Episode 11- Flounder Basics 

00:00:04 Voiceover 

You're listening to the one last cast podcast, your home for tips, tricks, and stories from the Texas coast. 

00:00:12 Voiceover 

Here your hosts, Jonathan Hua and Merriel Solesky. 

00:00:22 Jonathan Hua 

Alrighty, welcome to another episode of the One Last Cast Podcast. 

00:00:26 Jonathan Hua 

My name is Jonathan and we have back. 

00:00:28 Jonathan Hua 

Merriel Solesky took the day off the last time, say hi. 

00:00:30 Merriel Solesky 

Meryl, hey how's it going? 

00:00:33 Merriel Solesky 

Sorry I missed you the last time, how's it? 

00:00:35 Merriel Solesky 

How's everybody doing in here? 

00:00:39 Jonathan Hua 

So we have a lot of people listening, so the reason being is because today's episode is on flounder. 

00:00:46 Jonathan Hua 

Everybody favorite flatfish on the Texas? 

00:00:48 Jonathan Hua 

Post and today we'll be kind of diving into that and talking about it and and all that. 

00:00:54 Jonathan Hua 

But before we go into it, let's give a shout out to our sponsors. 

00:00:57 Jonathan Hua 

We have 4A printing Aaron over there has some great things going on. He made all these towels for us. These custom towels one less gas podcast house. He also does, uh. 

00:01:08 Jonathan Hua 

Shirts and a bunch of like the neck gaiters and stuff like that. 

00:01:11 Jonathan Hua 

He made a custom one for me as well. 

00:01:13 Jonathan Hua 

So if you have any other like T shirts or towels, or Gators or anything like that, if you have any of those needs, be sure to reach out to him. 

00:01:20 Jonathan Hua 

You can find him on Facebook at 4/8 printing also Dirty South TAC anglers. A great kayaking group. 

00:01:26 Jonathan Hua 

Both of us are kayakers and we've we definitely love our kayaking group. 

00:01:32 Jonathan Hua 

Where go on there. 

00:01:34 Jonathan Hua 

Share, talk, talk smack, whatever. 

00:01:36 Jonathan Hua 

It's a good group to be part of, and especially if you're learning kayaking. 

00:01:39 Jonathan Hua 

It's a definitely a good place to go. 

00:01:42 Jonathan Hua 

So, uh, Merrell, let's kind of dive right into flounder. 

00:01:48 Jonathan Hua 

Uhm, is it? 

00:01:50 Jonathan Hua 

Obviously it's your fit. 

00:01:51 Jonathan Hua 

One of your favorite three, but where does it rank within your your top three or the fish that you you can catch in Texas? 

00:01:58 Merriel Solesky 

I, uh, I would say it. Probably my second right next to Trout. Yeah I can. I can go out and I can if I say hey, we're going out catching flounder like about 99% of the time we're going to catch flounder. 

00:02:13 Merriel Solesky 

Uhm, you know and. 

00:02:15 Merriel Solesky 

It's it's just one of those. 

00:02:18 Merriel Solesky 

Those fish that if you study them enough, the their patterns kind of never really change much throughout the years like trout and chopping red fish. 

00:02:28 Merriel Solesky 

Uh, not so much red fish, but you know some of these faces have. 

00:02:32 Merriel Solesky 

Changed their patterns. 

00:02:33 Merriel Solesky 

From year from year to year and season to season flounders. 

00:02:37 Merriel Solesky 

Kind of one of those fish that are. 

00:02:40 Merriel Solesky 

My opinion are are one of. 

00:02:42 Merriel Solesky 

The easier fish it's a fish to target. 

00:02:45 Jonathan Hua 

Yep I I agree and my my my hierarchy is the same. It's definitely trials on number one and #2 flounder and threes red fish. 

00:02:54 Jonathan Hua 

Uh, but actually it kind of ties into my story, so growing up my my first foray into fishing was actually when I was like 6 years old and we went offshore and offshores, a wholly completely different beast. 

00:03:08 Jonathan Hua 

But my first insure experience was actually during the flounder run. 

00:03:12 Jonathan Hua 

Uh, back when I was like 8 or 9 years old and. 

00:03:17 Jonathan Hua 

And we were at Seawolf as many people officially will turn to flounder run. 

00:03:23 Jonathan Hua 

And this was actually back when the limit was ten. 

00:03:27 Jonathan Hua 

We were there from like dawn, dusk. 

00:03:30 Jonathan Hua 

Uh, and I wasn't old enough to wage yet, or you know, I I wasn't allowed to wage yet, but my uncle and his friend. 

00:03:38 Jonathan Hua 

They went out and waited, and basically there's so many people during the flounder run during at this time that you could see a line of people just out there, like there's literally shoulder shoulder, a wall of people, they they all walk. 

00:03:50 Jonathan Hua 

Out basically at once and they cover all that ground in front of them and there it was a really slow day for flounder. 

00:04:01 Jonathan Hua 

I I was on I was on the on the rocks just kind of messing around. 

00:04:04 Jonathan Hua 

I didn't catch any flounder and there was no but everybody was all out there and we were we were a little bit further away from the pier. 

00:04:12 Jonathan Hua 

And I completely miscast and I I casted my my Carolina rig with the mullet that we had. 

00:04:21 Jonathan Hua 

Basically, I miscast and I landed like 5 foot off the rocks. 

00:04:26 Jonathan Hua 

And I was like, oh man, I'm going to get stuck and I I got stuck like I was just like I'm stuck. 

00:04:33 Jonathan Hua 

And finally, when I was pulling in that that rock, it turned it started moving and I pulled up like a 19 inch flounder. 

00:04:39 Merriel Solesky 

Oh, nice nice. 

00:04:40 Jonathan Hua 

And like, oh man, that's great. 

00:04:42 Jonathan Hua 

And you know, as a you know, eight or nine year old me was really excited about that. 

00:04:47 Jonathan Hua 

And I started remembering all the things, like for fishing, you know, to kind of whatever you did, do it again kind of thing. 

00:04:53 Jonathan Hua 

So I put that in the cooler. 

00:04:57 Jonathan Hua 

Tacked on another mullet and I just kind of just kind of under actually was my first time underhand pitching because I remember he's like you know I just like did this and I just pitched it a few feet off the rocks. 

00:05:08 Jonathan Hua 

Damn now I felt that when I felt the hit caught under flounder yeah. 

00:05:11 Merriel Solesky 

Well, this is crazy right this happening great I would have never. 

00:05:14 Jonathan Hua 

Thought that right? 

00:05:15 Jonathan Hua 

Yeah, yeah, and I was like man and I you know I was really excited and I started. 

00:05:20 Jonathan Hua 

You know, you know yelling and my my dad was with me and he was like oh and we started catching him. 

00:05:25 Jonathan Hua 

My sister got into it. 

00:05:27 Jonathan Hua 

And and of course, all the people in the rocks. 

00:05:30 Jonathan Hua 

Are coming over. 

00:05:31 Jonathan Hua 

And congregating around us. 

00:05:33 Jonathan Hua 

But it was funny, because that we got within a couple, like an hour. 

00:05:38 Jonathan Hua 

We everybody around us was just catching flounder right off the rocks like just pitching right off the rocks. 

00:05:44 Jonathan Hua 

And I remember my uncle coming back and they had like. 

00:05:47 Jonathan Hua 

Between him and his friend they had like four or five like they're good flounder, and we had like 20. 

00:05:53 Jonathan Hua 

Like like my dad, my dad and I caught like 1010 each and and we had her. We had her limit and. 

00:05:58 Jonathan Hua 

My sister caught a few more, but. 

00:06:01 Jonathan Hua 

I think. 

00:06:03 Jonathan Hua 

That is an indication, and of course I remember this story every single time a fish flounder is. 

00:06:09 Jonathan Hua 

A lot of people who fish in a bank, they just chunk it out as far as. 

00:06:13 Jonathan Hua 

They can. 

00:06:13 Jonathan Hua 

Right when in, when in fact the flounder are sometimes just right. 

00:06:18 Jonathan Hua 

Uhm, right at your feet, literally at your feet. 

00:06:22 Jonathan Hua 

Yeah, and kind of to tie this all together. 

00:06:25 Jonathan Hua 

Recently I finished the heroes on the water, solid or Survivor Series team tournament. 

00:06:29 Jonathan Hua 

It was last weekend and ended up winning the the founder side pot. 

00:06:34 Jonathan Hua 

Ah, thanks. 

00:06:34 Merriel Solesky 

Congratulations by the way. 

00:06:38 Merriel Solesky 

Those siteswap money comes in handy. 

00:06:40 Merriel Solesky 

You know that they're pretty big man that a lot of people participate in that tournament and it's a it seems like the same group of. 

00:06:48 Merriel Solesky 

Like minded fishermen. 

00:06:49 Merriel Solesky 

We all just out there to have a good time and you know, just go out there and fish and it's always good to bring home a little paycheck too as well. 

00:06:55 Jonathan Hua 

Oh yeah, of course yeah, thanks and of course Tony and all the all the people who put on that time tournament a great job. 

00:06:56 Merriel Solesky 

Congratulations man. 

00:07:03 Jonathan Hua 

It's a great tournament, so if you ever in in the Galveston area and you're looking for a fun tournament, this series is over this year. 

00:07:09 Jonathan Hua 

But starting next year, I believe, and usually around May ish they they start up again. 

00:07:14 Jonathan Hua 

You're looking for a good kayak and or bank tournament to do that is a good one to to do, but you know it was. 

00:07:20 Jonathan Hua 

It was a redfish tournament and I had my my my game plan was red fish but I I'm not a redfish person and I I set up at a drain. 

00:07:30 Jonathan Hua 

Which is another hot spot for flounder, especially now during the fall. 

00:07:35 Jonathan Hua 

But really, any time and uhm, I remember I was. 

00:07:39 Jonathan Hua 

I was in the weeds for for for breakfast. 

00:07:42 Jonathan Hua 

I had just lost like two or three of them. 

00:07:44 Jonathan Hua 

They the current was just ripping out and they all had three redfish pop off and and I was just in my head and nothing was going right and I remember I made a cast. 

00:07:55 Jonathan Hua 

Right after one one redfish popped off and I backlash real bad and it landed right in the middle of the drain and they were just sitting there and I'm picking it down and just probably cussing to myself like you know. 

00:08:06 Jonathan Hua 

It's a term day. 

00:08:06 Jonathan Hua 

Everything is going wrong and I pick up the rot and again I thought it was stuck like like oh man. 

00:08:13 Jonathan Hua 

Of course, of course I'm stuck. 

00:08:14 Jonathan Hua 

You know, I'm you know, and I'm doing the whole like just whipping the rod trying to get it out and then wonderful. 

00:08:20 Jonathan Hua 

I just whip it and all. 

00:08:21 Jonathan Hua 

Of a sudden this. 

00:08:21 Jonathan Hua 

Flag comes flying out of the. 

00:08:23 Jonathan Hua 

Water and and I literally just like. 

00:08:26 Jonathan Hua 

Ripped it out of the water and and it turned out that was the my my my side pot. 

00:08:32 Jonathan Hua 

Winning flounder ended up you know he had he had to right in the right in the mouth where? 

00:08:36 Jonathan Hua 

It's supposed to be and I managed to land. 

00:08:39 Jonathan Hua 

Umm, but I I like. 

00:08:41 Jonathan Hua 

I like to say that for flounder, unless I'm specifically targeting targeting them, I always catch him on accident because I'm always fishing for trout so I'm always up in the on top of the water column and I'm not. 

00:08:50 Jonathan Hua 

You know, it's always like I backlash or something. 

00:08:52 Jonathan Hua 

I'm on the bottom. 

00:08:54 Merriel Solesky 

Man, I I usually catch, sometimes flounder when I'm fishing for redfish like some other strategy like some you know, some of their strategies is real similar. 

00:09:04 Merriel Solesky 

But yeah, but uh, go ahead. 

00:09:07 Jonathan Hua 

Yeah yeah no in. 

00:09:09 Jonathan Hua 

So I guess for flounder and how we're going to kind of approach this, we're going to split it up into 3 sections. 

00:09:18 Jonathan Hua 

It's going to be a we're going to go what, what? 

00:09:20 Jonathan Hua 

Our flounder kind of give a little bit of primer. 

00:09:23 Jonathan Hua 

Kind of the way they live and and what they are, and then we'll go into excel with the gear and tactics that we kind of use to to catch them. 

