How to catch starry flounder in the shallows?

[Marcel Du Plessis]

I recently spent some time wade fishing around the qualicum bay area in august. my main target was flounder, and while i occasionally saw some fleeing when i approached, i could never catch one, only staghorn sculpin.
Often these flatties were in water that was 6 inches deep.

Does anybody have any tips on catching them, while avoiding the sculpins?
is there a certain season? time of day? tide?
i was honestly quite surprised that i never caught one. i talked to other folks who had no trouble catching them on pink salmon flies, so i have to be doing something wrong.

Thanks

 

[Pewpster]

I've caught them jigging buzz bombs slowly. They seem to follow anything when the current is slow around slack tide, but don't seem to bite most of the time. They'll grab buzz bombs on the drop.

 

[Flix333]

Try using a dropper loop rig with a size 2 hook... 3/8 to 3/4 oz depending on the current... maybe a few beads too... 2inch soft plastics in a jerking motion with long pauses... spent the incoming tide pulling flatties tonight, landed 7, best was 15inch... I’m over in sechelt. Post some pics if you have any luck tmrw!

 

[Fish Camp]

Gold tinsile body a,golden phesent head feather wing ,gold bead head , yellow thread ,#10 long shank hook . bobber and wieght or dead drift float fly cast .Starrys can get to 7 kgs or better and are the ones with a few white and black fins on there sides.meat is discribed as course.

 

[paguy]

Use to catch them on small two inch spoons fishing searun cutthroat.

 

[Marcel Du Plessis]

Try using a dropper loop rig with a size 2 hook... 3/8 to 3/4 oz depending on the current... maybe a few beads too... 2inch soft plastics in a jerking motion with long pauses... spent the incoming tide pulling flatties tonight, landed 7, best was 15inch... I’m over in sechelt. Post some pics if you have any luck tmrw!

So do you run a dropper with a soft plastic like 10 inches above a jig or just a weight? and how fast? you say jerking motion with long pauses; almost like a working a dropshot?
I live in calgary so the next time ill be there is in October for the coho run, so hopefully the bullheads have moved offshore by that time.
Cheers

 

[Marcel Du Plessis]

Try using a dropper loop rig with a size 2 hook... 3/8 to 3/4 oz depending on the current... maybe a few beads too... 2inch soft plastics in a jerking motion with long pauses... spent the incoming tide pulling flatties tonight, landed 7, best was 15inch... I’m over in sechelt. Post some pics if you have any luck tmrw!

do you fish at night as well? does the time of day matter?(excluding tides of course)

 

[Marcel Du Plessis]

Use to catch them on small two inch spoons fishing searun cutthroat.

what tide and time of day?

 

[Flix333]

Dawn and dusk are usually pretty solid unless they land in a low tide... high tide doesn’t make a huge difference but I will cast towards the beach if I’m fishing off a pier... funnily enough a starry flounder won the local labour day kids fishing derby today... nice 14inch flattie!

 

[paguy]

what tide and time of day?

We were kids without a boat just casting from the shore, So the tide needed to be in. And it was day time.

 

[Flix333]

We were kids without a boat just casting from the shore, So the tide needed to be in. And it was day time.

If you can get onto a pier or jetty you’ll have better luck, even better if you swing by at low tide and figure out how the bottom looks... target the sand/mud/gravel stretches, avoid the rocks and heavy weed beds....

 

[paguy]

If I remember correctly, Most of the time we were fishing near a river or creek mouth. Sometimes we would see the flounder going up the river mouth.

 

[Marcel Du Plessis]

If you can get onto a pier or jetty you’ll have better luck, even better if you swing by at low tide and figure out how the bottom looks... target the sand/mud/gravel stretches, avoid the rocks and heavy weed beds....

so what Im gathering is that i need to fish at incoming/high tide? One issue i am having, besides that of the sculpins, is that where I often fish, the sand is completely inaccessible at high tide from the shore, even when wading. Does anybody know of any spots around the parksville/qualicum area where it is sand all the way?
Thanks

 

[trophywife]

I fish them like mini halibut, literally a mini spreader bar made out of coat hanger. fish it 2-3' off the bottom.

 

[Marcel Du Plessis]

I fish them like mini halibut, literally a mini spreader bar made out of coat hanger. fish it 2-3' off the bottom.

would probably just use a jig in shallow water. i think the important thing right now is nailing down where and when i need to fish

 

[Kildonan]

so what Im gathering is that i need to fish at incoming/high tide? One issue i am having, besides that of the sculpins, is that where I often fish, the sand is completely inaccessible at high tide from the shore, even when wading. Does anybody know of any spots around the parksville/qualicum area where it is sand all the way?
Thanks

Have you tried right in Qualicum Beach where the fish and chip shack is? At high tide, you should be able to easily cast a spoon or bait or whatever you’re using out to where the sand is from the high tide line.

I’ve caught a lot of flounder, and some good ones, out front of the Big Qualicum river while jigging for salmon. But I was out way too far to reach where I was from shore.

And good luck avoiding sculpins. The area is infested with them. Lol

 

[Kildonan]

Another spot you may try is from the French Creek breakwater. I don’t know for a fact there are flounder there but I’d bet it’d be worth a look.

 

[Marcel Du Plessis]

Have you tried right in Qualicum Beach where the fish and chip shack is? At high tide, you should be able to easily cast a spoon or bait or whatever you’re using out to where the sand is from the high tide line.

I’ve caught a lot of flounder, and some good ones, out front of the Big Qualicum river while jigging for salmon. But I was out way too far to reach where I was from shore.

And good luck avoiding sculpins. The area is infested with them. Lol

I've considered fishing there but never have gotten the opportunity to do it. ill try this october, hopefully the sculpins will have moved offshore by then. do they?
where is the access there? I cant remember if its a wall or like a pile of rocks that goes down to the water.

the area i have been focusing on is nile creek, but theres too many sculpins and, of course, you cant access the sand at high tide.
Courtenay at the nile creek fly shop advised me of a spot near the scallop farm too, but i cant remember if there is sand at high tide too.
thanks.

 

[Marcel Du Plessis]

Have you tried right in Qualicum Beach where the fish and chip shack is? At high tide, you should be able to easily cast a spoon or bait or whatever you’re using out to where the sand is from the high tide line.

I’ve caught a lot of flounder, and some good ones, out front of the Big Qualicum river while jigging for salmon. But I was out way too far to reach where I was from shore.

And good luck avoiding sculpins. The area is infested with them. Lol

wait, are you talking about where the fish taco place is, or further along?

 

[Kildonan]

wait, are you talking about where the fish taco place is, or further along?

No, not in Qualicum bay. I’m talking about Qualicum Beach. The main beach in Qualicum where all the tourists gather on the sandy beach.