Southern flounder

Flat fish with both eyes on the left side, brown with faint diffuse spots (no clear eye-spots), and a big mouth with sharp teeth.

12–20 in.

About 33 in and 20 lb.

Shrimp, crabs and small baitfish such as mullet, pinfish and menhaden.

Moves with the tide between grass flats, oyster bars, mangrove edges and deeper holes; feeds hardest when water is moving.

Found from Florida Atlantic Coast, Florida Gulf Coast, Northern Gulf (AL–TX), Mexico Gulf Coast, Georgia & South Carolina and North Carolina. Muddy and sandy bottoms in bays, creek mouths, docks and rivers — it can go into nearly fresh water.

Muddy and sandy bottoms in bays, creek mouths, docks and rivers — it can go into nearly fresh water.

2–20 ft; moves offshore to spawn in late fall.

1–8 ft on flats and shorelines; 6–20 ft in channels, holes and docks.

Fishable all year in Florida and the Gulf; cold fronts push fish into deeper creeks, canals and holes in winter.

Dawn, dusk and the first hours of a moving tide are the best windows.

A moving tide — especially the last of the outgoing and first of the incoming — is best.

Calm to light wind for sight-fishing; a light chop helps in clear water. Fish slow after cold fronts.

Live mud minnows, finger mullet and shrimp.

Soft plastics on a jig head dragged slowly on the bottom; Gulp! swimming mullet.

7 ft medium-light to medium spinning rod with a 2500–3000 reel.

1/0–3/0 circle hook for live bait; 1/8–1/4 oz jig heads for soft plastics.

10–15 lb braid.

20–30 lb fluorocarbon, 2–3 ft.

Drag baits slowly along drop-offs, creek mouths and dock edges; give the fish a moment before setting the hook.

Flounder lie buried and ambush — a slow drag along the bottom beats a fast retrieve.

Catch and release: wet your hands, keep the fish in the water when you can, and release it quickly. Use circle hooks and a dehooker.

Excellent eating — one of the best-tasting fish in its range.

Bleed and ice it right away. Fillet, then remove the skin and any dark bloodline.

Cook fish to 145°F (63°C) — the flesh turns opaque and flakes easily. Fry, grill, bake or blacken.

Watch the sharp gill covers and dorsal spines; use a lip gripper or wet hands.

Florida has a flounder size limit, bag limit and a fall closure for harvest; other states set their own. A Florida fishing license is required unless you are exempt; Florida rules are set by FWC (myfwc.com). Federal waters fall under NOAA Fisheries. Other states and countries set their own limits — check before you keep fish.

Keep only what you'll eat, release the rest quickly, and follow size and bag limits.