Flounder Fishing Near Halifax

Winter flounder in my opinion is the best tasting fish in Nova Scotia. It certainly is a strange looking fish with the migrated eyes on top of the head and their flat position on the sandy bottom, however after cooking them up they taste fantastic.

Where can you catch flounder in the Halifax area? Flounder in the Halifax area love sandy bottoms around reefs and shoals. They can also be found around wharf’s and on muddy bottoms. They will sometimes rest on flat rocks but prefer a softer surface between them. At the right time of year and in the right areas, these fish can often been seen practically stacked on top of each other huddled between rocks and underwater gullies.

How close to shore can they be found? Flounder can be found right close to shore in very shallow water. They are temperature sensitive and will move out to deeper water if the water gets too warm in the summer. In the months of August – September when the water is quite warm it is good to fish for flounder outside of protected bays which directly access the open ocean. This way colder water can easily circulate which keeps the flounder in the area longer.

What bait should I use to fish for flounder? A Winter flounders favorite bait has got to be clams, since I have much success using them. These can be purchased at the local grocery store cheaply. The great thing about clams is they aren’t too messy as far as bait is concerned. You just open the shell up and place the bait on the hook. They stay on the hook fairly well too.

Fishing in these sandy areas around Halifax for founder requires patience. Many times the bait needs to be presented very close to where the flounder is at for an immediate strike. So sometimes casting in various locations around rocks and retrieving slowly and pausing to wait in intervals is important.

If a flounder notices the bait it will slowly make its way towards it to investigate. It will pause and almost look at the bait for a second to make sure its something it wants to eat. Then it will take the bait.

Its important to keep the hook and bait small. The winter flounders mouth is quite small and a smaller hook and bait size will make it easier to hook the flounder. If you feel the tell tale nibbles of a founder its important to let it take the bait before setting the hook. If you set the hook too soon the bait can easily pop out. If this happens don’t get frustrated, give up and reel the bait in because usually flounder do not flee the area but will attempt to take the bait again.

To fillet flounder simply find its lateral lines. There is one on each side running from behind the gill to the tail. Cut slowly along the lateral line with a fillet knife without cutting into the bone. Then slide the knife along the ribs of the fish slowly working the fillet off the bone. Leave a piece of the fillet attached to the tail end. Flip the fillet over and while holding the fillet, remove the scales. This will leave 4 nice fillets. Add some butter in a cast iron skillet and then cook the fish. Cook until flesh is flaky. Add salt or lemon as needed and enjoy!