00:09:30 Jonathan Hua 

And then maybe at the end we'll talk about where to go. 

00:09:35 Jonathan Hua 

Maybe do some pin drops, who knows? 

00:09:36 

Oh yeah. 

00:09:37 Jonathan Hua 

Yeah, yeah. 

00:09:37 Merriel Solesky 

Everybody likes it. 

00:09:38 Merriel Solesky 

You know, you know and these the the places we're given are are probably going to be real popular places, so there might be a a lot of people there. 

00:09:45 Merriel Solesky 

So just be curious and these are hot spots. 

00:09:48 Merriel Solesky 

Where you know? 

00:09:49 Merriel Solesky 

If you're trying to catch a flounder or more. 

00:09:51 Merriel Solesky 

This is one of those areas you're. 

00:09:53 Merriel Solesky 

Most likely to catch one. 

00:09:55 Merriel Solesky 

Yeah, I. 

00:09:56 Merriel Solesky 

I also like to share. 

00:09:57 Merriel Solesky 

A story of a flounder. 

00:09:58 Merriel Solesky 

I was introduced in flounder. 

00:10:00 Merriel Solesky 

Yeah, actually me and my dad were out. 

00:10:03 Merriel Solesky 

There in the Back Bay, Corpus Christi. 

00:10:05 Merriel Solesky 

As that area we called Back Bay. 

00:10:07 Merriel Solesky 

And we used to use a Lantern, and we'd walk the coastlines with the Lantern. 

00:10:12 Merriel Solesky 

And, uh, we would get found. 

00:10:16 Merriel Solesky 

And that's how I was introduced to flounder. 

00:10:18 Merriel Solesky 

And then I remember when we fished for him. 

00:10:21 Merriel Solesky 

My dad taught me how to throw a cast net at a very young age and would cast net for mullet and mud minnows and or any kind of date we can get. 

00:10:31 Merriel Solesky 

We would use those. 

00:10:33 Merriel Solesky 

But I mean most likely when we're throwing our cast and we're trying to catch the the mullets, and Oh no, that's too big of a mullet, you know. 

00:10:40 Merriel Solesky 

We had to find a certain. 

00:10:41 Merriel Solesky 

Guys, mullet that my dad felt was pretty good and we used to work rock growings in shoreline. 

00:10:48 Merriel Solesky 

This form. 

00:10:49 Merriel Solesky 

Uhm, and catch flounder. 

00:10:51 Merriel Solesky 

Uh, that was definitely one of his favorite fish to eat. 

00:10:54 Merriel Solesky 

Was flounder and a certain time of year is the only kind of year the only like around this time of year was. 

00:11:02 Merriel Solesky 

What is the time that me and my father target? 

00:11:04 Merriel Solesky 

Uh, flounder, when were younger. 

00:11:06 Merriel Solesky 

But I thought I'd share that with you. 

00:11:08 Jonathan Hua 

Guys yeah no it. 

00:11:10 Jonathan Hua 

I think a lot of us well number one a lot. 

00:11:12 Jonathan Hua 

A lot of people favor fishing flounder and and but also you know our families. 

00:11:18 Jonathan Hua 

You know fathers or whoever introduced you to fishing. 

00:11:22 Jonathan Hua 

Especially in the Galveston area at least that I know of that the flounder fishing is where a lot of people got started with there there. 

00:11:28 Jonathan Hua 

With their love of fishing I should say. 

00:11:31 Merriel Solesky 

Like the first fish people using catch right? 

00:11:31 

That's what. 

00:11:34 Merriel Solesky 

Besides like Hardheads and gap tops numbers. 

00:11:38 Merriel Solesky 

One of those first ones that breaks the game for. 

00:11:40 Merriel Solesky 

Them, you know. 

00:11:40 Jonathan Hua 

Oh yeah, yeah. 

00:11:42 Jonathan Hua 

And before we go any further, I'm actually Maryland. 

00:11:45 Jonathan Hua 

Did you have a giveaway item that you wanted? 

00:11:47 Jonathan Hua 

Talk about. 

00:11:48 Merriel Solesky 

Yes, so we had a review on, UH, Spotify. 

00:11:53 Merriel Solesky 

And it just so happens. 

00:11:54 Merriel Solesky 

I know this person. 

00:11:55 Merriel Solesky 

Her name is, uh, Melissa, right? 

00:11:57 Merriel Solesky 

Melissa, Melinda and all. 

00:12:00 Merriel Solesky 

She knows she's the one that gave us the review she usually on here with Tina View. 

00:12:04 Merriel Solesky 

So I'm going to. 

00:12:05 Merriel Solesky 

Give her a. 

00:12:06 Merriel Solesky 

Rod, I'm gonna give her a green. 

00:12:08 Merriel Solesky 

Rod, thank you guys for. 

00:12:11 Merriel Solesky 

Your reviews we kind of look for your. 

00:12:12 Merriel Solesky 

Reviews to progress as a podcast. 

00:12:15 Merriel Solesky 

So I think Jonathan, who Jonathan who is. 

00:12:17 Merriel Solesky 

Going to create. 

00:12:18 Merriel Solesky 

A post, so pay attention to that post and we'll be giving away another cool prize. 

00:12:23 Merriel Solesky 

And this is for us to progress as a podcast. 

00:12:28 Merriel Solesky 

Maybe come we can be in a single location is what me and Jonathan talked about as one of. 

00:12:34 Merriel Solesky 

And or maybe you know, just stuff to progress as what we're doing. 

00:12:39 Merriel Solesky 

Maybe you like this the way we are and we just keep rolling what we're doing. 

00:12:42 Merriel Solesky 

That's cool too, but you know, we like to hear those reviews. 

00:12:46 Merriel Solesky 

If you really like this, we appreciate it. 

00:12:49 Merriel Solesky 

If you like some certain stuff, let us know. 

00:12:51 Jonathan Hua 

Yeah, actually I have also have. 

00:12:53 Jonathan Hua 

A rod to give away. 

00:12:56 Jonathan Hua 

Yeah, from one of our sponsors Chad. 

00:12:58 Jonathan Hua 

He has he has a custom rod that he's he's giving away. 

00:13:01 Jonathan Hua 

He's giving to us to give away. 

00:13:03 Jonathan Hua 

Uhm and. 

00:13:05 Jonathan Hua 

Basically the the way that I want to set this up is we definitely want to see your reviews either in Spotify, Apple or wherever you listen to us, whether on Facebook or here. 

00:13:14 Jonathan Hua 

I'm going to have a Facebook page Facebook post set up. 

00:13:17 Jonathan Hua 

Just say that you reviewed your view to us on Spotify or whatever and and and you'll be entered for that for that custom rod. 

00:13:26 Jonathan Hua 

Since it is a custom rod, we're not going to do shipping, so hopefully you're nearby. 

00:13:31 Jonathan Hua 

If not, well, we we can work something out, but. 

00:13:35 Jonathan Hua 

Uhm, yeah, I definitely want to hear from y'all guys because we can only get better with your help. 

00:13:40 Jonathan Hua 

Does you know? 

00:13:41 Jonathan Hua 

Give us your honest feedback, how we're doing. 

00:13:43 Jonathan Hua 

If we're doing well, let us know we're doing bad. 

00:13:45 Jonathan Hua 

Let us. 

00:13:46 Jonathan Hua 

Know you know. 

00:13:49 Merriel Solesky 

I think before you guys had to support us man, we really appreciate it out. 

00:13:53 Merriel Solesky 

We are actually getting more and more downloads as the further we progress as a podcast and maybe like what we do with the way we do it and we appreciate that and just want to say. 

00:14:05 Merriel Solesky 

Thank you guys. 

00:14:06 Jonathan Hua 

Yeah, so back to flounder so uhm. 

00:14:10 Jonathan Hua 

I guess Meryl if you were to describe a flounder, let's say you're taking out a client and you're kind of you're I know you do your little education thing how. 

00:14:18 Jonathan Hua 

How would you. 

00:14:18 Jonathan Hua 

How would you talk to them about flounder? 

00:14:25 Merriel Solesky 

I meant usually flounder is like how would we target them is what you're saying. 

00:14:29 Merriel Solesky 

Uh, like or or describe what they're their habits, is that? 

00:14:34 Jonathan Hua 

What you're yeah, describe their habits. 

00:14:37 Jonathan Hua 

I I I, I know that for flounder a lot of people know what it is, but for those who don't know what they are, we can go. 

00:14:46 Jonathan Hua 

We can go into like the very basic of what a flounder is like you. 

00:14:50 Jonathan Hua 

Know they're the the the the. 

00:14:51 Jonathan Hua 

The southern flounder is our our main flounder species in, in in taxes they're flat. 

00:14:57 Jonathan Hua 

You know they're flatfish. 

00:14:58 Jonathan Hua 

Very tasty, uh, excellent stuff. 

00:15:00 

Oh yes, yes. 

00:15:02 Merriel Solesky 

You'd probably do a better job of describing them. 

00:15:05 Merriel Solesky 

I'd probably do a better job of hunting them down. 

00:15:12 Jonathan Hua 

Yeah, so I'll. 

00:15:13 Jonathan Hua 

I'll go ahead and talk a little bit about it. 

00:15:15 Jonathan Hua 

We won't stay too long on this topic, but yeah, so just like I said, the southern flounder is our main flounder species that we have in Texas. 

00:15:23 Jonathan Hua 

There they are. 

00:15:25 Jonathan Hua 

You can target them year round. 

00:15:26 Jonathan Hua 

They are not just a fallfish that a lot of people like to target them during the annual quote, unquote. 

00:15:32 Jonathan Hua 

Allowed to run? 

00:15:33 Jonathan Hua 

Yeah, they are able. 

00:15:34 Jonathan Hua 

They're in the base since the year round. 

00:15:36 Jonathan Hua 

I just kind of have to know where to go to find them and actually target them. 

00:15:40 Jonathan Hua 

It's just much easier during during like the October November time period. 

00:15:46 Jonathan Hua 

So most of the time they're ambush predators. 

00:15:49 Jonathan Hua 

The way that they like to do it is they since they're flat, they kind of, you know, puff up the the the the ground underneath them to camouflage themselves there to masters of camouflage. 

00:15:59 Jonathan Hua 

If you ever catch one that's legal and and you kind of want to see sometimes if you put him in like a an ice chest and put some sand in it, I've done. 

00:16:08 Jonathan Hua 

I've done this before. 

00:16:08 Jonathan Hua 

Like you know as a kid. 

00:16:09 Jonathan Hua 

You just throw some sand in it and get get it all murky in the bottom. 

00:16:13 Jonathan Hua 

They they you can't you can hardly see them sometimes and and they camouflage themselves on the ground and they wait for bait and food to come up above them and they just come up and eat. 

00:16:24 Jonathan Hua 

Uhm, they. 

00:16:27 Jonathan Hua 

They, uh, so that that's their main mode of of eating so. 

00:16:34 Merriel Solesky 

Also from predators too is a one of the things they do is they like to hide from their predators? 

00:16:38 Merriel Solesky 

I see them dig. 

00:16:39 Merriel Solesky 

Themselves real real. 

00:16:40 Merriel Solesky 

Deep dolphins love chowing down on some flounder. 

00:16:45 Merriel Solesky 

But one of the reasons they hide also also reason is you know to hide from predator species, yeah. 

00:16:52 Merriel Solesky 

Most mostly is to to ambush their prey. 

00:16:56 Merriel Solesky 

You know, mullet shrimp. 

00:16:57 Merriel Solesky 

You know almost anything that moves. 

00:17:00 Jonathan Hua 

Yeah, and they they like to their main air. 

00:17:06 Jonathan Hua 

A lot of areas that they kind of frequent. 

00:17:09 Jonathan Hua 

Even though you can catch them all over the Bay and we'll get into like structure and stuff like that. 

00:17:13 Jonathan Hua 

But during the the warmer months they'll be in like the marsh areas on long grass lines. 

00:17:19 Jonathan Hua 

You can target them in drains. 

00:17:20 Jonathan Hua 

And and then whenever they move out, you know there's other structures that you can target, but they're. 

00:17:25 Jonathan Hua 

They're kind of all over and yeah, and they. 

00:17:30 Jonathan Hua 

And I guess I should go into like the migration so whenever it gets colder. 

