Contents
All information about flounder: fishing methods, gear, spawning and habitats
A large detachment of about 680 species of fish, divided into 14 families. The main feature of all flounders is the general similarity of body shape and lifestyle. Flounders and other species of the order are bottom, ambush predators. A typical feature of all fish is the location of the eyes on one side of a flat body. It is worth recalling that young flounders start life like ordinary fish, swimming in the water and hunting for zooplankton. Growing up, young individuals go through several stages and metamorphoses, and then turn into fish that have a flat, rounded or tongue-shaped body. Adult fish have a modified head shape, with lateral eyes. The coloration of flounders is quite diverse, but the underside of the fish, as a rule, has a light, whitish color. The size and weight of the fish of this order are very diverse and vary greatly: from 6-7 centimeters, a few grams, to huge ones – up to almost 5 meters and weight under 400 kg. Fish are very widespread, many species live in the coastal zone of the seas, and often they are a favorite object of catching local fishermen and vacationers. Some flounders have perfectly adapted to life in brackish and fresh waters, and therefore they are caught not only in the sea, but also in bays and river estuaries. Most species lead a solitary lifestyle, but can form large aggregations, probably associated with hunting, in places where food objects are concentrated. Seasonal migrations are possible. Flounder catches may vary in different years and different seasons.
Fishing methods
Halibuts or soles are considered in a separate article, but here, we will focus on catching smaller species. Industrial production of flounder is carried out with the help of trawls and longline gear. In many regions, locals consider flounder to be a particularly tasty fish and prefer to catch it. Amateur fishing is carried out both from the shore and from boats. The main gear for catching flounders are various “donks”, often the simplest ones. In addition, you can fish with float, multi-hook, tyrant or combined rigs. Of course, on spinning rods with artificial lures. In winter, in coastal areas with a stable freeze-up, flounder is actively caught with winter gear. In such regions, winter and summer gear for vertical fishing may not differ from each other. It is worth noting that for catching flounder, with natural baits, and not only, many methods and equipment have been invented.
Catching fish on a spinning rod
Catching flounders on spinning is quite entertaining. When fishing in the coastal zone, along with other types of predators, flounders react to traditional spinning lures. When choosing tackle, first of all, you should focus on the size of possible trophies and the tasks for which you decide to use fishing tackle while relaxing on the sea coast. Spinning flounder fishing can be a very exciting activity. In coastal fishing, this is an excellent object for fishing with light and ultra-light tackle. For this, spinning rods with a weight test of 7-10 gr are quite suitable. Specialists in retail chains will recommend a large number of different baits. The choice of line or monoline depends on the desires of the angler, but the line, due to its low stretch, will enhance the manual sensations from contact with biting fish. Reels should match, in weight and size, a light rod. In addition, it is desirable to protect the hull from sea water.
Catching fish from under the ice
Purposeful flounder fishing in winter is best done with experienced local anglers. The fact is that the flounder, although it adheres to some specific areas of the sea relief, can change its habitat, in addition, it is desirable to know the orography of the bottom. Many Far Eastern and Arkhangelsk fishermen have a traditional winter, float equipment – a “sleeper”. An important feature in such fishing is the presence of at least a slight current, the leash equipment is pulled along the movement of the water. It is noticed that flounder is activated during high tides. For fishing, you can also use traditional winter fishing rods and equipment. When fishing flounder from ice, a small hook can be an important accessory.
Fishing with bottom gear
Best of all, flounders respond to bottom gear. For fishing from the shore, it is worth using rods for casting heavy sinkers and feeders. Sea bottom gear, as a rule, is quite long and with bulky reels. This is due to long-range, power casts, which is important in the surf zone with frequent, strong winds. Nevertheless, fishing with bottom gear familiar to “freshwater anglers” is quite possible, including feeder and picker. Moreover, they are very convenient for most, even inexperienced anglers. With a certain modification of equipment, they allow the fisherman to be quite mobile in the sea, and because of the possibility of spot feeding, quickly “collect” fish in a given place. Feeder and picker, as separate types of equipment, currently differ only in the length of the rod. The basis is the presence of a bait container-sinker (feeder) and interchangeable tips on the rod. The tops change depending on the fishing conditions and the weight of the feeder used. Nozzle for fishing can be any nozzles, both vegetable or animal origin, as well as pastes and so on. This method of fishing is available to everyone. Tackle is not demanding for additional accessories and specialized equipment. This allows you to fish in almost any water bodies. It is worth paying attention to the choice of feeders in shape and size, as well as bait mixtures. This is due to the conditions of the reservoir and the food preferences of local fish.
Baits
For flounder fishing on bottom, winter or float gear, a variety of natural baits are used. It can be slicing fish fillets, meat of shellfish, crustaceans, and more. Especially popular with fishermen is a nozzle made of sea worms – nereids and others. When fishing with multi-hook gear using artificial baits, various silicone baits or small spinners can be used. Spinning flounder fishing, most often, is carried out on a par with other fish, for example, sea bass. Lures, as a rule, should correspond to the expected trophy, and wiring is done as close to the bottom as possible. The choice is traditional, for catching small marine predators.
Places of fishing and habitat
More than 30 species of flounder live off the Russian coast. These fish live in all the seas washing the borders of Russia. The popularity of this fish among the local population and fishing enthusiasts is also connected with this. As already noted, many species inhabit the coastal zones of the seas and therefore often become the desired prey of fishermen. Most often, flounders stick to deeper places. Large flounders are caught at fairly large depths.
Spawning
Fish become sexually mature at the age of 3-4 years. Spawning takes place in winter-spring time, from December to May. Spawning occurs in portions with interruptions of 3-5 days. Eggs drift for some time in the water column along with plankton. The rate of development of larvae depends on the temperature of the environment. It should be noted that some species spawn a huge amount of caviar – up to a million pieces. Before settling to the bottom and metamorphoses with a change in body shape, young fish feed on invertebrates.