I'm thinking about getting into flounder fishing from shore. Any help or suggestions would be appreciated. When, where and how. Why? I need to catch something and I'm getting mighty hungry. I've started smelt fishing recently and I'm still learning and enjoy just being by the sea. Thanks

You want to fish estuary mouths and salt ponds, or any location with moving water. Also look for an area were the flounder can sun themselves. May I also recomend clam worms for bait, and if you can chum broken mussels, I've also heard that rabit pellets work well for chum (the ones that go into the rabit, not the ones that come out :D) That, and I would wait until the spring to begin fishing for them.

Wait til the Spring to fish for Winter fluke?

Damn, I guess I'll stick to trout fishing for the meantime.

chum heavily (mussels), warmer days will be better.

use clam worms if you can get 'em, don't let 'em freeze else they die and get mushy. Also, fresh mussels are awesome on the hook too.

this time of the year you should see tapeworms floating around, if you see any snag 'em they are equally good bait. they look like sandworms but wider and are pale.

chum is key to success.
I use a dropper loop rig with a mini chum pot dangling right above the sinker. the mini chum pot is simply a plastic 35 mm film can (you can usually get a chitload of 'em free at your local 1 hr photo developer if you're short on 'em). Drill some holes in the sides of the plastic film can (for chum to leak out), then a smaller hole in the lid and the bottom (to run your leader through).

Put your favorite mixture of chum in the mini chumpot - I use a wicked combination of wet cat food (seafood flavor) and berkley power paste (the pink saltwater flavor stuff - you'll see a flounder logo on the tube-get the paste not the gel).

When you start fishing, also crush some fresh mussels, and sprinkle this chum (with shells - they have juice in 'em) around the area you are fishing. Do this repeatedly

***but don't use corn for chum*** - fish can't digest it and the fish will die

Terminal tackle...
Use proper sized hooks (nothing too big). Size 1 Mustads or something like that
Use fluoro leader. 15 lb. test is plenty.
Use the lightest possible bank sinker you can get away with (2 oz or less)

Slide yellow plastic beads (or whatever suits your fancy) onto your leader so the beads are right above the eye of the hook. These simulate baby mussels, which are prime forage for winter flatties.

Locations...
Try to target river mouths/inlets when current is moving. If you can locate a depression (hole) in the bottom, try to get your offering there.

Gear...
Best to fish with braided line, I prefer to use a an Abu 6500 CL convench or similar size (Calcutta 400, etc).

Good luck and happy flatty hunting.

Great info fishweewee, can't wait to get out there. I still have a question about when. Sorry to sound stupid, but isn't "winter" flonder caught in the winter?

hmmm, good question.

Well, first you have to observe the lawful seasons for taking them (see your state regs).

When it's really cold out, they basically bury themselves in the mud and aren't that active.

I've fished for them starting in the 3rd week of March all the way through May/June. I think April/May is peak. Warmer weather is usually better.

By Tradition, and not in compliance with state regs, flounder season starts on St Patrick's day.

There's this place where the flounders are abundant! They just fixed it up and now it looks fabulouso!

You'll get a few now but they bury themselves in the mud 2nd week of may till mid july the best uphere in boston my clients got some close to 5 lbs this past summer chinco rig is hard to beat on the big ones

do a search on my old post about flounderfishing. steve in mass has tips that are helpful.