00:17:35 Jonathan Hua 

Uhm, and let me actually. 

00:17:38 Jonathan Hua 

Here's a good secret right now. 

00:17:42 Jonathan Hua 

For me. 

00:17:43 Jonathan Hua 

The flounder run doesn't actually start in October November. 

00:17:47 Jonathan Hua 

It starts in like August. 

00:17:50 Jonathan Hua 

Because once it's, you know, once even though it's still kind of summer. 

00:17:56 Jonathan Hua 

I I feel the flounder have like an internal clock. 

00:17:59 Jonathan Hua 

They know when the they know when it it's about time. 

00:18:03 Jonathan Hua 

Uhm, and right before the 1st cold front start coming through, they're already starting to feed and getting ready to move out. 

00:18:11 Jonathan Hua 

Oh wow, yeah so. 

00:18:13 Jonathan Hua 

Instead of targeting them all the way out in. 

00:18:17 Jonathan Hua 

Like the ship channel. 

00:18:18 Jonathan Hua 

Where a lot of people like where Seawolf is. 

00:18:22 Jonathan Hua 

I actually catch a lot of them in the marsh or around the marsh areas as they're coming out and getting ready to. 

00:18:28 Jonathan Hua 

Move to the ships. 

00:18:30 Merriel Solesky 

Right? 

00:18:30 Jonathan Hua 

And this happens in the August. 

00:18:32 Merriel Solesky 

Right? 

00:18:33 Jonathan Hua 

And then you can basically follow them out so you find a good big marsh area kind of figure out how they're going to go. 

00:18:41 Jonathan Hua 

Out towards the you know. 

00:18:42 Jonathan Hua 

The ship channel, whether it be San Luis, pass or or the Galveston Ship channel and you can almost follow them out. 

00:18:49 Jonathan Hua 

Uhm, just start hitting structure along the way and just and just keep going and eventually you're going to hit the Galaxy ship channel. 

00:18:52 Merriel Solesky 

Right? 

00:18:57 Jonathan Hua 

They're there and then they'll. 

00:18:58 Jonathan Hua 

Move out, so that's the that's my my big tip that I I would I I give I like to give away for. 

00:19:05 Jonathan Hua 

Yeah, but yeah, so these flounder they they sit on the bottom and and they have all their anguish predators and all that. 

00:19:11 Jonathan Hua 

So yes, now Meryl, this is how where you come in. 

00:19:15 Merriel Solesky 

Right, yeah? 

00:19:15 Jonathan Hua 

You know where would you where do you target them and and and and what would you do? 

00:19:20 Merriel Solesky 

So so year year around we, you know we target them. 

00:19:25 Merriel Solesky 

Pretty much the same. 

00:19:27 Merriel Solesky 

Uh, areas year round. 

00:19:30 Merriel Solesky 

In certain areas we we we, we catch these flounders year round and the ship channel being one of those areas, but they get thicker during those areas when they're moving out. 

00:19:40 Merriel Solesky 

And usually what happens is the. 

00:19:42 Merriel Solesky 

The weather gets colder. 

00:19:44 Merriel Solesky 

And the marshes starts to drain so. 

00:19:46 Merriel Solesky 

If the food. 

00:19:47 Merriel Solesky 

Their bait moves out and everything starts moving out and draining out, draining out these marches. 

00:19:53 Merriel Solesky 

The flounder going to follow the bait and they start moving towards the deeper areas and they start might then. 

00:19:58 Merriel Solesky 

This is usually an indication to the fish where they started. 

00:20:02 Merriel Solesky 

Migrating out to the ship channel and then they move out and do their thing and usually swing back around springtime. 

00:20:08 Merriel Solesky 

Come back in when the we got those bigger tide movements and they're flooding the marches and these flounders are really hungry. 

00:20:15 Merriel Solesky 

So a lot of people don't talk about that run as they're coming inside. 

00:20:21 Merriel Solesky 

I think different flounders have different behaviors. 

00:20:24 Merriel Solesky 

Some of them don't do the same thing that all these other fish, which I always preach is not all fish do the same. 

00:20:30 Merriel Solesky 

Thing so some patterns work and some patterns you know they're not. 

00:20:35 Merriel Solesky 

You know they don't do the same thing that. 

00:20:36 Merriel Solesky 

They always do like some flounders. 

00:20:39 Merriel Solesky 

Believe it or not, they stay in. 

00:20:40 Merriel Solesky 

This one area. 

00:20:41 Merriel Solesky 

That is it. 

00:20:42 Merriel Solesky 

It never really drains out. 

00:20:44 Merriel Solesky 

It's a pretty deeper area, but sometimes you can catch them flounder year round in that area. 

00:20:48 Merriel Solesky 

It doesn't matter if it's freezing cold or if it's. 

00:20:51 Merriel Solesky 

Uh, hot, you know it's. 

00:20:53 Merriel Solesky 

They live there, they stay there, you know, and but more the shallow areas they need water to live, so of course they're not going to be there when the water drains out of the marsh. 

00:21:03 Merriel Solesky 

Usually are these big northern winds come and push out all this water out and it gets really really cold. 

00:21:08 Merriel Solesky 

We had a tough winter. 

00:21:09 Merriel Solesky 

I know Texas Park and wildlife were doing some stuff. 

00:21:13 Merriel Solesky 

To changing the restrictions on flounder and other fish. 

00:21:16 Merriel Solesky 

That were impacted. 

00:21:17 Merriel Solesky 

With the freeze, we'll see how this year goes. 

00:21:20 Merriel Solesky 

But so it's hard to write. 

00:21:21 Jonathan Hua 

Actually, actually I I wanted to bring up when you brought up Texan parking wildlife. 

00:21:27 Jonathan Hua 

So this year and I'm not. 

00:21:30 Jonathan Hua 

I'm not sure how the future years are, but I know, at least for this year, flounder season is closed. 

00:21:34 Jonathan Hua 

Starting November. 

00:21:35 Jonathan Hua 

I'll wait till December 14th. 

00:21:37 Jonathan Hua 

So unfortunately during what normally would be the peak flounder run. 

00:21:42 Jonathan Hua 

This year, unfortunately, you're not able to harvest flounder. 

00:21:45 Jonathan Hua 

That it it's. 

00:21:46 Jonathan Hua 

It's unfortunate, but you know that's what they decided. 

00:21:51 Jonathan Hua 

And, uh. 

00:21:53 Jonathan Hua 

And, ah, I know that people are going to be, you know, have their own opinions about what it is, but that doesn't mean that you know you can still have a good time and go target flounder during these times so. 

00:22:03 Jonathan Hua 

Well, just just as it heads up during November and beginning November 1st all the way to December 14th, you're not able to harvest either by Rod or gigging any flounder so. 

00:22:16 Merriel Solesky 

Yep, so Muline Melinda joined us again, so I I'm. 

00:22:20 Merriel Solesky 

You're actually getting a flounder ride just to let you know that, and I'll explain what that means when we get into or what I think it means when we get into the topic of. 

00:22:29 Merriel Solesky 

Gear, but so. 

00:22:31 Merriel Solesky 

Main places I'd like to take clients to target flounder. 

00:22:35 Merriel Solesky 

Bulkheads is is a good area. 

00:22:39 Merriel Solesky 

Rock growing structure. 

00:22:42 Merriel Solesky 

Pylons drains drop offs. 

00:22:46 Merriel Solesky 

Anywhere where they can ambush a bait. 

00:22:49 Merriel Solesky 

And it almost sounds similar to like what we would say on most species, but these flounder have a different pattern. 

00:22:55 Merriel Solesky 

They're closer to the ground, someone sometimes finding like an example we we use this term a higher water column. 

00:23:03 Merriel Solesky 

So that means that if you were to map out like OK, say I'm in five. 

00:23:08 Merriel Solesky 

Feet of water. 

00:23:09 Merriel Solesky 

And the higher column would be. 

00:23:11 Merriel Solesky 

From the surface of the water. 

00:23:13 Merriel Solesky 

To about a foot to two feet and the lower column would probably or mid column will be around the three foot range and the lower column will be. 

00:23:20 Merriel Solesky 

Like a foot. 

00:23:21 Merriel Solesky 

Or on the bottom of the mud or. 

00:23:23 Merriel Solesky 

Or whatever surface you're working. 

00:23:25 Merriel Solesky 

On the bottom so I. 

00:23:26 Merriel Solesky 

Know I had. 

00:23:27 Merriel Solesky 

Somebody messaged me about what do you mean by water? 

00:23:30 Merriel Solesky 

Column so you know, sometimes, uh. 

00:23:35 Merriel Solesky 

Trout will be on the top, but the flounder will be on the bottom and the reason they're on the bottom is like Jonathan explained. 

00:23:41 Merriel Solesky 

They like to be on the bottom to ambush bait as they go. 

00:23:44 Merriel Solesky 

Over the bottom. 

00:23:44 Merriel Solesky 

Of the surface and. 

00:23:47 Merriel Solesky 

And, uh, those are areas that that I like to target. 

00:23:50 Merriel Solesky 

If I'm fishing the tournament, I'm hitting up drink. 

00:23:53 Merriel Solesky 

Depending on what year. 

00:23:54 Merriel Solesky 

Sometimes I like to have dreams or the the the coastline of. 

00:24:00 Merriel Solesky 

Uh, of a marsh like the whole grass line of the marsh is areas I I start punching those grass lines like I'm fishing for redfish, but I'm dragging in more working them. 

00:24:10 Merriel Solesky 

A little bit lower. 

00:24:12 Merriel Solesky 

Yeah, sometimes the flounders are bites aggressive and sometimes you have to really drag it on the. 

00:24:17 Merriel Solesky 

Mud and get their attention. 

00:24:19 Jonathan Hua 

Now I do want to say that especially in shallower waters, I'd say like a footer. 

00:24:25 Jonathan Hua 

Uhm, and I have I I'm I'm wondering if you've had this happen. 

00:24:29 Jonathan Hua 

Have you ever caught a flounder on top water? 

00:24:32 Merriel Solesky 

Yes, I've actually caught him on. 

00:24:33 Merriel Solesky 

A fat boy too, and. 

00:24:35 Merriel Solesky 

Forgetting fat boy. 

00:24:36 Merriel Solesky 

Not even a sinker, it was kind of like a fat boy that doesn't really. 

00:24:41 Merriel Solesky 

I made the. 

00:24:42 Merriel Solesky 

Mistake right? My buddy who's what was with it was me, the professor and Logan Logan's are really popular or fisherman here. 

00:24:51 Merriel Solesky 

And I decided I I was having a good time. 

00:24:53 Merriel Solesky 

That time I was catching a whole bunch of fish. 

00:24:55 Merriel Solesky 

I decided I. 

00:24:56 Merriel Solesky 

Wanted to try to pick up a flounder from the bottom of it and it had to tap on this mouth. 

00:25:00 Merriel Solesky 

I said, man, you ain't gonna believe this like this this this flower hit this this fat. 

00:25:05 Merriel Solesky 

Boy on the top side. 

00:25:06 Merriel Solesky 

So I tried to pick up the flounder and he was out my hand and that was my slam by the way. 

00:25:11 Merriel Solesky 

And he just it didn't work for me. 

00:25:13 Merriel Solesky 

You know, there's sometimes you could pick him up and they won't move. 

00:25:16 Merriel Solesky 

I tried to pick this one up and he. 

00:25:17 Merriel Solesky 

Moved and the hook stuck in my hand in the flower girl. 

00:25:21 Merriel Solesky 

But that was just a funny story. 

00:25:22 Merriel Solesky 

I'd like to share with, you know, they don't know what parents do. 

00:25:25 Merriel Solesky 

Or maybe I wasn't doing it right. 

00:25:26 Merriel Solesky 

I don't know. 

00:25:27 Merriel Solesky 

But I saw somebody else doing that one. 

00:25:29 Merriel Solesky 

I thought I could do it, but yeah, I've caught him. 

00:25:31 Merriel Solesky 

On a top water. 

00:25:32 Merriel Solesky 

I've caught him on a a floating. 

00:25:34 Merriel Solesky 

Fat boy I thought was. 

00:25:35 Merriel Solesky 

It it doesn't happen a lot, but yeah I have. 

00:25:39 Jonathan Hua 

Yeah, I've I've got. 

00:25:40 Jonathan Hua 

I've got a couple on top water and those they were at drains the two times I've done it was always in it. 

