There’s an old saying that time and tide wait for no man. One might quite properly add that winter flounder wait for no one as well! Yes, when the waters begin to warm and creep above 40 degrees, winter flounder begin to stir, moving from their winter repast in the mud or sand of coastal bays and estuaries.

Over the last several seasons, winter flounder seem to have gotten much larger on average. Here’s a big one taken from the protected waters of Barnegat Bay. Photo by Milt Rosko.

These tasty little flatfish have a preferred temperature range of 48 to 55 degrees, but if you wait until these temperatures are reached later in the spring, you may actually have missed the best fishing. Indeed, the biggest secret to catching winter flounder in the spring is to be prepared well in advance of ice-out time on the bays, with your boat in the water or trailered and ready to go. Another good way to know what’s going on is regular communication with your favorite party boat skipper.

My home is in Mantoloking, overlooking Barnegat Bay, so quite naturally my first fishing in spring is targeting winter flounder within range of our dock. As a result, my forays range to the Manasquan River up north, the Metedeconk River, the Mantoloking Bridge area of Barnegat Bay, then moving south to Toms River, the open bay off Waretown, and the renowned Myers Hole, which is virtually in the shadow of Barnegat Light.

The bay and river waters are ideal for small-boat anglers. My wife, June, and I regularly fish from our 17.5-foot bow rider, which is always bottom-painted and in the water early. I’ve also fished from some of the small party and charter boats that sail from Point Pleasant Beach to enjoy fine fishing. Both the party boat Miss Point Pleasant and charter boat Barvic are on the river daily in spring.

The single thing that has caused me some concern after having fished these waters for the 25 years, is that the size of the winter flounder has increased dramatically. Years ago, you seldom caught a flatfish weighing more than one-half pound; whereas for the past several seasons, fish under 1 pound are a rarity. There appears to be an imbalance, in that the tiny palm-sized fish that were nearly transparent are no longer present. I’d really like to see more small fish, as it would augur well for the future.

The key to maximize your enjoyment while targeting these flatfish is using light tackle. Not only is light tackle more enjoyable to use, but you’ll catch more fish, too. I prefer using a one-handed graphite popping rod measuring 5 feet long, with a levelwind casting reel spooled with 15-pound-test Spectra braided line. If spinning is your forte, use a one-handed outfit up to 6 feet long and you’ll do fine.

My favorite terminal rig includes a pair of snelled hooks, such as No. 8 or 9 Chestertown-, Kahle- or claw-style, with one’s leader attached to the other via a blood knot or dropper loop. When used with a tiny three-way swivel, the rig rests on the bottom where a flatfish can easily inhale the bait. For most of Barnegat Bay’s waters you’ll find a bank or dipsey sinker, ranging from a 1/2-ounce to 2 ounces, more than adequate.

Bloodworms and sandworms are favorite baits of flounder seekers. The key is presenting small rather than large baits. A 2- to 3-inch-long piece of worm is more than adequate. One of my favorite baits is the muscle tissue from a surf clam or mussel. The thin, ribbon-like muscle found along the edge of the shell is ideal. Just slip it on, running the hook through twice, and permit a couple of inches to hang freely, which enables a flounder to inhale it with ease.

Earlier this year, Ron Bala of Fisherman’s Supply persuaded me to try Fisherman’s Choice squid strips, which are cut to the size and shape of a worm and then colored red and given a scent of bunker. They produced just as effectively as sea worms.

The last important item to include with your gear before departing to the flounder grounds is a chum pot and supply of frozen clam chum. Most local tackle shops handle the frozen chum logs. The frozen chum log is inserted into the chum pot and lowered to the bottom once the fishing grounds are reached. As the chum thaws it oozes from the pot and is carried off with the current, attracting flatfish to your baited hook.

I’m partial to making my own chum, as I’ve done so for many years. I begin by shucking a couple of dozen surf clams and put them through an old-fashioned hand-operated meat grinder. I employ a grinder head that results in pieces sufficiently small that they will easily pass through the 1/4-inch wire mesh of my chum pot. I then add an equal amount of boiled white rice, and throw in a can of whole kernel corn for good measure. I mix this concoction together and freeze it in large paper cups that are just big enough to fit into the chum pot. I take along six or eight chum logs on each sortie, keeping them frozen in a cooler, as it’s important to have it rock hard when you put it into the chum pot, otherwise if it’s soft it will wash out too quickly.