When The Water's Flat

  The wind lays and not even a ripple disturbs the surface. I am prone to get very excited when I see this condition. This is because it's floundering time! Gigging flounder, in South Texas, is most definitely not your ordinary fishing experience. There's nothing quite like this!
   It is amazing what comes into shallow water at night. The fish feel protected, under the dark canopy of night. This makes them adventurous and chance taking, something in our favor. They cruise the shallows and somewhat blinded by your floundering lights.
   There's an art to gigging flat fish and this sport I highly recommend. When you spot your prey, be slow to break the water with the gig. This allows no sudden change in pressure, which is a flounder's way of sensing trouble. Let the gig move into position slowly over the fish and then strike. Be ready for a quick response because a five-pound flounder can literally pull the gig right out of your hand!
   Another thing to be aware of, is that not all flat fish are flounders and you may not be able to distinguish between stingray and flounder in the shadows. I have lost gigs to rays as big as a coffee table. The whole bottom seemed to explode when I mistakenly gigged the wrong fish!
   A grand advantage to night gigging is it tells the story of where the big reds are. You see more redfish feeding at night than at any other time and be assured that if they are thick at some bank you are floundering at night, that is where they will be the next day. So, just come back for the second course in your boat and cast into huge schools of redfish. Flounder and redfish for dinner, not bad for a night's work!

Captain Mike Scott is a retired Texas Gulf fishing guide and commercial fisherman. As Mike puts it “If you really want to catch your limit talk to me.” Please feel free to contact Mike for any fishing questions through AlphaLane.com or by using his site email in the AlphaLane search page. Use Mike’s CID which is 119 or simply search on category ‘fishing’.