00:25:44 Jonathan Hua 

Was rain, where basically I knew the flounder they. 

00:25:48 Jonathan Hua 

Uh, I the reason why I was fishing there because I saw one launches out of the. 

00:25:52 Merriel Solesky 

Oh wow. 

00:25:53 Jonathan Hua 

And they were just chasing all these. 

00:25:54 Jonathan Hua 

It was actually shrimp that they were chasing. 

00:25:57 Jonathan Hua 

Uh, but I had a top water inside. 

00:25:58 Jonathan Hua 

I've casted up in there and I noticed while I was bringing it out, that the founder, even the one flounder that I saw jump out of the water. 

00:26:06 Jonathan Hua 

They were still actually coming up. 

00:26:07 Jonathan Hua 

You could see boils in the in this drain and they're just coming up and just slurping bait and going back down and and I casted my top water up. 

00:26:17 Jonathan Hua 

And I was working at there were trout in there. I was catching trout and I I but I was on the edge of the grass where that water drain was coming out and I worked it and I saw a big boil and my my my top water go under and it felt really weird and it turned out to be this you know this you know 1617 inch flounder that got hooked in the mouth. 

00:26:36 Jonathan Hua 

That's nice. 

00:26:38 Jonathan Hua 

Yeah so. 

00:26:38 Merriel Solesky 

What color was that top water was that, uh, like a mullet like? 

00:26:41 Jonathan Hua 

One or it was. 

00:26:42 Jonathan Hua 

Yeah, it was a. 

00:26:43 Jonathan Hua 

It was a black and Chrome one. 

00:26:45 Jonathan Hua 

Yeah, it's super sweet. 

00:26:45 Merriel Solesky 

Love you friend. 

00:26:46 Jonathan Hua 

The Black and Chrome juice poop Junior, but I've been using, yeah. 

00:26:48 Merriel Solesky 

One of my favorite colors. 

00:26:51 Jonathan Hua 

Yeah, so even though they're predominantly on the bottom. 

00:26:56 Jonathan Hua 

On occasion you you can't catch them on top water and it it's it's quite a surprise 'cause you're not expecting that. 

00:27:01 Merriel Solesky 

Right, right, yeah, yeah. 

00:27:03 Merriel Solesky 

And it's always fun. 

00:27:04 Merriel Solesky 

'cause I like you and Mother Nature throws you a wrench and you're like man, I you would have never. 

00:27:08 Merriel Solesky 

Thought that and. 

00:27:09 Merriel Solesky 

It happens, but, uh, yeah. 

00:27:11 Merriel Solesky 

So typically a bulkheads bulkhead structure. 

00:27:16 Merriel Solesky 

Drop off I. 

00:27:18 Merriel Solesky 

I think that the the one area I like the most, I'd say that I really like the most is going to be rock growings. 

00:27:26 Merriel Solesky 

To me, if you know if I just pick one spot over all of them, it definitely be rock bones and you'd be surprised these flounder get right up on the rocks. 

00:27:37 Merriel Solesky 

Sometimes they're actually on the actual rocks. 

00:27:41 Merriel Solesky 

Uhm, so fish and weedless from on the. 

00:27:43 Merriel Solesky 

Rocks I've done that. 

00:27:45 Merriel Solesky 

Uhm, I've done it. 

00:27:46 Merriel Solesky 

A buddy of mine taught me how to walk along rocks. 

00:27:50 Merriel Solesky 

And just straight. 

00:27:51 Merriel Solesky 

Barely toss it out like a foot or two and just gig like just straight jig it up along the rocks and we've caught really good flounder doing that. 

00:27:59 Merriel Solesky 

Uhm, yeah, I think I tried almost now. 

00:28:03 Merriel Solesky 

I'm not going to carry on about a. 

00:28:04 Merriel Solesky 

Different method used. 

00:28:05 Merriel Solesky 

Like no other ones, but not go ahead. 

00:28:07 Jonathan Hua 

No, I know a lot of people are enjoying this because this is really good information. 

00:28:11 Jonathan Hua 

And another thing to look at is if you haven't seen it ready. 

00:28:15 Jonathan Hua 

Go check out Jared Easley. 

00:28:16 Jonathan Hua 

He was one of our guests from redfish, a few a few episodes back. 

00:28:19 Jonathan Hua 

I believe episode three or four on redfish if you check out his his his page he has like a bunch of like. 

00:28:27 Jonathan Hua 

Really good, not only redfish shots, but he has like a video of a flounder chilling on a rock like on a flat on a Flat Rock underwater. 

00:28:35 Jonathan Hua 

And it brings a gulp over it and it is good just. 

00:28:37 Jonathan Hua 

Tails it and yeah yeah, but bringing up rock coins and that's. 

00:28:38 Merriel Solesky 

Oh wow, that's cool. 

00:28:39 Merriel Solesky 

I hadn't seen that one yet. 

00:28:44 Jonathan Hua 

My favorite too. 

00:28:46 Jonathan Hua 

As much as I love, for example, when I'm fishing at sea wolf and during the height of the run, you know, and if I'm dragging mullet or if I'm dragging artificials, I'm basically just covering water out in the flat because that's where they are. 

00:28:58 Jonathan Hua 

Uhm, when I'm fishing targeting rocks, one of the things. 

00:29:01 Jonathan Hua 

That I really like to do is. 

00:29:04 Jonathan Hua 

It's very difficult to do it in a kayak. 

00:29:07 Jonathan Hua 

UM, because you have waves, you have wind current you're contending with, and you can't really stay right on that edge that you need to be. 

00:29:15 Jonathan Hua 

And and there's actually two things that you need to look at that you have to. 

00:29:19 Jonathan Hua 

Well, one thing you have to look at is where is that edge at? 

00:29:24 Jonathan Hua 

And remember when we were talking earlier about my story about whenever I was like 8 or 9, and you know they're right on the edge sometimes that that foot where that zone where they're at it. 

00:29:37 Jonathan Hua 

It's not that big. 

00:29:39 Jonathan Hua 

Sometimes they're all up sitting, sitting right on that edge, and if you, if you're too far out. 

00:29:44 Jonathan Hua 

From it like a foot, they're not going to. 

00:29:45 Jonathan Hua 

Come get it, they're just going to sit right? 

00:29:47 Jonathan Hua 

Where there are. 

00:29:48 Jonathan Hua 

Right up on the edge. 

00:29:49 Jonathan Hua 

So by waiting what you can do is just kind of feel around. 

00:29:52 Jonathan Hua 

Feel OK, you know here the rock is on my left and I'm working this straight rock edge right in front of me. 

00:29:58 Jonathan Hua 

I can cast in front of me and. 

00:30:01 Merriel Solesky 

Right, right? 

00:30:01 Jonathan Hua 

Perfectly get that edge and and if you know yeah and you can find where they're at and if they're not there, that's when what I'll do is instead of casting on little rocket, I'll start moving casting further and further away, because sometimes they're not on that edge, or sometimes they're they, they're just. 

00:30:03 

Right? 

00:30:04 

Well, yeah. 

00:30:12 Merriel Solesky 

Right? 

00:30:16 Merriel Solesky 

Little bit further back right? 

00:30:16 Jonathan Hua 

Just a little bit further out. 

00:30:20 Jonathan Hua 

But you can't do that. 

00:30:21 Jonathan Hua 

It's very or let's just say it's very difficult to do that in a kayak or or even a boat, because you're constantly moving with the with how the water is. 

00:30:28 Jonathan Hua 

Doing and and in certain cases like this I I think being in the water and just feeling around with your boots make sure you. 

00:30:36 Jonathan Hua 

Have good good. 

00:30:37 Jonathan Hua 

Boots because those rocks can be sharp and slippery. 

00:30:41 Jonathan Hua 

Just working that and understanding where where they are in relation to that rocks is very important. 

00:30:47 Merriel Solesky 

Right, so so you start up against the rocks and you start fanning your way out. 

00:30:51 

Yes, OK cool yeah. 

00:30:53 Merriel Solesky 

Yeah man. 

00:30:54 Merriel Solesky 

Usually I just target them right up on the rocks or on the rocks. 

00:30:58 Merriel Solesky 

I've caught some really good I think. 

00:31:00 Merriel Solesky 

My bigger flounders are actually the ones that were in and on the rock. 

00:31:05 Merriel Solesky 

But I use like a a weedless kind of bait where I can bounce and I could feel where I'm on the rocks and it's kind of hard, right? 

00:31:13 Merriel Solesky 

Like how do you feel? 

00:31:14 Merriel Solesky 

Like what's a flounder and you're not setting the. 

00:31:16 Merriel Solesky 

Hook on it rock, yeah. 

00:31:18 Merriel Solesky 

And that just takes practice that takes a lot of practice. 

00:31:21 Merriel Solesky 

Uh, it should do a lot. 

00:31:23 Merriel Solesky 

But yeah, you'll definitely feel like. 

00:31:25 Merriel Solesky 

A thumb thumb or like a. 

00:31:26 Merriel Solesky 

Thing like totally different. 

00:31:29 Merriel Solesky 

And once you get a good. 

00:31:30 Merriel Solesky 

Enough rock to feel the difference in those. 

00:31:32 Merriel Solesky 

Those stumps on your lure? 

00:31:34 Merriel Solesky 

Or are those stumps on? 

00:31:35 Merriel Solesky 

Your bait or whatever you. 

00:31:36 Merriel Solesky 

Using I've also tipped my bait. 

00:31:40 Merriel Solesky 

My artificials. 

00:31:41 Merriel Solesky 

I've tipped them with the there's different methods. 

00:31:43 Merriel Solesky 

I know some people like to use like the stomachs on other flounder or stomachs of trout, maybe shrimp. 

00:31:51 Merriel Solesky 

Uh, and though sometimes those. 

00:31:54 Merriel Solesky 

Are really really productive if you tip your. 

00:31:56 Merriel Solesky 

Bait, you know with the scent. 

00:31:59 Jonathan Hua 

Actually I have one of my my uncle he he out. 

00:32:04 Jonathan Hua 

He was completely out fish me this one time we were we were fishing the point and we were targeting flounder. 

00:32:12 Jonathan Hua 

And he was. 

00:32:15 Jonathan Hua 

He was basically pulling up flounder left and right, whereas for me it was like every 30 minutes I would get. 

00:32:21 Jonathan Hua 

I would have a flounder followed my baby. 

00:32:23 

I could see. 

00:32:26 Jonathan Hua 

But that he he was tipping it with the flatter stomach and it was very very interesting like he he had. 

00:32:32 Jonathan Hua 

I was watching him and he was using artificial like I was. 

00:32:35 Jonathan Hua 

And you know he's just pulling. 

00:32:36 Jonathan Hua 

I'm like what are you using and he's like, oh, I'm using a it was a like a TTF paddle town I go I have that and I I put that on and I casted it out and I wasn't getting anything and like what's going on and he I saw like had a little zip lock bag like yeah he's cooler and pull it out and like cut off a little piece and. 

00:32:51 Jonathan Hua 

Put it on like what is that? 

00:32:52 Jonathan Hua 

He's always fun or something like a founder stomach or something like that. 

00:32:55 Jonathan Hua 

Right, like what? 

00:32:57 Jonathan Hua 

He's like, yeah, it just put it on and like literally next Cassie. 

00:33:01 Jonathan Hua 

He pulled up a a nice flounder. 

00:33:04 Jonathan Hua 

That's the thing. 

00:33:04 Jonathan Hua 

So yeah, yeah. 

00:33:06 Merriel Solesky 

I I've. 

00:33:06 Merriel Solesky 

I've been in the same situation in the. 

00:33:10 Merriel Solesky 

Immediately when he caught two of them, I was like, man, we're doing the same thing, buddy. 

00:33:14 Merriel Solesky 

Hey, what do you got? 

00:33:15 Merriel Solesky 

He's like oh man, same thing. 

00:33:17 Merriel Solesky 

You put out a little zip lock bag and he's like man, I usually I tip, it will flounder at stomach and put it on. 

00:33:22 Merriel Solesky 

I haven't, I ran into another guy. 

00:33:24 Merriel Solesky 

Was using trout stomachs and I was like man that work too and and. 

00:33:29 Merriel Solesky 

What not there? 

00:33:30 Merriel Solesky 

Actual stomach, but actually the belly part of it. 

00:33:33 Merriel Solesky 

Yeah, and. 

