Winter Flounder on the Manasquan River

[Angela Rose Charters]

I had the chance to write an article on flounder fising. If I can ask you to take a second a read it. Please be honest and let me know what you think. Agrees or disagrees...

Winter Flounder on the Manasquan River
by Captain Anthony W. Reina

My first job landed me part time on the deck of a local Point Pleasant party boat during the winter of 1992. Since 1995 I have been fishing for winter flounder on the Manasquan River and the northern part of Barnegat Bay. In the fall of 2003, I purchased Angela Rose and have been a professional charter guide since. Winter flounder fishing is one of my specialties. With that said, I'm Capt. Anthony W. Reina

Just like most of you, I also suffer from cabin fever. Flounder fishing is the cure to get out of the house and wet the line for the first time and start the 2007 season. We all know that winter months can get extremely brutal and unpleasant. Winter of 2007 has been uncommonly warm during the months of December and January and out of the wood work, old man winter has dealt us a wicked cold February. Temperatures are finally starting to get back to normal as March is knocking on our cabin door. During November and December, flounder crowd the rivers, bays, and tributaries to spawn. After the spawning run is over they then start to make their journey back to the ocean and eventually to their summer grounds along the edge of the continental shelf. During that time, it is our passion to catch our limits and feast. I want to discuss the techniques I've found most successful in landing you a good catch. In order to catch flounder, you have to know where to catch them.

Location is key. During the beginning of the season we will fish as far back as the Mantaloking Bridge, "18," or the Island. As the school of flounder start their easterly exit, midway in the season you can find them inside the Manasquan River in spots such as the Hospital, Riviera Beach, or "6/7" hole. At the end of the season, dominate locations such as The Path, Bathtub, Kings Hole or the "2" will hold fish and then eventually we will chase them right out of the Manasquan Inlet. Once you establish where you are going to fish, you will find flounder in 3 basic areas. These locations consist of mud flats, channels, and holes. These winter fish will stage in the deeper channels, holes and in the mouths of the main tidal creeks like Beaver Dam Creek and feed from the shallow flats. I prefer to fish the flats regularly. The sun heats the mud around the flat and get the flounder active. Once their active, you'll find that most of the fish that are caught are dressed in the mud. Another spot are the edges of muscle beds. Founder work only along the edges and not on top of the beds. Broken and crushed mussels from anchors, sinkers, large boats running aground, or storm damage provide an easy meal.

Now that we know where to fish, what can we do to improve our chances of catching fish. Chum! I make my own chum based on an improvised recipe that goes back way before my time. I take 5 gallon bucket of saturated dog food and not just any dog food but a good size kernel or nugget consisting of corn meal as the main ingredient. I will then mash it to a thick paste and then add crushed clam shells, clam waste (from shucked bait) boiled white rice, and muscles that I I kiss my mother? with this mouth? off of pilings and docks. Mix it well and I fill your 1/2 inch mesh chum pots. Place the pots on the bottom and up current. The slick will fall back to where your hooks and bait are.

So we have our location and chum slick in the water and now we have to get them in the boat. Tackle is simple. Choosing your tackle is more of a self preference. If you like to fish light or medium, I cannot tell you what rod and reel outfit you should fish with. Granted flounder provide the most fun when caught on light tackle. Most anglers use a light to medium action spinning rod with 6-12 pound test monofilament line. A rig consists of a No. 8 or 9 sized snelled flounder hook with a 12 inch leader attached to each end of a wire spreader with a yellow painted bank sinker attached to its center. This is known as a spreader rig. An alternative rig can be easily assembled by passing the end of the line through a fish finder then attach a black swivel to it. Use a snelled flounder hook with a yellow bead, attaching the loop end to the swivel and attach a yellow bank sinker to the fish finder.

Now that you have your rod and rig set, your going to want to bait up. Choosing your bait isn't that difficult. Bloodworms, sandworms, clams, and muscles are your 4 basic choices. I personally like you use the muscles from a clam. They prove to be very effective baits and last a long time. I caution you to make sure you don't cut your bait to big. In this case, big bait doesn't always mean big fish. Your bait should be 2-4 inches in length. Remember that flounder have small mouths and they suck their prey in.

I always fish the Manasquan River and Barnegat Bay. The information I am sharing with you will work equally as well in any waters that harbor winter flounder.

I will leave you with 10 solid tips and one of my favorite spots to help you land more fish.

10. When fishing from a boat, if applicable, use two anchors. Keeping your boat steady over a hole or bank will produce results, especially when you are chumming. You don't want your boat to slide all over the river.

