The winter flounder, one of the most popular recreational species in New England, is highly favored because of it's excellent flavor and it's thick fillets. It ranges from southern Labrador to the waters of South Carolina and Georgia and is most abundant from the Gulf of St. Lawrence to the Chesapeake Bay. The species' name is derived from it's tendency to move during the winter months to shallower, inshore waters, where it is easily caught. It is frequently called a "blackback" when it is less than three pounds and a "lemon sole" when it is larger.
Like all flatfish, the winter flounder has both eyes on one side of it's head. A newly hatched flatfish larvae has one eye on each side of it's head, but within months it adapts to a bottom dwelling lifestyle, by which time one eye has moved to the other side of it's head. Unlike most other bottom dwelling fish that rests by lying on it's belly, the flatfish lies and swims on it's side. Having both eyes on one side of it's head enables the flatfish to rest on the ocean floor and direct it's eyes upward.
The winter flounder is referred to a right-handed flounder because the eyes are located on it's upper surface when the fish is pointing to the right. This species is oval in shape, with a body the is about two times as long as it is wide. It's small mouth does not extend backward to below the eye. The lateral line, a series of pores to detect local turbulence in the water, runs in a nearly straight line from the head to the base of the tail. The dorsal fin originates opposite the forward edge of the eyes and follows the length of the body in a uniform height. The anal fin also extends the length of the body, but is noticeably higher near it's midpoint.
The color of this species is highly variable, since the winter flounder can change color to mimic the bottom on which it rests. However, the scaled upper side of the body of most individuals range from a muddy or reddish brown to black, and the scales underside is white. Smaller fish are generally paler and have a less uniform color pattern than larger, older fish.
The largest winter flounder caught by a commercial boat weighed 8 pounds and was 25 inches long. The fish was taken on George's Bank, where many of the larger winter flounder are caught. The Massachusetts angling record which was caught in Mass Bay stands at 6 pounds. Female winter flounder grow faster than males and attain larger maximum sizes. Both male and female winter flounder attain maturity at about 3 years of age.
HABITS
Winter flounder are caught in most any shallow bay or estuary where the bottom is sandy or silty. The frequently move into the brackish water of river mouths and also range into the deepest waters of the Nantucket Shoals region and the shallower waters of George's Bank. When they are on soft bottoms, the lie buried in the mud, dashing out occasionally to feed on invertebrates moving close by.
This is one of the most stationary of fishes, displaying a very limited seasonal migration. Fish overwinter in inshore areas. As summer approaches, the shallow inshore waters become warm, and the larger fish move offshore into deeper waters. Juveniles will remain in estuaries for up to three years, moving offshore as they grow older. Although a given population remains fairly stationary, there is evidence of wide scale movement of some individuals, perhaps in search of food.
In New England, reproduction occurs in estuaries from January to May, with peak activity taking place during February and March, when water temperatures are the coldest of the year, ranging from 32 to 39 degrees. Evidence suggests that some individuals return to the same site year after year to spawn.
Unlike the floating eggs of all other flatfish, eggs of the winter flounder clump together in masses on the bottom. Eggs, usually laid on clean sand, hatch 15 to 18 days after being released. By the time the larvae are 1/3 of an inch long, they have gone through a complete change, the left eye migrating to the right side of the body. Mortality is highest during the larval stages, partly due to predators such as striped killifish and jellyfish.
Larval and juvenile winter flounder feed on the egg, larval and adult stages of various invertebrates. Adults feed on a great variety of organisms including shrimp, clams, worms, fish fry and bits of seaweed. Winter flounder will bite almost any bait, provided the hook is small enough. The feed mainly during the daylight hours and are more active during flooding or ebbing tides than during slack water periods.
ANGLING AND HANDLING TIPS
Inshore flounder fishing generally starts in early spring and last until the end of May or June when the flounder start to move further offshore. When flounder return to inshore water during September, anglers fish for them until the weather becomes too uncomfortable during late fall. Anglers pursue flounder for docks, piers, jetties, party boats and private boats in nearly all Mass bays and estuary mouths. Areas characterized by sandy mud bottoms with patches of eelgrass provide anglers with the greatest opportunity for success.
Winter flounder provide the most enjoyment when caught on light tackle. Most anglers use 12 to 15 pound teat line on light spinning combinations or small boat rods. Most seasoned flounder fishermen opt for the handline. Generally, size 7, 8 or 9 Chesterton hooks, a narrow gap hook, is best for flounder fishing. Sinkers will vary in size according to depth and currents in the waters being fished. Some anglers make use of spreaders that allow them to fish two hooks and some also feel that adding yellow beads above the hooks or painting the sinkers yellow helps to attract flounder.
Many anglers practice chumming and feel it is beneficial to attracting flats. Chum consists of crushed clams or mussels in a mesh bag or chum pot/ Corn from a newly opened can is also a favorite among chummers. Sand worms are considered to be the best bait for flounder in the local area but bloodworms and clam strips are also very effective. Night crawlers have also become a popular flounder bait. The key is to use very little bait with about an inch of bait on the hook. Blackbacks can quickly and quietly sneak in and take bait before inattentive fishermen realize what happened. The bait should be frequently raised to check for fish as well as attract them.