00:33:35 Merriel Solesky 

And I tried it man and it worked and I'll say, man, that's a definitely a new one for me. 

00:33:41 Merriel Solesky 

So I always like wanting stuff for people that I like, watching other people and watch what they do, and it's interesting. 

00:33:48 Merriel Solesky 

And that's the good thing about fishing this learning. 

00:33:49 Merriel Solesky 

You'll always be learning. 

00:33:51 Merriel Solesky 

I like learning new stuff like that. 

00:33:53 Jonathan Hua 

I mean, and of course, if you're if you're doing flounder fishing and you're at those really high popular places with a bunch of people. 

00:34:02 Jonathan Hua 

It is very good. 

00:34:03 Jonathan Hua 

Good people watching places. 

00:34:06 Merriel Solesky 

Right, right? 

00:34:06 Jonathan Hua 

Yep, just just just look for her. 

00:34:08 Jonathan Hua 

Post about the fair landing. 

00:34:10 Jonathan Hua 

You know, meet you at the fair. 

00:34:11 Merriel Solesky 

Yeah, yeah, don't ever. 

00:34:12 Merriel Solesky 

Go to the ferry landing without boxing gloves. 

00:34:16 Merriel Solesky 

Obviously, then, don't just like trouble the. 

00:34:18 

Ledge, yeah, it's a old. 

00:34:20 Merriel Solesky 

Video out there. 

00:34:21 Merriel Solesky 

That's anyways, carry out. 

00:34:24 Jonathan Hua 

Yeah, so now that we kind of kind of. 

00:34:28 Jonathan Hua 

Should people like what a founder isn't kind of where we're targeting them? 

00:34:32 Jonathan Hua 

Uh, uh, no good portion of what you wanted to talk about. 

00:34:34 Jonathan Hua 

Was the gear and especially you know, Melinda, you're giving Melinda a quote, unquote flounder rod. 

00:34:40 Jonathan Hua 

So what is a flounder rod to? 

00:34:42 Jonathan Hua 

So for those who don't know what it is. 

00:34:45 Merriel Solesky 

Oh OK, yeah to me what I think. 

00:34:47 Merriel Solesky 

If flounder rod is is definitely. 

00:34:49 Merriel Solesky 

Not a a light. 

00:34:50 Merriel Solesky 

You know, or an extra light. 

00:34:52 Merriel Solesky 

I like to use something with a little bit more backbone on the rod. 

00:34:56 Merriel Solesky 

Reason being is because. 

00:34:58 Merriel Solesky 

The the flounder. 

00:34:59 Merriel Solesky 

Have a very strong bone face plate. 

00:35:03 Merriel Solesky 

And your hooks gotta be able to Pierce through that. 

00:35:09 Merriel Solesky 

You know there's a lot that goes into besides just the rod, but having the right drag, you know the drag on your real or having the right real having the right line. 

00:35:18 Merriel Solesky 

The right hooks. 

00:35:19 Merriel Solesky 

Make sure your hooks are. 

00:35:20 Merriel Solesky 

Sharp and then. 

00:35:21 Merriel Solesky 

Also, how you set the hook is also important, but being a rod is also one of the most important elements to your. 

00:35:29 Merriel Solesky 

To your arsenal. 

00:35:31 Merriel Solesky 

So having a good stiff medium medium. 

00:35:33 Merriel Solesky 

I know people that like to use medium heavy for flounders. 

00:35:36 Merriel Solesky 

Yeah I like to use a a good medium. 

00:35:40 Merriel Solesky 

Medium to medium heavy for flounder just. 

00:35:43 Merriel Solesky 

So I can. 

00:35:44 

Puncture through that. 

00:35:45 Merriel Solesky 

If the hook does so happen to get across. 

00:35:47 Merriel Solesky 

That bone plate. 

00:35:48 Merriel Solesky 

That I pierced through it, and. 

00:35:50 Merriel Solesky 

Having the hook. 

00:35:53 Jonathan Hua 

Basically, a lot of people if you talk to old time or sometimes they will refer to as their broomsticks. 

00:35:58 

Boom bust. 

00:35:58 Jonathan Hua 

It's basically a medium action, right? 

00:36:00 Jonathan Hua 

And we have an episode. 

00:36:02 Jonathan Hua 

When we talked to Drew Turner, we've going through the actions and all that, but the rod, the rod that you need for a a flounder rod. 

00:36:09 Jonathan Hua 

Is basically it doesn't. 

00:36:11 Jonathan Hua 

It has a lot of really good backbone. 

00:36:13 Jonathan Hua 

It doesn't flex a lot. 

00:36:14 Jonathan Hua 

You basically want to impart as much energy as from your Hooksett as you can to the hook. 

00:36:20 Jonathan Hua 

That way that as Meryl said, it pierces that Bony mouth of the founder and actually you bring up another good good tip here about the setting the hooks. 

00:36:30 Jonathan Hua 

Uhm, and I I've. 

00:36:32 Jonathan Hua 

I've learned this a years ago because I was told this by somebody that you don't actually set the hook straight up. 

00:36:40 Jonathan Hua 

Uh, whenever you're you're fishing for flounder, you, you go you you've set the hook from side to side. 

00:36:47 Jonathan Hua 

Or at an angle now, but never straight up, because with the way the flatfish works and it's going to try to describe this as best as I can. 

00:36:49 Merriel Solesky 

Right? 

00:36:54 Jonathan Hua 

So with the flatfish their their faces on basically on what you call their top side of the fish and their mouth doesn't instead of opening up and down or opens up side to side. 

00:37:03 Jonathan Hua 

So that's how the founder had their mouth is side to side. 

00:37:07 Jonathan Hua 

If you set the hook straight up and you can imagine this if they have the bait in their mouth. 

00:37:13 Jonathan Hua 

Uh, when you set straight up, you can actually pull the bait out of their mouth. 

00:37:17 Jonathan Hua 

Whereas if you set from side to side or an angle, you have the better chance of penetrating their mouth because their mouth is not up and down. 

00:37:26 Jonathan Hua 

It's on. 

00:37:26 Jonathan Hua 

The side, so that's I think that's a good tip right there, because I I know a lot of people whenever they're flounder fishing or they're excited about it. 

00:37:35 Jonathan Hua 

They feel that thump. 

00:37:36 Jonathan Hua 

They just. 

00:37:37 Jonathan Hua 

Build it, build, dance it and just go straight up as hard as they can and it's it's a. 

00:37:43 Jonathan Hua 

They get nothing out of it. 

00:37:45 Merriel Solesky 

Is there a specific size you like when? 

00:37:48 Merriel Solesky 

It comes to a rock. 

00:37:50 Jonathan Hua 

Oh yeah, that's right. 

00:37:51 Merriel Solesky 

The grounding. 

00:37:52 Jonathan Hua 

Yeah, it's a good question from David right here. 

00:37:54 Jonathan Hua 

Recommend a specific make model length for flounder noobs. 

00:38:03 Jonathan Hua 

Actually the 1st. 

00:38:06 Jonathan Hua 

Actually I I do have a good recommendation the the H2O ethos from Academy. 

00:38:13 Jonathan Hua 

Uhm, they're usually under $50 a month. 

00:38:18 Jonathan Hua 

And it's like a 66. 

00:38:20 Jonathan Hua 

Medium heavy UM action. 

00:38:23 Jonathan Hua 

It's very light up and I like the six six because it's a you know, for the most part with flounder, you're targeting structure. 

00:38:30 Jonathan Hua 

You're not really casting that far anyways. 

00:38:33 Jonathan Hua 

Like if you're pitching and targeting structure in front of you, you don't need to make those long casts, but basically whenever you whip. 

00:38:40 Jonathan Hua 

Rod up and down the tip. 

00:38:42 Jonathan Hua 

The rod tip should barely move like it's going to move a little bit, and you need that for for just. 

00:38:49 Jonathan Hua 

For feeling for lures and all that stuff, but that one is a very stiff rod where I know that if I'm setting the hook on, I know all the energy is gonna go straight to that to that that hook. 

00:38:51 Merriel Solesky 

Right? 

00:39:00 Jonathan Hua 

So yeah, so 66 medium medium heavy like H2O ethos from Academy would be would be a good choice or even a A. 

00:39:09 Jonathan Hua 

66 

00:39:10 Jonathan Hua 

A Berkley lightning rod. 

00:39:13 Jonathan Hua 

Uhm, of the same. 

00:39:14 Jonathan Hua 

Uh, action medium to medium heavy. 

00:39:17 Jonathan Hua 

Those would probably be your best actually. 

00:39:20 Jonathan Hua 

I I would even go further and say medium heavy. 

00:39:22 Jonathan Hua 

Get the medium heavy. 

00:39:23 Merriel Solesky 

Right, yeah, I like the, uh, I like minds a little bit if money is. 

00:39:29 Merriel Solesky 

If you're not worried about saving money, I like the LP two from the green rods. I like those rods are really, really stiff and they're about 6-9. 

00:39:37 Merriel Solesky 

I like a little bit more like a 69. I'm still able to control pretty good with the 69. 

00:39:43 Merriel Solesky 

The smaller the rod, the more control you have with it along the ground, the more you're able to cast with it, and there's a lot more flex. 

00:39:49 Merriel Solesky 

Sometimes with those bigger rods. 

00:39:51 Merriel Solesky 

Uhm, but I I like the six 9 L P2 green rods from fishing tackle unlimited. I use that as my flounder rod and then I. 

00:40:02 Merriel Solesky 

I've rarely missed a flounder bite. 

00:40:06 Merriel Solesky 

Also, I guess we'll get into the tactics part on when to set a hook and stuff. 

00:40:11 Merriel Solesky 

Like that, but. 

00:40:12 Merriel Solesky 

As far as far as a rod goes, that's the kind of rod. 

00:40:16 Merriel Solesky 

I like to. 

00:40:17 Merriel Solesky 

Use and I'm going to jump in into and and go to line that I. 

00:40:22 Merriel Solesky 

Use for that and I like braid. 

00:40:25 Merriel Solesky 

30LB braid I use 30. 

00:40:26 Merriel Solesky 

On break for everything, I snapped off too many 2020 20 to 25 so I stuck with 30 and never had the issue. 

00:40:34 Merriel Solesky 

I think even with the smaller line like the £10 braid I I was getting like a little bit more birds nest and little not birds nest, but where it digs. 

00:40:42 Merriel Solesky 

Into the. 

00:40:42 Merriel Solesky 

Grip then airline. 

00:40:45 Merriel Solesky 

So I just went bigger in line and just totally got away from all that stuff and I used the £25 leader. I like fluorocarbon for flounder because it doesn't really give like mono does. 

00:40:58 Merriel Solesky 

And dumb, that's what I like to use. 

00:41:00 Merriel Solesky 

I I usually. 

00:41:01 Merriel Solesky 

Use like a. 

00:41:02 Merriel Solesky 

Foot leader of of of Fluorocarbon and. 

00:41:08 Merriel Solesky 

Yeah, those are the and if I'm using live bait, I'm using, uh. 

00:41:12 Merriel Solesky 

We'll get into that later. 

00:41:13 Merriel Solesky 

But those, as far as line rod and. 

00:41:16 Merriel Solesky 

Then a good. 

00:41:17 Merriel Solesky 

Real something that has a good amount of drag on it. 

00:41:19 Merriel Solesky 

So when you set the hook. 

00:41:21 Merriel Solesky 

That it that drag is not coming off, as you know, as much as you know. 

00:41:26 Jonathan Hua 

I know a lot of people would basically just tide down. 

00:41:29 Jonathan Hua 

They're tightened under drag to the Mac. 

00:41:31 Merriel Solesky 

Yeah, Yep. 

00:41:34 Jonathan Hua 

And As for line I, I definitely agree having, uh, a 30 pound I. I'm actually at the £20 range, but 30 pounds is definitely sufficient enough for for what you're doing. 

00:41:45 Jonathan Hua 

Uh, I sometimes go straight braid because I don't want any stretch whatsoever. 

00:41:50 Jonathan Hua 

However, you are trading off their abrasion resistance because a lot of areas I like to fish is. You're up against rocks, oysters and whatnot, but again, it's only if I'm specifically targeting flounder for the most part, like 99% of the time, whenever I'm just going everyday fishing and I'm just fishing for trout, it's I'm always going to have that that floor carbon, but if I'm targeting 

00:42:11 Jonathan Hua 

Specifically or flounder. 