9. Try to match the hatch. After your first day out, while cleaning your catch, check the contents of the stomach. This will give you a good idea of what bait to bring out on your next trip. When you find out what the flatties are feeding on, stay with it.

8. If you have a couple of minutes before heading out, use a fine-meshed net with a long-handle and work along dock pilings and bulkheads to collect grass shrimp. Grass shrimp is also on the flounders diet.

7. Play the tide. Flatties become most active 1-2 hours before, or after slack high or low tide. Plan your trips and the locations you select accordingly, Remember that there is a nearly a full tide change between Manasquan Inlet and the Mantaloking Bridge. Check your tide tables and plan your day based on tides.

6. Stir up the mud! Bounce a window sash weight or take a toilet plunger and attach a telescopic handle and bounce it off the bottom around your boat or dock. By bouncing your plunger AND sinkers, your stirring up the mud which is then flowing down current. The flounder see this and with the scent of chum in the water, they will go looking for food!

5. Once in a while give your chum pot a good shake. If the bite is slow, you may want to let a little extra chum escape out of the pot. Also don't be afraid to smash a handful of clam shells around your boat or dock.

4. Patience is a virtue, your in a waiting game. Try not to jump to too many locations. Stick it out for a little bit. Give your chum time to work. Let your tools do the work. When setting the hook on a flounder, also be patient. Give the fish time to eat. By swinging on the first nibble or bite, you could easily remove your bait and hook right out of the fish's mouth.

3. Don't be afraid to go off away from the fleet. After a congregation of boats or fisherman sit on one spot the stock will eventually diminish Find a spot where nobody is fishing or hasn't fished. There may be fish there and no one even knows about it.

2. Fish frequently. The more time you fish the more fish you will catch. Last time I checked, I didn't see any fish walking down the road. You have to be out on the water to produce great numbers

1. Watch and learn. If you have the opportunity to fish with somebody who knows what he or she is doing, watch and learn. Flounder fishing is not something that you will pick up overnight but, simple tricks of the trade that you will learn from the experienced,  will make worlds of difference. I own nearly all of my fishing knowledge to my father, Capt. Wayne. Without him to watch over me, I would not be in the position I am in today,
 
One of my favorite fishing spots is the mouth of the Point Pleasant Canal on the Manasquan River side. If your fishing from land, fish the old hospital side of the canal but cast out towards Treasure Island. There is a really deep hold north east by the red dayboard. Boaters are recommended to anchor between the red day board and the green can that marks the channel going up river towards the Rt. 70 bridge. Of coarse take all safety precautions to make sure you do not impede the flow of boat traffic.

[Hotrod]

Very well written

Great Artical.

I did move it to it's own topic and made it a Sticky.

nice work.


Rod

[drome]

That canal spot was the first place I ever fished in my life with my grandfather some 24 years ago when I was 5 years old.

Great spot

[Flukedood]

Great read and great tips, thanks ...

do you run open boat trips??I have the itch real bad..

[Sam3]

Wow..you just gave someone that knows nothing about fishing for flounder an incredible education.

Knowledge is the first step to success and this was a well written article.

Thank you and welcome to the site.

[Capt. Ed]

Hi All,

The article has been edited and is on the main page ...

Thanks Capt. Anthony!

Best wishes,

Ed

[CapBob]

Capt Anthony

Great post..............  

[catfish hunter]

great read thanks ,It brought back some good memories of fishin by the island w/ my ole man .we used to put a hundred in the boat every time out,those were the days.now look at it

[Capt. Ed]

Hi Capt. Anthony and Capt. Wayne,

Were you guys at the Saltwater Fishing Expo today? If you were, I missed you. Sorry if I did.

Best wishes,

Capt. Ed

[Fishin Dude]

 Thanks for the great article , It's responsable for my joining of the site .

[Angela Rose Charters]

Thanks for the great article , It's responsable for my joining of the site .

Hey Dude,
 I don't want to sound egotistical by any means of the imagination but what exactly do you mean by that statement? Do you mean that you came across that article and it's what lead you to be apart of this website because of my involvement? Their had to be other reasons.
 A comment like that could inflate my head so big, I will sink my boat with it!!!!lol

[technologist]

catching lots of bass in Raritan Bay. Mostly small but some keepers mixed in!

[red65]

Great read Capt. Anthony...Rich

[Angela Rose Charters]

Great read Capt. Anthony...Rich

Thanks Rich..
 Did we do anything different then what then what the article says??? Be honest!!!

Capt. Anthony

[rugman]

red are you here to / do you want to sell so junk?