About Flounder
Captain Ron and Tightline Fishing Charters Specializes in Fishing Trips for Flounder and other Inshore and Nearshore species
Found in coastal waters from Florida to Canada, flounder are a popular catch for anglers on inshore and near shore fishing trips!
A Fun and Tasty Catch
Flounder are especially abundant in coastal estuaries and near shore waters. For such a commonly caught fish, they are exceptionally good table fare and lots of fun to catch. Moderately strong fighters on light tackle, catching flounder will thrill first time anglers and never disappoint even the most experienced fisherman. Flounders of regulation size will go straight into the catch box and will be the first into the frying pan. Valued by seafood chefs for their tender meat and delicate flavor, flounder stuffed with crabmeat is a delicacy in high end seafood restaurants.
Flounder Basics
You Can’t Miss Identifing a Flounder! Flounder are perhaps the most easily recognized fish in all of North America. Every saltwater angler, and even most people who have never fished a day in their lives, recognize that strange oval shaped, bottom dwelling flat fish with both eyes on the same side of its body staring up at you. Always called a flounder down south, in the northeast they are often called fluke or sole but every angler immediately knows they’ve caught something special and a delicious dinner on a hook.
The Classic Bottom Dweller Lacking a swim bladder that allows most fish to stay buoyant at depths of their choosing, flounder, that most classic of bottom dwellers, naturally sink to the water bottom. Flounder will camouflage themselves under a thin layer of sand or mud and ambush at lightening speed any small crustaceans or small fish that wander nearby. They can even change their coloration and patterning to match the bottom.
Flounder inhabit coastal estuaries including bays, channels, bayous and coastal rivers such as the Halifax River which runs through Daytona Beach. They are often found around rock jetties, piers, and pilings as well as offshore reefs many miles from shore.
A Flounder is a Flounder, right?
Not necessarily. When on the hook and in the oven, all flounder are equal. Every flounder is a great catch and an outstanding seafood dish. In Central Florida, including the waters around Daytona Beach, all flounder share the same habitat, the same migratory habits and bite on the same bait.
There are 3 Species of Flounder in Daytona Beach area waters.
For the vast majority of anglers, a Flounder is a Flounder but actually there are 3 different species of flounder inhabiting the inshore and offshore waters around Daytona Beach.
Southern Flounder
Southern Flounder (Paralichthys lethostigma)
The southern flounder is the most common species caught in Daytona Beach as well as the entire southeaster United States. The southern flounder is the most commercially valuable flounder caught in the western North Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico.
RANGE
Southern flounder are found along the coasts and continental shelf of North Carolina south to Florida and across the Gulf of Mexico to Texas and southward into northern Mexico. They are generally not found in South Florida below Cape Canaveral on the east coast or Tampa Bay on the west coast although they have been occasionally caught as far south as Jupiter Inlet (just north of Palm Beach) and the Caloosahatchee estuary (Fort Myers)
DESCRIPTION
Southern flounder are light brown to dark brown brown to nearly black on their top side with numerous, scattered, dark and light spots and blotches. These spots are very diffuse and gradually disappear as the fish grows older. The bottom side is white or dusky.
The southern flounder is a “left side” flounder meaning they are facing left when lying before you with the eyes above the mouth.
SIZE
Small southern flounder grow rapidly and may reach 12 inches in length by the end of their first year. Southern flounders reach maturity at an age of about two years with a length of about 16 inches.
Typical southern flounder catches range from 12 to 18 inches, but the fish can grow to as large as 33 inches.
The World record is 20 lbs 9 ozs.
Female southern flounders remain in brackish waters most of the year, only moving offshore to spawn in fall and winter. Most adult males remain offshore year round. However not all adult southern flounder migrate offshore to spawn. Adult flounder in the 5 to 6 pound range can be caught on Daytona Beach inshore fishing trips even in winter.
Summer Flounder
Summer Flounder (Paralichthys dentatus)
It is often difficult to tell the difference between a summer flounder and a southern flounder. Their living and feeding habits are identical and their appearance is very similar. In addition, most of their ranges overlap.
RANGE
Summer flounder are found much further north than southern flounder, actually as far north as Noxa Scotia in Canada. (In the northeast and Canada they are often referred to as fluke or sole). Like the southern flounder, they can be found in the Gulf of Mexico but only as far west as Louisiana. Like the southern flounder, they are not generally found in South Florida.
DESCRIPTION
The similarity to the southern flounder extends to their appearance but with one distinct difference. While the coloring is nearly identical to the southern flounder, there are typically 5 to 14 very distinct eyespots on the body. While the spots on a southern flounder are all blurry and diffuse, these additinal eyespots on a summer flounder have sharp circle outlines.
Like the southern flounder, the summer flounder is a “left side” flounder.
SIZE
The summer flounder grows to virtually the same size and at the same rate of growth as the southern flounder. It also shares the same reproductive habits as the southern flounder, leaving the inshore waters to spawn offshore during the fall and winter. Like the southern flounder, some adults remain inshore year round and can be caught on Daytona Beach inshore fishing trips even in winter. (See southern flounder size details above)
The World record is 22 lbs 7 ozs.
Gulf Flounder
Gulf Flounder (Paralichthys albiguttata)
The gulf flounder is the southern most of the three species listed here. It is somewhat smaller and far less common than either the southern or summer flounder. It is every bit as fun to catch and delicious to eat.
RANGE
The gulf flounder, like the southern flounder can be found as far north as North Carolina. Unlike the southern and summer flounder, the gulf flounder can be found in South Florida. It’s range even extends into the southern Gulf of Mexico, into the Caribbean and even the Bahamas.
DESCRIPTION
Gulf flounders are distinguished by three large dark eye spots arranged in a triangle on the upper pigmented side of their bodies. Two of the spots are seen in the center of the body and a third eyespot is seen closer to the tail. Like the southern and summer flounders there are numerous blurry spots scattered over a brown or dark upper side and the underside is white or dusky.
Like the southern and summer flounder, the gulf flounder is a “left side” flounder.
SIZE
The gulf flounder can grow to 28 inches on length (versus 33” for southern and summer flounders) and may reach 5 or 6 pounds. Typical catches are up to 14” in length versus up to 18” for southern and summer flounder.
The World record is 6 lbs 4 ozs
Like the southern and summer flounder, gulf flounder leave the inshore waters to spawn offshore during the fall and winter but some adults may remain inshore year round.
A NOTE ABOUT WINTER FLOUNDER (Pseudopleuronectes americanus)
Ranging from the mouth of the St Lawrence River in Canada to as far south as Georgia, catching a winter flounder is a possibility here in Daytona Beach. Similar in appearance to the southern and summer flounder, the winter flounder has one very distinct physical feature: It is a “right side” flounder, meaning it faces right when lying flat in front of you, eyes above the mouth. In addition it spawns inshore during the winter months (hence its name), not offshore like southern, summer and gulf flounders! If you happen to catch one, get a picture!
