When can you gig flounder in Alabama?

When can you gig flounder in Alabama?

From September through November, fall migration brings flounder from the creeks and rivers to the back bays and Gulf. This is the best time to try your hand with a rod and reel or a gig. There are two species of the flatfish found in Alabama: the Southern flounder and the Gulf flounder.

What time of year is best for flounder gigging?

While flounder can be caught year round, they are more concentrated and easier to catch or gig in fall and early winter. The best rod and reel fishing starts mid-September and goes on through December, and sometimes well into January depending on weather and how cold it gets.

What tide is best for floundering?

outgoing high tide
The outgoing high tide is the best tide to catch flounder. Flounder rely upon the outgoing tide to bring them shrimp, crabs and fish to their hidden ambush points. They like to hide in strategically located spots that will make it easy for them to catch their prey as the tide brings the food right to them.

Where is the best place to gig flounder?

Flounder gigging is most popular along the Gulf Coast from Florida to Texas, as well as along the Atlantic coast up to the Carolinas. However, anglers also gig for Flounder in New Zealand and Australia.

What fish can you gig in Alabama?

In Alabama waters, two sub-species of flounder can be found, the Southern flounder and the Gulf flounder. The Southern flounder is much more common and has more subtle colors.

Is there a flounder season in Alabama?

Flounder Season reopens December 1st The harvest of flounder will resume on December 1, 2020, at 12:01am. The recreational size limit for flounder is 14 inches total length, and the daily bag limit is five per person.

What should I look for when floundering?

The waves create a distinct ripple pattern in the sand, so anything that differs from that pattern should be checked out. Flounder tend to bury themselves in the sand somewhat, but their spade-shaped outline is usually visible. (You can click on the photo to enlarge it.) Sometimes they are tougher to spot.

Can you go floundering during the day?

Offshore flounder are closely associated with deep structure like wrecks and reefs. These fish will feed all day and into the night as long as food is present. Many anglers like fishing at night but the big flounders bite mostly during the day.

Are Trotlines legal in Alabama?

Trotlines. It is illegal to fish trotline or snag line, set line, commercial fishing net, slat boxes or wire baskets within one-half mile below any lock, dam or powerhouse. All recreational licensed fisherman utilizing trotlines are limited to 100 hooks total.

Is it legal to jug fish in Alabama?

Alabama anglers can successfully jug fish all year long for a fish native to Alabama, the channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus), except during spells of exceptionally cold weather. They appear the most active in the spring and fall months.

How many flounder can you keep in Alabama?

Flounder Season reopens December 1st The recreational size limit for flounder is 14 inches total length, and the daily bag limit is five per person. The commercial size limit is 14 inches total length with a daily limit of 40 per person or 40 per vessel.

Do flounder put up a fight?

Flounder are found throughout the entire east coast, from Florida to Maine. They are delicious to eat. They put up a good fight and are fun to catch!

What’s the best bait to catch flounder?

Best Baits and Lures for flounder: The best live baits for flounder are croaker or mullet. For strip baits, he likes bluefish, squid or the belly of a gray trout or croaker. When fishing artificials, his go-to list includes Berkley Gulp!, swimming mullets and spinnerbaits, such as the Strike King Redfish Magic.

Where is the best flounder fishing?

Montauk, New York. As the location of the current world-record catch, perhaps Montauk is the granddaddy of all fluke spots. The waters off the eastern tip of Long Island have structure and baitfish populations that attract huge numbers of 3- to 10-pound fluke, with occasional fish weighing in the teens.

Is Jugging legal in Alabama?

Alabama anglers can successfully jug fish all year long for a fish native to Alabama, the channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus), except during spells of exceptionally cold weather.

Is it legal to run trotlines in Alabama?

Trotlines. It is illegal to fish trotline or snag line, set line, commercial fishing net, slat boxes or wire baskets within one-half mile below any lock, dam or powerhouse.

Can you keep sharks you catch in Alabama?

It is illegal to keep several of the shark species anglers are most likely to catch from the pier, and proper identification of shark species is difficult for most recreational fishermen. The end of the pier will be closed to the public during two trial shark fishing nights.