Another flounder question

Justin

Old Mossy Horns
Will they eat little pinfish? I typically throw Gulp from the beach, but last year when I took my minnow trap to try minnows, all I caught were small pinfish.

Yes I know finger mullet and mud minnows work better, as far as live baits, but that may not be an option. No big deal either way, as this is a family trip and not focused on fishing primarily, but I've never used pinfish. Only jigs and the occasional mud minnow or finger mullet.
 

golfer

Four Pointer
Pinfish and small croakers are my go to bait for keeper flounders. Two suggestions though. One, give the fish more time than usual to eat a pinfish. When you think you have waited long enough, wait 20 more seconds. More importantly for pinfish, take a pair of scissors with you and cut off all the sharp side and top fins. This will help the flounder swallow the bait faster.
 

sky hawk

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
I can't help on pinfish, but of the other three baits, finger mullet has given me the most strikes.

My experience has been if you don't have a boat or good creek access, you can often find them just on the backside of the inlet at the end of the beach. If it's the right time of year, a cast net, and an aerated bucket can sometimes pay off. It's definitely worth a try. It usually gets easier as the summer goes on, but I've found them as early as late June. If it was me, I'd shoot for mullet, settle for pinfish, and take gulp as the backup.

BTW, kids love catching bait as much or more than fishing.
 

Eric Revo

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
Even dead pinfish butterfly'd and fished with a flat jig head are deadly on flounder. They love to lay in the edges of the tide wash and breakers so just a few inches can make the difference in catching a limit or going home skunked. I love to work a jig head tipped with a live bull minnow until I find the spot, then they will be lined up in that area typically.
 

Eric Revo

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
How do ya'll rig your pinfish?

If rigging on a jig head, take the hook through the mouth and through the head, trying to miss the brain of course. If fishing dead pinfish on a jig head fillet both sides to the ribcage, cut out the back bone and hook deeply through the head so it will stay on the hook.
On a fish finder rig, I use cut bait typically but if you're in slow water you can use a kahles hook and rig the pinfish through the top lip.
 
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Crappie_Hunter

Twelve Pointer
Contributor
If rigging on a jig head, take the hook through the mouth and through the head, trying to miss the brain of course. If fishing dead pinfish on a jig head fillet both sides to the ribcage, cut out the back bone and hook deeply through the head so it will stay on the hook.
On a fish finder rig, I use cut bait typically but if you're in slow water you can use a kahles hook and rig the pinfish through the top lip.

Awesome! Thanks Revo!!


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sky hawk

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
If fishing dead pinfish on a jig head fillet both sides to the ribcage, cut out the back bone and hook deeply through the head so it will stay on the hook.

Never heard of that. Does that do better than live or just filleted?
 

Eric Revo

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
Never heard of that. Does that do better than live or just filleted?

If you''re fishing with a flat jig head designed to walk the bottom, this keeps the hook riding upright and gives it lots more action than a strip bait on a jig head. We use the same method jigging for grouper too, only on a much bigger scale, it's really effective for bottom fish.
I much prefer live, but if you're stuck with a bunch of dead bait, this will sometimes save a trip.
 
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quackNcluck

Six Pointer
Ive targeted flatfish all my life and have used all the live baits possible; mud minnows, menhaden, finger mullet, pinfish, live shrimp even shark belly/squid strips but I have had the best luck with a 1/4 oz. jighead and a 4" gulp swimming mullet. Seems to catch the occosional puppy drum or speck without attracting aggravating lizardfish and small rays....JMO
 

Eric Revo

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
Ive targeted flatfish all my life and have used all the live baits possible; mud minnows, menhaden, finger mullet, pinfish, live shrimp even shark belly/squid strips but I have had the best luck with a 1/4 oz. jighead and a 4" gulp swimming mullet. Seems to catch the occosional puppy drum or speck without attracting aggravating lizardfish and small rays....JMO

Gulp is some good stuff, I really like the gulp minnows and shrimp for speckled trout as well.
 

sky hawk

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
I like the swimming mullet too, that's my favorite artificial, but I get a lot of tails bitten off.
 

