Is it too early for winter flounder fishing!

[chingweiliao]

Dear Striper friends:

After 102 day quit for fishing, I am wonder whether it is still too early for winter flounder and tautog fishing?

Being exhausted from my work under current enconomic condition, I am planning to fish anasquam river as well as hampton river for flounder recently.

If anyone of you has experience in catching any winter flounder and tautog from Cape Code to Maine coasts at this time of year, please shed some light here.


Your Fishing Friend from Taiwan,

Ching-Wei Liao

[STEVE IN MASS]

This year, with the cold weather, perhaps it's still too early.....

But, in years past, Mass had flounder fishing closed from March 1 to May1...then last year they changed it so as you can keep 3 from March 1 thru May 1, and then is open to I believe 8 a day after that.....so, "they" must know something, as in the flounder become active and spawn in March and April....

The weather we had the last couple of days will help things, but from what I understand, water temps in the low to mid 40's is when they wake up and dig themselves out of the mud, and in most places, we have a way to go before we see that. Jersey is just getting their first few, albeit spotty, and we are usually two to three weeks behind them here in Ma.

What you want to look for is tidal flats that have shallow water at low tide, and some sunny days. Even if the water doesn't warm up to those temps, if the area is shallow and the sun can beat down on the dark mud and warm it a bit, it can wake them up.

Then, fish downstream on an out going tide, preferably in the afternoon on a sunny day, after the water and mud has had a chance to warm up.

So, you can't catch them from the couch, as they say, so go for it whenever you can if you have the chance. I plan to give it a go at a certain spot within the next couple of weeks.