The Irresistible Lure Summer Flounder Can’t Pass Up
- By: Matthew Lanier
- on
Catching summer flounder is a blast and they’re aggressive enough to take a variety of lures. Coach Matt came up with a rig that he combined with an easy hack that flounder can’t resist.
Catching Summer Flounder with the F.R.E.D. 2.0
Get Z-Man Pro ShroomZ Jigheads
Flounder Basics
Flounder sit on the bottom around depth changes and ledges that are also near moving current. As we roll into the warmer months of the year, sandy bottom or shell-like marsh areas around flats are great places for catching summer flounder.
The key to intercepting them is knowing when and how they feed. A flounder’s eyes are both located on top of their head facing up so they can watch bait as it passes above them and ambush.
From a biology standpoint, flounder have smaller mouths but very large appetites. They’ll happily attack artificials that mimic baitfish, but it can be easy to go too big.
Catching Summer Flounder with the 2.0 Paddletail
Recommended Setup
- 7’6 Medium Action Rod
- 2500 Series Spinning Reel
- 10-lb Brain Main Line
- 15-lb Mono Leader
For summer, there’s a specific type of presentation that has consistently outperformed anything else I’ve tried. It starts with the F.R.E.D. 2.0 paddletail rigged on a 1/6-ounce Z-Man Pro ShroomZ Jighead. One easy hack takes it from being a good bait to an irresistible one.
Pinch the tail off. That’s it. Running it like a nub rig makes all the difference, and the combination is lethal. It even produced a 24-inch doormat while we were filming.
When you remove the tail from these lures, it enables you to work it like a small jerk shad. Its small profile is easy for flounder to key in on and gulp down with just one swipe.
The Pro ShroomZ Jighead style key as well. It’s designed to have all its weight at the top so it can bounce along the bottom and bring your lure down to the bottom quickly, unlike weight Hoss Helix hooks that glide down.
As you work the lure along the bottom, it’s able to sink right back down. If you don’t pinch the tail of, it flutters down more slowly. While that can work, the faster drop triggers more instinctive strikes and you get more bites.
Casting and Retrieving
To make you’re catching summer flounder and not just fishing for them, pay attention to the retrieve. You want to make sure to let your lure sink all the way to the bottom before starting your retrieve. This is absolutely crucial because that is where the flounder stage!
Once the lure reaches the bottom, all you need to do is bump the lure along the bottom. Using a short twitch-twitch-pause action with your rod tip to the side delivers an irresistible action that stays close to the bottom. You can also try popping with the rod tip up and see which the flounder respond better to.
Most of your strikes will be on the fall back down to the bottom because the flounder’s profile means it ambushes from underneath.
Conclusion
The best time to use this rig is RIGHT NOW!!! Flounder are out there cruising along flats looking for scraps to pick up on or lonely fry bait bouncing around the bottom. Be sure to stay patient and focus on your technique to master this approach.
If you’re an Insider, be sure to share your catch in the Community Feed and let others know what worked for you!
Do you have any questions about catching summer flounder? Let us know in the comments!
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STOP WASTING TIME ON THE WATER!
Do what the “SMART ANGLERS” are doing and join the Insider Club.
Here’s what you’ll receive today when you join:
- Weekly fishing reports and TRENDS revealing exactly where you should fish every trip
- Weekly “spot dissection” videos that walk you through all the best spots in your area
- Exclusive fishing tips from the PROS you can’t find anywhere else
- Everything you need to start catching fish more consistently (regardless if you fish out of a boat, kayak, or land).
I will try that. Thank you, Matt and the Yak with 5 rods in the back!
Glad it was helpful Fletcher! Thanks for watching!
Thanks for the great tip. Gonna give it a go this week.
Good luck David!
Great report and flounder to show for it. I like to target flounder in washes with rocky bottom on paddle tails of all sizes. For me It takes a lot of casts per fish caught!
Thanks for watching Charles!
Great information patt had to do a dubbed take didn’t recognize you at first the beard looks good
Thanks Donald!
Love it! Super helpful! Ordering now and gonna get after it!
Glad this was helpful, Carson!
Great advice !
Thanks so much Eduardo! We appreciate you taking the time to watch!
Well matt although your technique I’m sure works great you know from a past post on what my favorite lure is for flounder the trusty zman safety pin style spinnerbait rigged with your choice of either a paddletail or curly tail grub my personal preference is a gulp 4 inch paddletail with a chartruese tail scent flash and vibration the 3 main senses thar ALL predatory fish use some fish use other senses more then others like reds that mostly use there keen sence of smell I call them the hound dogs of inshore all I know is for both flounder and reds this bait works the best for me although lately I have been catching some nice flounder at night using another trusty bait my chasebaits flick prawn plastic shrimp but in the very small 2.5 inch size great for mimicking the very small shrimp that on occasion I see busting out of the water because of being chased anyways matt either way works it’s all what your confidence is in thanks for the great tip and video and all you do😀👍
I hear ya Steven! I can agree that it works for sure! You definitely have a unique fishery there in the Jax area! Such an awesome place to fish! Thanks for watching Steven!
Matt, DUDE! 24″ flounder!!! What a stud (fish that is 😁)! Congrats on PB DOORMAT!
Great tip! I have a new set up to try with the Pro schroomZ jig head and the tweaker-. It looks a lot like what you rigged up, slightly bigger profile, same presentation. I hope I can have even close to the same success as you had! If not, I will nub that Fred paddletail in a heart beat!🤣
Thanks Neal! It sure was a good one! The real key is to be on bottom buddy. If you are bumping bottom, your success rate will go up much better! Thanks for watching!
Great tip. Appreciate it.
Glad it was helpful Steven! 💪
Love that FRED! It catches everything!
It’s one of my favorites! 💪