# Easter weekend flounder report



## Redfish Rick (Aug 27, 2004)

Flounder gigging over the last 4 nights has been very good, with lots of clear water, even on nights with 15-20mph winds. The tide levels have been on a steady increase over the last few days, and this has opened up new areas to gig each night. Flounder population numbers look very strong headed into summer, with no slowdown in the action in sight...

*4/12/2017*
I had the Barbara A. group of 2 onboard tonight. Conditions were nice, with SE wind at 10-15mph and normal tide levels. We found lots of clear water and scattered flounder over hard sand bottom. Most of the fish were active, still moving around looking for a place to get settled in for the night. We ended with a 10 flounder limit plus 2 sheesphead by 9:45pm (1 hour 15 minutes of gigging).

*4/13/2017*
I had the Gary Z. group of 2 onboard tonight. Conditions were fair, with East wind at 15mph and normal tide levels. Water clarity was marginal tonight, with some areas holding very clear water and others with lots of cloudy water. We found plenty of fish holding shallow over mud and grass bottom. We were able to be picky on the size of fish we gigged, only targeting the larger flounder. Most of the fish tonight were on the move, actively chasing bait-fish on the flats, making for some exciting gigging action. We ended with a 10 flounder limit plus 2 sheepshead by 10pm (1 hour, 30 minutes of gigging). The largest flounder tonight was 26" and weighed 7 pounds, a giant for April. All of the other fish were in the 15-20" range.

*4/14/2017*
I had the David L. group of 4 onboard tonight. Conditions were marginal, with SE wind at 15-20mph and normal tide levels. After a rough boat ride out, we found plenty of clear water and tightly schooled flounder holding on hard sand and grass bottom. The action started slow, but picked up about a hour after dark. We ended with a 20 flounder limit plus 1 sheepshead by 10:40pm (2 hours 10 minutes of gigging). The fish tonight were nice size, all in the 15-18" range.

*4/15/2017*
I had the Patrick K. group of 4 onboard tonight. Conditions were fair, with SE winds at 10-20mph and high tide levels. The much higher tide levels were a game changer tonight, making many new areas accessible. The back lakes were productive for the first time in 2017 tonight, and we found scattered larger flounder holding in the far reaches of the back lakes near creeks and small drains. Overall, the rising tide scattered the fish out over a wider area, but they were tightly bunched when we found them. We ended with a 20 flounder limit plus 3 sheepshead by 11:20pm (3 hours of gigging). The fish were nice size again tonight, ranging from 15-21".

*Upcoming open dates:*
*April: 17, 19, 20, 24-27
May: 1-4, 6-10, 13-15, 17, 18, 22-24, 29*

I also do "late trips" on request, and this is the best way to get a trip in on short notice when I am already booked.

Visit my Facebook page for daily reports and pictures.

Capt. Rick Hammond
Night Stalker Guide Service - Rockport, Texas
Flounder Gigging Trips
361-229-6053
www.nightstalkerguideservice.com


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## Redfish Rick (Aug 27, 2004)

*Good trip with dirty water*

*4/16/2017*
I had the Rhew D. group of 4 onboard tonight. Conditions were fair, with SE wind at 15mph and very high tide levels. The higher water combined with incoming tide early made for lots of dirty water tonight. Things started slow, but picked up around 10:30pm, as the tide changed and started to go out. We found most of our fish tonight buried deep in soft mud bottom and hard to see in 2-3' of murky water (tough gigging conditions). We ended with a 20 flounder limit plus 2 sheepshead by 11:30pm (3 hours of gigging).

*Upcoming open dates:*
*April: 17, 19, 24-27
May: 1-4, 6-10, 13-15, 17, 18, 22-24, 29*

I also do "late trips" on request, and this is the best way to get a trip in on short notice when I am already booked.

Visit my Facebook page for daily reports and pictures.

Capt. Rick Hammond
Night Stalker Guide Service - Rockport, Texas
Flounder Gigging Trips
361-229-6053
www.nightstalkerguideservice.com


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