11/5/21 winter flounder

[Jigman13]

Took most of the day off Friday and felt like enduring a lesson in futility targeting winter flounder in the way back bay from shore around some creeks. Got some worms on my way down to the sedge banks and started around 10 am.

I don't bait and wait. I fish like I'm fluking but in slo mo. Worked in and outta some holes I've found the last couple years in the back. Never a soul in sight! Anyhow, 3rd cast I feel a nibble... a faint, tap tap tap. I wait. Slowly turn the handle to stay tight. Tap tap tap. Unreal. Somethings messing with my mind. I wait. Tap tap tap. Slowly lift, and feel some weight and gently set the hook home. I'm hooked up but it's just gliding in towards me, nice and slow. Get it within a rod or 2 distance from me and it boogies and digs hard, peeling drag. I get a glimpse thinking it's a fluke. Nope... big ass snowshoe flounder! Slide it up the bank and gawk at it. Pull the tape out and it measured 18.5"--a beast, esp for shore-based fishing. I was pumped. Bled the fish and into the cooler bag it went.

After that things got slow. Cast after cast. Nada. Zilch. About 1.5 hours later my bait gets hammered. I set the hook and land a 12" fish, barely hooked. Do I keep it or keep trying? I decided to release it hoping for something a tad bigger.

Back it, a few minutes later my bait gets hammered again! Set the hook and another 12" fish lol. De ja vu. Same deal. Keep or release? I released it HOPING for something a bit larger.

Now the tides really starting to move out and I move further out, seeing some of the holes i was fishing. I keep casting my bait. About 45 min goes by and i get whacked but no hook up. I wait and pop the worm, shake the bait, kick up some mud and BAM! Whacks it again... this time i set the hook and stuck the fish. Slide it up onto shore and it taped out at 14". Nice. A small reward for the releases! Bleed the fish and into the cooler bag.

It was rewarding. And goddamn tasty of a meal tonite with the fresh sauteed bok choy from my garden. It was a good day on the water. Sink shot and a tape measure on the biggun below.