Bruiser

Old Mossy Horns
Even dead pinfish butterfly'd and fished with a flat jig head are deadly on flounder. They love to lay in the edges of the tide wash and breakers so just a few inches can make the difference in catching a limit or going home skunked. I love to work a jig head tipped with a live bull minnow until I find the spot, then they will be lined up in that area typically.

I do this with larger mullet....Filet both sides and then cut strips about an inch wide the full length of the filet. Rig on a fish finder and drag it along the bottom.
 

Justin

Old Mossy Horns
Ive targeted flatfish all my life and have used all the live baits possible; mud minnows, menhaden, finger mullet, pinfish, live shrimp even shark belly/squid strips but I have had the best luck with a 1/4 oz. jighead and a 4" gulp swimming mullet. Seems to catch the occosional puppy drum or speck without attracting aggravating lizardfish and small rays....JMO

That's my go to, but I have to say, I've not seen a deterrent from lizards and pinfish.
 

GSOHunter

Twelve Pointer
Contributor
The Zman products hold up better than the gulp. They also don't turn into a hard rock if you leave them out of their package. You can even soak them in a gulp tub to get some of the scent.
 

Justin

Old Mossy Horns
I appreciate the help but I really am just curious about the pinfish and experiences using them. I love tossing soft plastics on a jig for them, but just looking to switch it up a little and try the pinfish since they're readily available, easily.
 

HotSoup

Old Mossy Horns
I appreciate the help but I really am just curious about the pinfish and experiences using them. I love tossing soft plastics on a jig for them, but just looking to switch it up a little and try the pinfish since they're readily available, easily.

Ive cut alot of flounder open and a 6" croaker seems like a good meal.
 

Downeast

Twelve Pointer
I like white strip baits, the longer the better. I've actually taken flounder bellies and used them. Drag along the bottom or slow troll. Flounder are ambush predators so they lay on the bottom and wait for something to swim by. Once they see it though it's game on. There are some really cool youtube videos of flounder chasing baits. Those guys can move when they want to.
 

Paulnc11

Button Buck
So does the flounder bite generally increase as the summer progresses or are they more active in spring and fall?


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hawkman

Eight Pointer
Spoke with an old-timer out of Hyde Co mainland the other day. He caught some flounder and I asked him how - his reply was he first catches a few pinfish and bumps them along the bottom... I'd never really heard anyone say they used pinfish. I always assumed mullet and menhaden.
 

nchunt101

Ten Pointer
Pinfish will work. I prefer mullet or mud minnows FWIW but there is little to no difference. If you will have kids with you get a cheap sien net and have them catch all your bait.
 

DRS

Old Mossy Horns
I love to flounder fish, 'cause I like to eat them. When I'm fishing areas with a tide pull, I like to drift live bait. I will use what I can catch and prefer mullet minnows. About any fish will do in a pinch. I will drag strip baits if I have to. Fishing back water with wind driven tides, it is hard to beat a gulp bait, whether it be a jig head with shrimp or swimming mullet. When I use the swimming mullet I like to put a spinner on the jig head, like the ones on beetle spins or spinner baits. I use gold in stained water and sliver in clearer water. Last week I used stripped pinfish, caught a bunch just nothing legal.
 

Crappie_Hunter

Twelve Pointer
Contributor
I caught flounder while staying down at Ocean Isle last week. The flounder preferred small pogy's over mullet/muds or shrimp. Caught all the drum on mullet and mud's however.
 

Browning86

Six Pointer
Has anyone had much luck targeting flounder in the surf during the summer? I'll be at OKI the first week of August but don't seem to do as well on them as I do in the fall. Problem is I don't have a boat and access is very limited at OKI. Sorry to hijack the thread.
 

Huffy

Eight Pointer
I caught the fire out of them between hatteras and ocracoke the second week of June. we caught most of them on white Gulp shrimp, also caught some on FRESH shrimp and live minnows. I only use fresh bait not frozen bait, it just works better for me
 

Treetall

Twelve Pointer
I caught the fire out of them between hatteras and ocracoke the second week of June. we caught most of them on white Gulp shrimp, also caught some on FRESH shrimp and live minnows. I only use fresh bait not frozen bait, it just works better for me


how do you rig your gulp shrimp up? jig head or what? sounds like a good time for sure.
 
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