00:42:12 Jonathan Hua 

Sometimes I will go straight braid so that there is no. 

00:42:15 Jonathan Hua 

So there is no stretch whatsoever whenever I'm imparting the Hooksett right? 

00:42:20 Merriel Solesky 

So if you're what you're saying when. 

00:42:22 Merriel Solesky 

You are with rock drawings and pylons. 

00:42:24 Merriel Solesky 

Are you using the? 

00:42:25 Merriel Solesky 

Leader for the abrasive. 

00:42:26 Jonathan Hua 

Yeah I yeah I I am doing that, UM. 

00:42:32 Jonathan Hua 

I've cut off on 2 mini fish. 

00:42:34 Jonathan Hua 

With with without the leader. 

00:42:36 Jonathan Hua 

Just because like they will flounder smart, they'll, they'll dive straight down to the bottom and go find the next nearest pilot that you don't even know. 

00:42:43 Jonathan Hua 

It's there. 

00:42:44 Merriel Solesky 

Right? 

00:42:44 Jonathan Hua 

And just cut you off and and you'll be. You'll be wondering if that you just lost your your first £10 flounder. 

00:42:53 Merriel Solesky 

At least you could tell him it was. 

00:42:54 Merriel Solesky 

A10 pounder 

00:42:55 Merriel Solesky 

Right, that was £10 at least. 

00:42:55 Jonathan Hua 

Yeah, yeah, but uh. 

00:42:58 Jonathan Hua 

Yeah, I I, you know I I can tell you exactly where that tenpounder is sitting underneath his dakarai 

00:43:05 Jonathan Hua 

And actually, that's that that that reminds me. 

00:43:09 Jonathan Hua 

Whenever you, uh, so flounder when they're so, whenever they hit, uh, I guess you should explain this. 

00:43:15 Jonathan Hua 

What does a flounder bite feel like? 

00:43:17 Merriel Solesky 

I think they. 

00:43:18 Merriel Solesky 

Buy different ways, but one of the most popular ways they bite is the. 

00:43:21 Merriel Solesky 

Two thoughts. 

00:43:22 Merriel Solesky 

So the first dump is when they grab debate and the second dump is when they. 

00:43:26 Merriel Solesky 

Hit the ground and. 

00:43:28 Merriel Solesky 

And you show those. 

00:43:28 Merriel Solesky 

Thump thump. 

00:43:29 Merriel Solesky 

You know, usually that's a good indication I've had them where they actually as soon as. 

00:43:34 Merriel Solesky 

It hits the water just. 

00:43:35 Merriel Solesky 

One thump and they're running. 

00:43:37 Merriel Solesky 

You know, or you know, I work my baby boom. 

00:43:39 Merriel Solesky 

They hit it and they run and there's no thump at all. 

00:43:41 Merriel Solesky 

They they just rather blatantly run. 

00:43:43 Merriel Solesky 

With it but one. 

00:43:44 Merriel Solesky 

Of the the more. 

00:43:46 Merriel Solesky 

The distinct one is when you. 

00:43:47 Merriel Solesky 

Feel the double thumb yeah yeah. 

00:43:50 Merriel Solesky 

You know, so that's definitely a good indication that it's a flounder, and especially if it's not moving after those two thumbs and it's just waiting there and you feel that way. 

00:43:59 Merriel Solesky 

You kind of, you know if you want to feel that the fish is there, you kinda want to tighten your line kind of lift up. 

00:44:04 Merriel Solesky 

On it and. 

00:44:04 Merriel Solesky 

Feel like it's not a rock and you. 

00:44:06 Merriel Solesky 

Know you'll feel that OK, that's a fish on the other line, yeah? 

00:44:10 Jonathan Hua 

Yeah, so one of the things that I like to do when I feel that thump, and especially this usually actually only happens when I'm targeting flounder, because other than when I feel the thumb I'm usually setting. 

00:44:20 Jonathan Hua 

The hook right away. 

00:44:22 Jonathan Hua 

But if I'm targeting flounder, I feel that thump. 

00:44:24 Jonathan Hua 

What I usually do is actually lift up the rod so that it's slightly bent and so that I have tension on it. 

00:44:30 Merriel Solesky 

Right? 

00:44:30 Jonathan Hua 

And I know, I, I, I saw this from somebody like earlier early. 

00:44:34 Jonathan Hua 

My days of fishing. 

00:44:35 Jonathan Hua 

When I'm fishing. 

00:44:35 Jonathan Hua 

At Seawolf, they'll actually pick up the line off the reel and like strum it. 

00:44:40 Jonathan Hua 

So like. 

00:44:41 Merriel Solesky 

Uh Oh yeah yes yes I see. 

00:44:43 Jonathan Hua 

Yeah, so basically what it does is that what you're doing is that you're picking the line in and in parts of vibration down to your your lure. 

00:44:51 Jonathan Hua 

Or whatever your your bait and it's it's a signal and this I think this is especially important for for artificials whenever you know it's not as important as when you have live bait. 

00:45:02 Jonathan Hua 

But it signals to the flounder that it's the fish is still alive and is trying to escape. 

00:45:08 Jonathan Hua 

So you you kind of you kind of do this and it has a little bit of vibration. 

00:45:11 Jonathan Hua 

It goes down lower and I think it helps them eat. 

00:45:14 Jonathan Hua 

You know they make some like I need to eat it. 

00:45:15 Jonathan Hua 

More crap, they're crushing the bait so. 

00:45:18 Jonathan Hua 

They'll ingest it brush. 

00:45:19 Merriel Solesky 

So yeah. 

00:45:20 Jonathan Hua 

It and then that's when you. 

00:45:21 

I do. 

00:45:22 Merriel Solesky 

Yeah, I do something a little bit. 

00:45:24 Merriel Solesky 

It's the same technique sometimes. 

00:45:26 Merriel Solesky 

But it's like. 

00:45:27 Merriel Solesky 

What I do is I bounced the tip of. 

00:45:28 Merriel Solesky 

My rod like I've. 

00:45:29 Merriel Solesky 

But not not, not where it's like I'm pulling the bait out, but just enough little Nicks in it to send vibration down to the bait. 

00:45:37 Merriel Solesky 

And sometimes it you know that that that's a good technique for me. 

00:45:41 Merriel Solesky 

Like I I've done that one before where I'm just bouncing the line like Oh yeah, he's there I just fill in him right there. 

00:45:47 Merriel Solesky 

Some some people like to wait. 

00:45:49 Merriel Solesky 

There's a a technique where they feel the thumps and they wait and they wait until the flounder actually starts moving. 

00:45:57 Merriel Solesky 

I gotta warn you about this. 

00:45:59 Merriel Solesky 

When you do do this method. 

00:46:01 Merriel Solesky 

Most likely you're going to catch that found. 

00:46:03 Merriel Solesky 

But the bad side of. 

00:46:04 Merriel Solesky 

It is that will swallow. 

00:46:06 Merriel Solesky 

That hook. 

00:46:07 Merriel Solesky 

Hoping that it's at least the. 

00:46:08 Merriel Solesky 

Legal size during the. 

00:46:10 Merriel Solesky 

When you're able to keep them because most likely they swallow, it started in the back of their throat. 

00:46:14 Merriel Solesky 

When you're waiting that long for them to swallow it. 

00:46:16 Merriel Solesky 

For them to actually start moving. 

00:46:20 Merriel Solesky 

So once you know you. 

00:46:22 Merriel Solesky 

Feel them, it's it's a feel. 

00:46:24 Merriel Solesky 

For the flounder right, so you feel like you feel a thump, thump and you OK. 

00:46:27 Merriel Solesky 

Do I have a phone or do I not? 

00:46:28 Merriel Solesky 

I'm gonna wait. 

00:46:29 Merriel Solesky 

I just fill in. 

00:46:30 Merriel Solesky 

I put the attention on my line. 

00:46:32 Merriel Solesky 

I do a little bounce see this vibration yeah he's still there the. 

00:46:35 Merriel Solesky 

Lines still tight and some. 

00:46:37 Merriel Solesky 

People count to a certain number like 1025 me. It's more of a feel like I can feel him. 

00:46:43 Merriel Solesky 

OK, he's moving away and he's eating the bait like he's definitely got the bait in his hand and then I'll real. 

00:46:50 Merriel Solesky 

I'll roll down and I'll lean back and I'll set that hook as hard as I can, or I feel like I'm I'm gonna break. 

00:46:57 Merriel Solesky 

My ride like I'm trying to. 

00:46:59 Merriel Solesky 

Break my not really trying to. 

00:47:00 Merriel Solesky 

Break my rod, but I set. 

00:47:01 Merriel Solesky 

That as hard as I can that. 

00:47:02 Merriel Solesky 

Hooks that and that. 

00:47:03 Merriel Solesky 

Hooks it so I can Pierce that face. 

00:47:06 Merriel Solesky 

If that hook is right there by. 

00:47:08 Merriel Solesky 

Their face, and obviously not at an. 

00:47:10 Merriel Solesky 

Angle off to the side. 

00:47:12 Jonathan Hua 

Yeah, actually Jay Jay. One of my good friends that I fished with frequently. He's my his flounder setup, 77 foot heavy act, a heavy rod, really stiff and with 40 to £50 braid and and 40 pound fluorocarbon leader and you set the hook hard really hard. 

00:47:25 Merriel Solesky 

Oh what? 

00:47:30 Merriel Solesky 

Yes, yes I. I think we're not explaining good like yeah there you go. 87 million said Bill Dance Hook said yes, you wanna set that real hard and come? 

00:47:41 Merriel Solesky 

You know we're trying to give you our techniques here. 

00:47:43 Merriel Solesky 

So one of the techniques is definitely to set that hook hard and have a good rod for it, and this will increase your chances of catching that flounder and not losing him when. 

00:47:54 Merriel Solesky 

He comes up. 

00:47:55 Merriel Solesky 

To you and. 

00:47:56 Merriel Solesky 

You're trying to net him and he. 

00:47:57 Merriel Solesky 

Lets go of that bait. 

00:47:59 Merriel Solesky 

Or you didn't hook him right and the hook comes out. 

00:48:01 Merriel Solesky 

Most most flounder or loss right at the net. 

00:48:04 Merriel Solesky 

Or right by the kayak or. 

00:48:06 Merriel Solesky 

Whatever you're trying to do. 

00:48:08 Jonathan Hua 

Yeah, and actually that brings up another thing I want to talk. 

00:48:14 Jonathan Hua 

Uhm, whenever you lose a flounder. 

00:48:18 Jonathan Hua 

Always go back to where he lost it. 

00:48:21 Jonathan Hua 

A lot of time and actually I will. 

00:48:24 Jonathan Hua 

Here's another story. 

00:48:25 Jonathan Hua 

This is when actually much later, when there was like 14 or 15 at Seawolf though and and we were. 

00:48:33 Jonathan Hua 

In the water and we were we started up against the rocks. 

00:48:36 Jonathan Hua 

Actually the same place where where as a kid that's where I started catching those slaughter. 

00:48:40 Jonathan Hua 

We were started right there and we were casting at the rocks and we started catching fish. 

00:48:44 Jonathan Hua 

Thunder and a couple people. 

00:48:46 Jonathan Hua 

Of course they're this high level run. 

00:48:48 Jonathan Hua 

People are going to come congregate towards you whenever you start catching flounder, and we let them in and they were. 

00:48:53 Jonathan Hua 

They were fishing with us. 

00:48:54 Jonathan Hua 

One of the guys lot he he was. 

00:48:57 Jonathan Hua 

He was like a couple people down and literally like hooked on a father and it broke off. 

00:49:03 

Oh man. 

00:49:04 Jonathan Hua 

And he was like, oh man, and like you know you can see his lying just completely go limp and he had nothing on it and. 

00:49:11 Jonathan Hua 

I had made a cast literally, like right, like right where he casts. 

00:49:16 Jonathan Hua 

He lost his fish and I at the time I thought he was still fighting the fish. 

00:49:21 Jonathan Hua 

So I I basically engaged my real burned it back. 

00:49:24 Jonathan Hua 

I didn't want to mess with it and then he lost. 

00:49:26 Jonathan Hua 

He lost his fish. 

00:49:27 Jonathan Hua 

I was burning my bait back that flounder with the hooks still in his mouth. 

00:49:31 Jonathan Hua 

Came up and ate my my gulp. 

