda have this fear of a shark biting off my hand when I'm grabbing a fish. I think it is from my early childhood when my grandpaw told me about a little girl dangling her feet in the water off of a boat dock and an alligator gar grabbed her foot and took her under...I have no idea if that story is true but it has always stuck in my brain...before donets I had many a fish eaten off my stringer by sharks.


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## CaseyS (Nov 24, 2004)

*Go for the Gills*

Try to get your fingers in their gills on the bottom side


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## Bigwater (May 21, 2004)

I'm surprised with some of these answers. I've got this one covered. I hate to carry a net. If it's knot up out of the water where it belongs it's banging on the back of your calves scaring fish off. 
Here's what has worked extremly well with me. You finish your fight and bring him up to your belly and flat land him with a bear hug. The death grip many speak of will knot work on Big Flounder. The belly grab will.

Bigwater


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## TooShallow (May 21, 2004)

Just how does that belly grab work in knee deep water? LOL


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## Cat O' Lies (May 21, 2004)

It is a technique used by midgets!!!


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## TooShallow (May 21, 2004)

You mean Biggie is not really big after all.


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## Sick Leave (Dec 23, 2004)

I had a similiar problem with a huge flounder (my net was too small) about 2 years ago. I had bought one of those small mouth trout nets with a cork handle and it was nice for small fish. However, I under rated myself and wasn't ready for the big one. I lost that monster and I decided not to lose another.

I bought one of those aluminum nets with a short handle but it has a 20" by 18" throat with a deep green net. Because the net was so long, I knew that I would be stepping on it while I was wading. So I took it apart, got some styrofoam and cut the styrofoam into small lengths so that I could push it up inside the entire rim of the net. I filled the handle with styrofoam and then caulked the ends with marine sealant so that water could not get up inside of it. Then I screwed it back together. 
That bugger floated behind me within easy reach and I've not lost a fish since due to a net problem. Maybe a big net is too big for small fish, but it isn't when you need it for those monsters. I still use that net today and the aluminum has lasted for longer than the flimsy plastic one with the cork I used to use.


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## Bigwater (May 21, 2004)

Shallow LOL I throw tops mainly. Especialy when i'm in kneedeep water. But for your application I would simply sit down. This isn't rocket science Son! I should have known: There's at least one in every room! LOL Good one guys! I'm telling you there ain't no feeling quite like belly grabbing a Flounder. The best part is the slime.

Biggie LMAO


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## Bucksnort (Jun 29, 2004)

Bigwater said:


> LOL Good one guys! I'm telling you there ain't no feeling quite like belly grabbing a Flounder. The best part is the slime.
> 
> Biggie LMAO


And then the hook gets embedded in your side, then you let go of the fish because of the pain. With the hook in your side the fish is thrashing around making the hook go in deeper and deeper. Meanwhile your bleeding out and start attracting sharks which start to eat your fish and chomp on your side, then your guts come out and your dead, and the birds start working ya.....I'll bring my net. :rotfl:


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## Bigwater (May 21, 2004)

OK You got me! LOL Just keep losing 'em. or bring your darn net!

biggie


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## drummerboy (Sep 11, 2004)

use a boga grip it works for me and im sure it will work for you. heres me with on

they sell a 15lb , 30lb , 60lb but they are pricley


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