10 Reasons You Should Start Flounder Fishing Now

in this blog post 10 Reasons You Should Start Flounder Fishing Now.

10 Reasons to Fish for Flounder

Flounder Fishing is a fantastic sub-category of sea fishing that you’ll want to explore sooner than later, for various reasons. Flounder are found in abundance around the UK shoreline and for this reason, make them a great fish for beginners and seasoned sea anglers alike.

If you ask most sea anglers what they’ve caught around the British Shoreline, they’ll often say Flounder-Galore, that’s because they’re everywhere once they return from spawning offspring offshore around March to April time. read also: How To Catch Plaice From The Shore

Let’s take a look at some of the reasons why you should fish for Flounder.

A Great Stress Reliever

Ask anybody who’s ever gone flounder fishing and they’ll tell you that there is a certain sense of freedom that accompanies it, chilling by the shoreline in your Bivvy shelter on a summer’s day, it can’t be beaten!

This is exactly what fishing for flounder sounds like. The good thing about flounder is that they are found closer to the seashore buried under the water, so you don’t have to go out at sea to find them.

Catching flounder is not as rigorous as other types of fishing. All you have to do is find a nice spot by the sea and cast your hook into the water and wait for those flounder to bite. read also: Catching Prawns for Bait – 3 Different Ways

It’s a Good Start for Beginners

If you’re thinking of making a career out of angling, then flounder fishing is a great way to learn the basics and set a strong foundation. This is because flounder are found throughout the UK, so you won’t have to look too far to locate your target.

Furthermore, flounder season coincides with the summer months; the best time for a rookie angler to get out for a fishing expedition.

Flounder fishing also requires very little and simple gear that is easy to access. The fish also hang around the seabed and shore, and it doesn’t take too much skill to successfully reel them in.

Additionally, the flounder caught in the UK is generally a small species that grows to a length of just under 2ft and weighs about 1lb. This means they won’t give you too much trouble to pull out of the water once they get hooked.

All this points to the fact that flounder fishing is ideal for new fishing enthusiasts. The fish are easy to access, easy to catch, and don’t require too much investment in fishing gear. The relative ease with which you can catch flounder makes them a reliable catch for anglers in the UK. So, just about anyone with an interest in angling can start honing their skills through flounder fishing. read also: 10 Reasons You Need A Kayak Fishing GPS

Flounders are Very Healthy to Eat

Although flounder is not a common fish dish in the UK (unlike their close relatives, plaice, many people don’t regard them as a food fish, with most flounder fishermen doing it on a catch-and-release-basis), they are still edible and make for a very healthy meal.

There are a variety of health benefits that come with consuming flounder. For one, flounder are known for being an excellent source of protein. They are said to be the primary source of omega 3 fatty acids and amino acids, which classifies them as a high-quality protein source.

Also, flounder are among the low-fatty fish eaten around the world. While the fats in food play a role in the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins, ingesting too much of them can put you at risk of developing heart disease.

This means eating flounder is a nice way to keep heart conditions at bay. Other nutritious minerals found in flounder include magnesium, phosphorus, and Vitamin B, which are needed to convert food to energy. Not to mention that they have a role to play in the production of red blood cells.

According to research from the American Heart Association, eating grilled flounder can be healthy for heart cells!

It is a Fun Activity

Flounder fishing is a boredom buster that lets you escape the confines of your house and interact with the more exciting outdoors. It is a fun recreational activity that you can adopt any time you have time on your hands, especially during the weekends.

With flounder season coming in the summer months, the conditions are usually ideal to go out and enjoy the hot sun and the soothing beach shore. It is something you can do when you want to have a nice time outdoors with your family.

Furthermore, flounder fishing is an easy task that people of all ages and skill levels can successfully perform. This high level of inclusivity makes it the perfect family pastime. You can even split into two groups and turn the event into a family competition to make things even more interesting, especially for the little ones.

Whether you decide to fish for flounder at the shore or do it by boat, there is a sense of adventure that comes with being out of your element.

It is a Way to Earn Money

Fishing is a massive industry in the UK! According to the Office for National Statistics, it was worth as much as £437m to the economy in 2019. By venturing into flounder fishing, you get to earn a piece of the pie in this multi-million-pound industry. In essence, it has the potential to earn you good pay if you do it on a commercial level.