00:49:34 Jonathan Hua 

And I actually I landed that it was a 23 inch flounder. 

00:49:37 

Right? 

00:49:38 Jonathan Hua 

Uh, and I literally like, I netted it. 

00:49:38 Merriel Solesky 

Yeah, it's nice. 

00:49:41 Merriel Solesky 

That's like a 5 plus pound flounder. 

00:49:44 Merriel Solesky 

Right? 

00:49:44 Jonathan Hua 

Oh yeah, and it was funny because it was a freaking freight train. 

00:49:46 Jonathan Hua 

It was like it was I burning but date man, I could see it and it just completely came up and inhaled it and I had, you know I. 

00:49:53 Jonathan Hua 

I netted him. 

00:49:55 Jonathan Hua 

I didn't hooked the guys golf and I was like do you want this back? 

00:49:59 Merriel Solesky 

He's like I want the fish back you keep. 

00:50:05 Jonathan Hua 

So yeah, whenever you you feel you you have a flounder or you think it's a flounder and for some sometimes they let go for whatever reason they let go. 

00:50:15 Jonathan Hua 

Or, you know, you you fight it for a second in it and it comes off. 

00:50:19 Jonathan Hua 

Uh, sometimes they all they do is just settle back down on the bottom and they will just cover themselves up and wait for whatever known opportunity. 

00:50:28 Jonathan Hua 

If you keep casting back in that same area eventually you'll come across it, and it may eat again. 

00:50:33 Jonathan Hua 

So actually with J we were fishing. 

00:50:36 Jonathan Hua 

Over on not on seawall but off of Seawolf. 

00:50:39 Jonathan Hua 

And I had this launder and I for some reason I just couldn't. 

00:50:43 Jonathan Hua 

You know it would. 

00:50:44 Jonathan Hua 

It would bite. 

00:50:44 Jonathan Hua 

The back and I would. 

00:50:45 Jonathan Hua 

Set the hook too early. 

00:50:46 Jonathan Hua 

It would come off and he's like it's right there and he casted over there. 

00:50:50 Jonathan Hua 

And basically I have it on and he just bounced. 

00:50:53 Jonathan Hua 

He's bounced the rod like you were doing and he set the hook. 

00:50:54 Jonathan Hua 

Yeah, look and he he caught. 

00:50:57 Jonathan Hua 

He caught my flounder and so that that's something that whenever you do, especially in the height of the run, they. 

00:51:03 Jonathan Hua 

They're they know the foods there. 

00:51:05 Jonathan Hua 

They're they're not going to go off and run away. 

00:51:07 Jonathan Hua 

They're going to settle down because they they know that at some opportunity at a point another food is going to come. 

00:51:13 Jonathan Hua 

Their way so. 

00:51:14 Merriel Solesky 

They, and they're aggressive too. 

00:51:15 Merriel Solesky 

Man they were. 

00:51:16 Merriel Solesky 

Hungry they're hungry like I've been in situations where mean clients are out and I'm like just be patient. 

00:51:22 Merriel Solesky 

They're here, they're going to eat, and sure enough the right tide mid tide movement comes through. 

00:51:27 Merriel Solesky 

And it's like I told you, know, it's like when they want to eat, they eat and there's. 

00:51:32 Merriel Solesky 

They're not too smart about it, they just want to eat. 

00:51:35 Merriel Solesky 

You know they're just hungry. 

00:51:36 Merriel Solesky 

One of the techniques I wanted to bring up is the tandem gulp. 

00:51:41 Merriel Solesky 

Is that the one that's one of the most popular setups for flounder fishing with artificials? 

00:51:49 Merriel Solesky 

Is it the my favorite way to fishing for flounder? 

00:51:54 Merriel Solesky 

Would be, uhm, actually, now I. 

00:51:56 Merriel Solesky 

I guess I I recently switched that. 

00:51:58 Merriel Solesky 

Up, but if. 

00:51:59 Merriel Solesky 

I was out there and I was trying to catch flounder and I would say. 

00:52:02 Merriel Solesky 

Hey this is the. 

00:52:03 Merriel Solesky 

One way, if I wanted you to. 

00:52:05 Merriel Solesky 

Be the most. 

00:52:05 Merriel Solesky 

Successful catching up on it would definitely be tandem goal. 

00:52:09 Merriel Solesky 

Not with this structure, but like on a sandy bottom. 

00:52:13 Merriel Solesky 

Or mud bottom out in the open right next to a big channel like Seawolf Park. 

00:52:18 Merriel Solesky 

There's a pin drop that we're giving. 

00:52:19 Merriel Solesky 

You guys see wilfahrt with a really good spot. 

00:52:22 Merriel Solesky 

Uhm, to go catch flounder and I'm gonna even throw in another kicker for you. 

00:52:27 Merriel Solesky 

Sometimes they're not out there where everybody is casting that they're right at your feet or aim at the banks. 

00:52:33 Merriel Solesky 

Like, right? I'm talking about like 2-3 feet off the bank. I've caught bigger flounder there behind people. People are looking. Keep looking like man. What is he catching behind us and I'm sitting there? 

00:52:42 Merriel Solesky 

Just work in that bank line and I'm catching flounder right up against the banks and. 

00:52:46 Merriel Solesky 

I'm catching bigger. 

00:52:47 Merriel Solesky 

Ones and, uhm, you know the those are tips that. 

00:52:51 Merriel Solesky 

I want to. 

00:52:51 Merriel Solesky 

Give you guys so a tandem I would do like 1/4 inch on the bottom and something a little bit lighter on on the top of. 

00:53:01 Jonathan Hua 

Yeah, usually you do a. 

00:53:01 Merriel Solesky 

They make me so happy. 

00:53:03 Jonathan Hua 

Quarter Oz and and like an eighth on top. 

00:53:05 Merriel Solesky 

Right, right, right and and Go man I I like the green color. 

00:53:11 Merriel Solesky 

I like the pink color I like. 

00:53:13 Merriel Solesky 

The white color. 

00:53:15 Merriel Solesky 

Well, there he goes, he's got. 

00:53:17 Merriel Solesky 

That one is that, uh, white with the chartreuse tail? 

00:53:20 Merriel Solesky 

Or is that just? 

00:53:21 Jonathan Hua 

No, that's just the packaging that he's covering. 

00:53:23 Merriel Solesky 

Or maybe my last one, right? 

00:53:23 Jonathan Hua 

This is this is pure truth, so the popular the popular golf is going to be the four inch swimming mullet. 

00:53:30 Jonathan Hua 

Uhm, whenever the flounder season really kicks off. 

00:53:33 Jonathan Hua 

Uh, these. 

00:53:35 Jonathan Hua 

Become hard to find because people people going on buy it up. 

00:53:40 Jonathan Hua 

So I I like to stock up well ahead. 

00:53:42 Merriel Solesky 

Of time you stock up after the winter season. 

00:53:45 Merriel Solesky 

When they have a lot. 

00:53:46 Merriel Solesky 

Of and they're on sale. 

00:53:47 Jonathan Hua 

Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah so yeah this this. 

00:53:47 Merriel Solesky 

I looked out for next season. 

00:53:50 Jonathan Hua 

Yeah, this is from like this is actually from like two or three years ago. 

00:53:55 Merriel Solesky 

Another technique is live mullet on a Carolina rig. 

00:53:59 Merriel Solesky 

And that Carolina rig I like using 1/4 ounce depending on the tide movement or 1/2 ounce on bigger tides. 

00:54:06 Merriel Solesky 

And the Carolina rig, either you can hand make it, or you can buy them. 

00:54:11 Merriel Solesky 

I like hand making mine. 

00:54:13 Merriel Solesky 

So usually I use a swivel and on top of this swivel I'll have an egg wait that goes and a bead to protect it. 

00:54:20 Merriel Solesky 

And I like different. 

00:54:21 Merriel Solesky 

Some people like to put beads to as an attraction. 

00:54:24 Merriel Solesky 

Sometimes I do that on the hook side. 

00:54:26 Merriel Solesky 

I'll do a chartreuse bead on the hook side and I use a hook and then depending on the current, I'll hook. 

00:54:33 Merriel Solesky 

The mullet through the. 

00:54:34 Merriel Solesky 

Tail or in the mouth? 

00:54:37 Merriel Solesky 

So it can give. 

00:54:38 Merriel Solesky 

It more of a natural approach. 

00:54:39 Merriel Solesky 

Big tide movements. 

00:54:41 Merriel Solesky 

I'm hooking them in the nose. 

00:54:43 Merriel Solesky 

Through our through the mouth and then on lower tide movements I'm hooking him up on the back end so he could swim around better and move better. 

00:54:51 Merriel Solesky 

And and, uh, I I wanted to give that advice 'cause I know we're coming close to the edge and these are really important things that I like to to give you guys as knowledge as when you're out there and trying to be successful in catching the flounder. 

00:55:05 Merriel Solesky 

I also like to do the knock where I'm like I throw the bait out there and I'm doing slow knocks just barely knocked it on the ground. 

00:55:12 Merriel Solesky 

I know people like to pop pop, let it drop count, whatever me I do steady, not oh, you're dragging. 

00:55:18 Jonathan Hua 

I'm dragon. 

00:55:18 Merriel Solesky 

Yeah he's dragging me. 

00:55:19 Merriel Solesky 

I'm doing small little knocks on the floor so I'm barely bouncing on the floor and I'm talking barely bouncing. 

00:55:25 Merriel Solesky 

And I'm working it real slow and so I feel that that thump and I feel I. 

00:55:30 Merriel Solesky 

Know that's a fish. 

00:55:31 Merriel Solesky 

And I wanted to get that. 

00:55:33 Merriel Solesky 

Out there before we run out. 

00:55:34 Merriel Solesky 

Of time so sorry to cut you off Jonathan. 

00:55:36 Jonathan Hua 

No, no no and besides mullet. 

00:55:38 Jonathan Hua 

Uhm, mud minnows are also a very good live bait option as well and both of them are are generally available that you can buy at bait shops. 

00:55:47 Merriel Solesky 

Real popular by cold path that mud minnows people love. 

00:55:51 

Oh yeah. 

00:55:51 Merriel Solesky 

Fishing mud minnows over there at cold Pass and Seawolf Park but I I know mostly by cold path. 

00:55:57 Merriel Solesky 

That's a really good bait to have UM. 

00:56:01 Merriel Solesky 

Is mud minnows? 

00:56:02 Jonathan Hua 

Yep, and also to add to your Carolina rig is I actually don't use the traditional swivel sometimes, and especially if the water is kind of murky on the murky side is I'll actually throw in a, uh, chatter weight as my as my swivel that way that whenever the you know. 

00:56:22 Jonathan Hua 

And I'll, I'll tell. 

00:56:23 Jonathan Hua 

Hook the the mullet. 

00:56:24 Jonathan Hua 

That way when they swim around, you know and they'll hear the flounder can hear it, and especially whenever it's even during the peak times and they're actually hunting. 

00:56:32 Jonathan Hua 

Sometimes they will be hunting out, you know you can leave it there and. 

00:56:35 Jonathan Hua 

They'll come up and eat it so. 

00:56:38 Merriel Solesky 

Quick quick question Jonathan. 

00:56:38 Jonathan Hua 

Right? 

00:56:39 Merriel Solesky 

What kind of hooks are you using for live bait? 

00:56:43 Jonathan Hua 

Tail hooks. 

00:56:44 

K looks good. 

00:56:45 Jonathan Hua 

Yeah, the offset J and the reason why is because if you use the right size they at least in my experience they prevent gut hooks because the the fish can't swallow the hook. 

00:56:58 Jonathan Hua 

Also, I feel like the the hook up my hook up ratio is better. 

00:57:01 Jonathan Hua 

Uhm as well, just because AIII just feel like the way that the hook is designed helps you hook them right in the mouth as. 

00:57:09 Jonathan Hua 

They're supposed to do so. 

00:57:12 Merriel Solesky 

Yep, hook is. 

00:57:14 Merriel Solesky 

That is that like a what size? 

00:57:15 Merriel Solesky 

Are you using? 

00:57:16 Jonathan Hua 

So one is in. 

00:57:17 Merriel Solesky 

Like a Grade 4. 

00:57:19 Jonathan Hua 

Yeah, so generally it depends on actually the way I like to do it depends. 

00:57:23 Jonathan Hua 

On the bait size right? 

