Everything You Need To Know About Texas Flounder

What is a Flounder?

Flounder are an extraordinarily unique species of flatfish also know as demersal fish which live at or near the bottom of the ocean. The four fish species that are commonly called flounder are gulf flounder, southern flounder, summer flounder(fluke), and winter flounder. Only the southern flounder and gulf flounder live in Texas but these fish can be found throughout the Atlantic Coast. Flounder have a round body with round fins and both eyes usually on the left side of its body. The color of flounder can change to help them blend in with the bottom and ambush their prey.

The southern and gulf flounder are popular in the U.S. as well as an important economic driver commercially and recreationally. These flounder species average one to five pounds but have been known to occasionally reach 20 pounds or more.

How big do Flounder get?

Flounder can be anywhere from 8 to 20+ inches, and have a width of about half their length. The minimum keeper size is usually around 14 inches or more depending on your location. Males will generally be smaller than females.

How to Catch Flounder?

Flounder are bottom dwellers and tend to stick to the sea floor waiting patiently for a meal to come across, but can actually despite their appearance often be seen to swim to the surface to chase a meal. When you are using light tackle, you'll want to use live bait or small soft plastics with a jig head along the bottom. The unique thing about fishing flounder is patience - some people claim you need to wait a while to set the hook after you feel a bite

Gigging Flounder

While gigging flounder has become a controversial topic with flounder populations on the decline, it might be the original form of night fishing. Originally gigging was done with long sharp sticks up to 7 feet long to spearfish in shallow water. They often carried torches to draw fish in close to them making it easy to hit them with a spear.

Today it’s done with flat-bottom boats covered in lights with specially made multi-prong spears called gigs. The strategy is to gently float over shallow areas until you see flounder then quickly jab the gig into the fish and pull it aboard. This method of catching flounder is different because it’s uncommon to be able to hunt fish, especially at night.

Where is The Best Place to Catch flounder?

Flounder are bottom dwellers, and live on various sea and estuary floors around the world. Different subspecies have different preferences for depth and habitat. Southern flounder will often be found close to shore in shallow waters and intracoastal flats perfect for gigging

When is The Best Time to Catch Flounder?

Flounder are best caught in the summer and during their migration from October to December. Summer flounder is best in the summer, winter flounder in the winter, and gulf flounder in the spring and summer.

Texas Flounder Season 2022

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department sets regulations along the Texas Coast to protect our marine resources. For 2022 TPWD has announced Texas flounder season will only be closed from November 1st through December 14th. No flounder may be harvested during this time.

Texas Flounder Regulations

During flounder season, the daily bag limit is five fish per person. These fish must be at least 15 inches in length to legally harvest.

Are Flounder Good to Eat?

When eating flounder there is no question about style - stuffed flounder is the way to go. When you search flounder recipes that is all you will see. Flounder is most commonly stuffed with crab, maybe some shrimp, some veggies, some crackers - everyone has their own recipe - but it is damn good when it comes out of the oven. Flounder is most often stuffed because it’s odd body shape encourages this since it is already flattened and ready to be opened up.