Oddball catch

[dsaavedra]

I was fishing in the main bay this morning, close to home, and had a couple oddball catches. I was targeting white perch by throwing a small blade bait close to rip rap along the shorelines. I took a sip of coffee and left my line dangling in the water over the side of the kayak when I felt a tug. Much to my surprised I pulled up a palm-sized summer flounder. I haven't caught a flounder in this area since 2017. Then, not even 5 minutes later, I caught another flounder roughly the same size while slowly working my lure. Cool stuff!

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[J.A. Veil]

Good catches. Flounder used to be more abundant in the greater Annapolis area. I recall catching them at Thomas Pt bar, inside the South River, and even one in Maynadier Creek (well up into the Severn). Flounder usually hang on the bottom and wait for food to come by. Few, if any, anglers are intentionally targeting them in our area. I suspect that if we looked harder for them, and fished in ways that were likely to attract them, we would find more of them.

[bignose]

I caught one about half that size, in Weems Creek within casting distance of the Tucker Street ramp, several years ago.
Odd catch, indeed.

[dsaavedra]

Later this evening I was fishing from my neighborhood pier, not too far away from where I caught the flounder this morning, and I watched a guy catch one about the same size as mine from the pier. They must be running through this area right now.

[Big Mike]

That is odd for your area. When things slow down we target flounder and usually catch a couple. Size this year has been what you’re getting with a few mid teen fish to get you excited.

[Mark]

I've caught a few here in the mid-Bay area but never by trying and each one has been tight to the shoreline while I was perch fishing.

The last one I caught was on a Clouser Minnow fly on the shoreline of Hog Island at Goodhands Creek. A fellow in a Jon boat was nearby. As I was holding the fish up by the fly to take a closer look at it, the guy in the boat congratulated me on my "big perch".

I've caught others on small jig spinners and one even hit a floating Rat-L-Trap.

Stu -- I also caught one in Weems Creek several years ago right where it enters the Severn.

All were small.

[UnkleRob2020]

Arron caught a very nice sized flounder in a tidal pond on the Severn last year while fishing with a Kastmaster. If I hadn't seen it, I wouldn't have believed it.