Although you won’t have a reliable market locally here in the UK, you can sell the flounder to commercial anglers that use them as bait for lobster and crab pots.

Going by the latest statistics, there are at least 5,900 registered fishing vessels in the UK with more than 12,000 fishers working on them. This means the market is ready and waiting for you!

Another thing why flounder fishing makes economic sense is that the fish are widely distributed and healthy in number, thus deemed to be a species of “Least Concern” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. In the end, you won’t have to worry about regulations affecting your gig!

Enhances Social Bonding

Flounder fishing is a great way to expand your social circle and make new friends while at it. Aside from taking the opportunity to improve family chemistry, you can also use it to interact with other enthusiasts at the seashore. Generally, there are hundreds of people out there with an interest in flounder fishing, both those who have been doing it for a while and those looking to pick it up like yourself.

Naturally, this is a subject that allows you to easily bond when you encounter other anglers. Similarly, you can join fishing clubs to learn more about the activity. These pair of experienced and amateur anglers share knowledge about their love for fishing. It is possible to make lifelong friends and confidants just by joining a local fishing club in your locality.

Boosts your Competitive Spirit

Flounder fishing also offers you a way to get your competitive juices flowing. You can start fishing to be a competitive angler. Several flounder fishing competitions are held in the UK throughout the year, which bring together skilled anglers from around the country in a show of skill and might.

A good example is the Brideford Christmas Competition, as well as the Appledore Shipbuilder Christmas Competition, held over the holiday season.

For Self-fulfilment

The ability to learn a new skill is always fulfilling to oneself! The same goes for flounder fishing, which can seem a little bit tough for a person watching from a distance. It is also a way to boost your self-esteem by mastering essential outdoor survival skills and meeting personal goals.

The skills you learn when fishing for flounder stick with you for the rest of your life, allowing you to enjoy the activity whenever an opportunity presents itself. The thrill of baiting and catching these elusive flounder is also a thrill that some people search for in life. read also: How To Avoid Crayfish When Carp Fishing

It is a Healthy Activity

If you’ve been living a generally sedentary lifestyle and are now struggling with obesity or other physical limitations, flounder fishing may be a nice way to live healthier without taking it too hard on yourself. Contrary to popular belief, fishing is not a lazy man’s sport, even if you’re doing it from the shore.

When it comes to flounder fishing, the fish can be very elusive and you need to be alert to catch them. Furthermore, there is still more work involved in reeling the struggling flounder in once they bite the bait.

All this helps to keep you active, both mentally and physically without making you feel like you’re working too hard.

Conservation and Management Fisheries

Last but not least, taking up flounder fishing is a way to support the management of fisheries and aquatic wildlife. Generally, anglers have a vested interest in the welfare of wildlife species in the water. They will provide information and put effort into the conservation of aquatic animals and their habitat.

From the stock of fish in the water to any dangers posed to the life of the species, e.g., pollution and overfishing, this data helps the authorities to enact measures and policies to protect aquatic life. In this way, populations of fish in the water remain stable or even flourish to sustain the work of fishermen. read also: Tiny Fishing Cool Math Games: A Fun And Educational Experience

Conclusion

So, if you’re looking for a reason to join your flounder fishing mates during their weekend beach expeditions, this article should be enough to let you take that final step. It is a healthy and fun activity that allows you to make new friends. Not to mention that you can earn a living out of it. Overall, the benefits flounder fishing offers are not only personal but also to the people around you.

FAQ

What Do You Catch Flounder with?

Flounder are attracted to and respond well to fresh fish such as mullet, minnow, and croakers. You can also use clams and sea worms to lure the fish from under the water. When fishing flounder, remember to hook smaller baitfish through the eye and the larger baitfish through the lips. Also, you can include fresh squid strips or live shrimp to give the bait some motion and add variety to the bait.

What Does a Flounder Bite Feel Like?

More often than not, a flounder bite is a relatively gentle bite. It might not feel like a real bite in some instances. There are times when it feels as if your retrieve stops without a thump. In this case, you could either have snagged some debris at the bottom or the fish simply grabbed the tail of your bait. But you shouldn’t also be too quick to reel in the fish when you sense a little disturbance.

What Temperature Do Flounder Prefer?

Summer flounder tend to be most comfortable in water temperatures above 50 degrees Celsius. This is also when they start migrating to migrate to the bays in large numbers, offering anglers the best opportunity to strike it big!