Spearing for Flatfish

[tribs]

Spoke to Foxfish about locating flatfish and am going to make a start. If anyone can add some facts, figures or techniques to repetoire,please help out.

Tribs.:t

 

[foxfish]

Just in case you missed this - http://forums.deeperblue.net/trip-reports/69083-guernsey-2007-a-109.html

 

[SurfnSpear]

look on youtube for some videos just to see what they look like in different situations...
or even
Normandy spearfishing videos
think the key is to find the likely ground, ie. wormcasts etc.

You'll catch soon enough like this...

Frivannsliv.no - Spearfishing in Norway

 

[BenFord]

My goodness thats not a flat fish!!!
thats a monster halibut, i got a much smaller flatty than that last sunday over totland pier was quiet easy to see <the only flatty ive ever seen, maybe ive been trying to hard> you could see the outline of his body against the sand and the fin on the left side was not covered, could just make out its orange spots amongst the sand and the rest is a blur as its kicked up with my spear in its back,

 

[jwells1989]

cant seem to get those videos to work, how did you do it i would like to watch them.

 

[Pastor]

cant seem to get those videos to work, how did you do it i would like to watch them.

You need to download the relevant codec from the links at the top of the page

 

[podge]

Tribs I’ve found flatfish spearing to be a game of attrition with lots of short dives and a quick recovery time on the surface. (Not too quick mind remember your safety).
A typical course of flaty dives for me would be, 30-40 seconds down with a 1min recovery repeated 3 times and on the 4th dive of 30 seconds a recovery time of 4mins.
The more your down the more lightly you are to spot the little buggers, just remember your recovery time.
Good luck with the winter flatfish.

 

[SurfnSpear]

True Podge, I sometimes think of a 2m snorkel extention!rofl

 

[Almostafish]

I have no idea how to fish for flaties but here are some that appeared on my spear..

 

[podge]

I have no idea how to fish for flaties but here are some that appeared on my spear..

NNNUUUUURRRRR,
No one likes a smart arse, you should have seen the size of my last flounder it was at even odds to you was going to slay you.roflrofl

 

[jwells1989]

i started a new thread with this but here it is again, for people who missed it,

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5uQSS8UEI1E]YouTube - Halibut Video[/ame]

 

[Bill McIntyre]

i started a new thread with this but here it is again, for people who missed it,

YouTube - Halibut Video

That was terrific. Why won't they hold still like that for me?

When I lived in North Carolina from 1971 to 1975, I really got it spearing the local flounder. Most of it was along the edge of a rock breakwater where there was usually a fair amount of wave action and poor vis, and they would often be completely dug in. I would cruise the bottom staring at every likely patch of sand, and often all I could see was the movement of an eye. Many times I couldn't even tell which direction the fish extended from the eye.

I got quite a few over 10 pounds, with the largest being 18 pounds.

 

[glowworm]

Once you have found a likely spot just find your natural rythum of diving down and searching.Look for areas that have worm casts,mussells and and small crabs and the flatties won't be far away.

Always check the area after you have spotted one flattie as they often travel in groups.

 

[jwells1989]

nice pictures, i have often seen flounders very close to each othe sometimes within meters.
i saw two really nice ones next to each other once like 2 meters apart and i took one and thought that the other was just going to swim off but it stayed, so managed to get them both in the end, :t

 

[tribs]

Hi all

Thanks for the info guys. Think i'm in the correct area but not looking hard enough. Judging from the photo's those fish are hard to spot when your right over them let alone perusing from the heady heights of the surface. Has anyone tried staying on the surface but dragging a weight through a receptive area and watching for movement to save on the number of dives commited? Or am i just lazy?
Thanks again and anymore thoughts will always be appreciated. Will try to get in later as the southerly has backed off and come round northerly with a touch of east.

Tribs

Out.

 

[foxfish]

Of course you can spot bottom dwelling fish from the surface if - the water is clear or shallow enough to see the bottom! However you will see far more if you swim a few feet above the sand (gravel), repetitive short dives are not necessary but this is an effective method. If you swim along near the bottom for longer & rest longer in between dives this will work as well.
I like hunting flatfish because of the very nature of the hunt will get you fit & help your general ability as a spearo.