00:57:25 Jonathan Hua 

Because if it's a big bait then. 

00:57:27 Jonathan Hua 

You need a bigger. 

00:57:27 Jonathan Hua 

Hook if you have smaller bait you can go with a smaller hook, but generally like a like a 2, two or or three that that would be fine. 

00:57:28 Merriel Solesky 

Right? 

00:57:37 Jonathan Hua 

I think would be like like. 

00:57:37 Merriel Solesky 

But just general like. 

00:57:39 Merriel Solesky 

4 inch Smollett 3 inch mullet. 

00:57:41 Merriel Solesky 

Yeah, yeah, it's about a two to three, OK? 

00:57:43 Jonathan Hua 

Yep, yeah, that's that's about right. 

00:57:47 Jonathan Hua 

Another thing, because of the supply chain issues that we're having with everything, uh, I've actually have not been able to find this year from the, uh, the bulk sets the the box I usually like to get. 

00:57:59 Jonathan Hua 

Like the laser. 

00:58:00 Jonathan Hua 

Sharp or Eagle claw or whatever brand they usually have, like a 25 to 50 pack of those Kahle hooks. I actually have not been able to find them this year. 

00:58:08 Jonathan Hua 

So if you're looking for them, it's good luck. 

00:58:10 Merriel Solesky 

Let let let's. 

00:58:11 Merriel Solesky 

Nothing up. 

00:58:12 Jonathan Hua 

Yeah, let me know. 

00:58:15 Merriel Solesky 

Obviously we're hunting for flounder. 

00:58:17 Merriel Solesky 

Tomorrow means some some means and clients are going to go hunt. 

00:58:20 Merriel Solesky 

For flounder tomorrow so nice. 

00:58:23 Jonathan Hua 

And I guess before we kind of sign off because we've covered a lot of information here. 

00:58:28 Jonathan Hua 

Uh, I let's talk digging. 

00:58:31 Jonathan Hua 

I know I. 

00:58:31 Merriel Solesky 

Know people love doing that the last time. 

00:58:36 Merriel Solesky 

Yeah, gigging, I like to. 

00:58:38 Merriel Solesky 

Gig obviously places where you can. 

00:58:40 Merriel Solesky 

And have decent clarity. If you know areas that have a decent clarity somewhere that has a lot of grass, a lot of oyster shells and a uh grass line to walk on and access to it, having a good light that's bright enough to see in the water, clarity's, I think, is a really good. 

00:58:59 Merriel Solesky 

Thing to have 'cause you can't step down. 

00:59:01 Merriel Solesky 

If you don't see him, you know. 

00:59:02 Jonathan Hua 

Yep, I like to say that you can go gigging basically anywhere you know that you catch flounder. 

00:59:09 Jonathan Hua 

But like you said, the clarity is important. 

00:59:11 Jonathan Hua 

So for example, I know a lot of people, you know this is no secret. 

00:59:15 Jonathan Hua 

A lot of people have to go go gig around Stanley, we pass. 

00:59:18 Jonathan Hua 

You're not actually gigging in the past itself, you're gigging off the pass, and the flats where, even though there's current in the water, it's not going to. 

00:59:26 Jonathan Hua 

The current isn't strong enough to kick up the water and make it completely dirty where you can't see anything. 

00:59:32 Merriel Solesky 

Well, we got a question from Boston, it's cheap. 

00:59:34 Merriel Solesky 

Is it cheating? 

00:59:35 Merriel Solesky 

I say no because it's a hunt, right? 

00:59:38 Merriel Solesky 

Some people like oh man, this is probably going to be a not so popular topic, but croaker fishing, right? 

00:59:46 Merriel Solesky 

You know it it it. 

00:59:47 Merriel Solesky 

You're out there to catch fish. 

00:59:48 Merriel Solesky 

It's a hunting. 

00:59:49 Merriel Solesky 

It's your hunting right, yeah? 

00:59:50 Merriel Solesky 

But if you want to challenge yourself and use lures, then that's the challenge. 

00:59:54 Merriel Solesky 

You accept yourself, but is it considered cheating? 

00:59:56 Merriel Solesky 

I would say no. 

00:59:57 Merriel Solesky 

My I don't think it's cheating. 

00:59:59 Merriel Solesky 

It's hunting these fish and the behaviors that they do. 

01:00:02 Merriel Solesky 

You know? 

01:00:03 Merriel Solesky 

So walking the shoreline. 

01:00:06 Merriel Solesky 

And stabbing flounder, you know, is actually pretty fun. 

01:00:10 Merriel Solesky 

I I enjoy it. 

01:00:11 Merriel Solesky 

So I I like. 

01:00:12 Merriel Solesky 

I like to do it from my kayak sometimes, so I. 

01:00:15 Merriel Solesky 

Never even stepped. 

01:00:15 Merriel Solesky 

Foot on the shoreline. 

01:00:17 Merriel Solesky 

I'm actually on my kayak and I. 

01:00:18 Merriel Solesky 

Have a setup where we. 

01:00:20 Merriel Solesky 

Just cruise along the shorelines on the kayaks and we stab him in the kayaks and bring him in the kayaks or net him and bring the kayaks. 

01:00:27 Jonathan Hua 

Uh, my will also say that I've been skunked gigging before like I I've been I've been out there and I've I I I would see beds and I for some reason or another I'm not. 

01:00:30 Merriel Solesky 

Oh wow. 

01:00:38 Jonathan Hua 

I'm just on the right time or. 

01:00:40 Jonathan Hua 

And and I've been, you know, I I would be out there gigging for you know, four or five six hours and I would not come home with flounder. 

01:00:46 Merriel Solesky 

Right, it's happened to all. 

01:00:47 Jonathan Hua 

It it. 

01:00:49 Merriel Solesky 

I think it's happened to me too we I've been out. 

01:00:51 Merriel Solesky 

There and and uh. 

01:00:53 Merriel Solesky 

Man, it was there's tough days out there man. 

01:00:57 Merriel Solesky 

Just you know and right. 

01:00:58 Jonathan Hua 

Yeah, it's fishing. 

01:00:59 Jonathan Hua 

It's fishing all fishing. 

01:01:01 Merriel Solesky 

Right? 

01:01:01 Merriel Solesky 

Right? 

01:01:02 Jonathan Hua 

But the one the good thing about gigging is that if you don't get fined, or usually if you're in an area where flounder should be, you'll find crabs and grab their own tasty so. 

01:01:11 Merriel Solesky 

Also, I like to use a single prong when I'm gigging and I use I like to use a a bright light, something with a lot of lumens and underwater light, and so people like over. 

01:01:21 Merriel Solesky 

Overhead lights and some boats have the overhead lights that work. 

01:01:24 Merriel Solesky 

Pretty good for. 

01:01:25 Merriel Solesky 

Them, Umm, but I like single prong because I don't like to stab the meat and I usually always go for headshots. 

01:01:34 Merriel Solesky 

How about you Jonathan? 

01:01:36 Jonathan Hua 

Yeah, I'm I'm a I. 

01:01:38 Jonathan Hua 

I like the two prong just because that's what I have. 

01:01:40 Jonathan Hua 

I I if I had a one prong I'd probably like it. 

01:01:42 Jonathan Hua 

Uhm, but. 

01:01:44 Jonathan Hua 

One of the things, so whenever you're out there walking, uhm, I found that it's especially when the water is clear. 

01:01:50 Jonathan Hua 

You can tell it's a fondor you you you can, they're camouflaged, but you see the outline of it. 

01:01:55 Jonathan Hua 

You see their eyes. 

01:01:56 Jonathan Hua 

Uh, my my first time I saw flounder gigging and I was like wow. 

01:02:00 Jonathan Hua 

That's so cool because you could just it's just sitting there and and you can see its eyes and it. 

01:02:06 Jonathan Hua 

It's obvious that it's there. 

01:02:07 Jonathan Hua 

I know in some some areas where it's kind of silky, it may be more difficult, but for the most part you know you can kind of tell where it works. 

01:02:15 Jonathan Hua 

Uh, yeah, I think it. 

01:02:16 Merriel Solesky 

Takes a. 

01:02:17 Merriel Solesky 

You guys gotta go out a couple times. 

01:02:19 Merriel Solesky 

It takes a trained eye like over time you just know OK you see that shape like you just know, and sometimes they're very deep and you're like is it one? 

01:02:26 Merriel Solesky 

Is it not one? 

01:02:27 Merriel Solesky 

Stab it anyways. 

01:02:28 Merriel Solesky 

You never know, but uh, that's. 

01:02:30 Jonathan Hua 

Make sure it's legal first, mainly. 

01:02:31 Merriel Solesky 

Yeah, Oh yeah, yeah makes. 

01:02:33 Merriel Solesky 

Sense little side support your. 

01:02:34 Merriel Solesky 

Measuring stick and put it right next to. 

01:02:37 Merriel Solesky 

No, but I mean yeah. 

01:02:38 Merriel Solesky 

You'll know like, hey, if it doesn't look. 

01:02:41 Merriel Solesky 

Close enough, don't just pass them up, but obviously you'll see the big the big patterns and you'll like, no. 

01:02:46 Merriel Solesky 

That's definitely a. 

01:02:47 Merriel Solesky 

Keeper, but it does take a trained eye overtime. 

01:02:50 Merriel Solesky 

Uh, but once you know you know you, you know you. 

01:02:53 Merriel Solesky 

Know what it looks like. 

01:02:55 Jonathan Hua 

Yeah, and and like you said that one of the the the the tips whenever you're gigging flounder is to. 

01:03:02 Jonathan Hua 

Aim for the head area and you need you definitely want a sharp gig because obviously like #1 Merrill said you don't want to ruin the meat, but also you want a sharp gig so that it penetrates through the head that way that you have you can keep it pinned and it goes through like the bone. The Bony structure and everything for that. 

01:03:21 Jonathan Hua 

Uhm, because it'll be easier for you to, you know, get in, you know, put it in a string, or whatever you however you you keep it. 

01:03:28 Jonathan Hua 

If you go through the meat, I've had it where like I kind of missed it a little bit, and it it basically that final would tear itself off and just jet off and into wherever. 

01:03:37 Merriel Solesky 

And this man bleeding those fish are very. 

01:03:40 Merriel Solesky 

Strong on a gig man. 

01:03:43 Merriel Solesky 

Especially when you get those bigger flounder and you gig them, I mean you. 

01:03:46 Merriel Solesky 

Could definitely feel the power of those fish. 

01:03:48 Jonathan Hua 

Oh yeah. 

01:03:50 Jonathan Hua 

And of course, and Jay Jay Moe over here, he, he commented. 

01:03:55 Jonathan Hua 

And it's good idea to bring up watch out for raise if you gig. 

01:04:00 Jonathan Hua 

Stingrays are they're part of the ecosystem. 

01:04:03 Jonathan Hua 

They're out there and shelf your feet. 

01:04:06 Jonathan Hua 

Just keep an eye out where you're going. 

01:04:08 Jonathan Hua 

Also another thing is check behind you, because the Stingrays like to whenever you kick up dirt in the water Stinger is actually sometimes like to come up behind you because they're seeing the kick up. 

01:04:19 Jonathan Hua 

Anything for them to eat. 

01:04:21 Jonathan Hua 

So just keep an eye out for that too. 

01:04:24 Jonathan Hua 

And of course, whenever you're waiting, uh, gigging, you're you're doing it at night. 

01:04:28 Jonathan Hua 

So just be aware of your surroundings. 

01:04:30 Jonathan Hua 

Uhm as well. 

01:04:33 Merriel Solesky 

Yeah man, yeah uh spot. 

01:04:36 Merriel Solesky 

I like to give out other than Seawolf Park is for my guys down South. 

01:04:40 Merriel Solesky 

I know I've been fishing down there here in their Corpus Christi. 

01:04:44 Merriel Solesky 

Some of you guys are on here from corpus. 

01:04:47 Merriel Solesky 

Packery channel is a really good area. 

01:04:49 Merriel Solesky 

Just be careful. 

01:04:50 Merriel Solesky 

Current runs really strong through there so don't get don't get too far in the water where you're not able. 

01:04:56 Merriel Solesky 

You'll be put in the tough spot and that current will rip you out and it's taking peoples lives before so make sure you know what you're doing. 

01:05:03 Merriel Solesky 

Makes you got proper clothing. 

01:05:05 Merriel Solesky 

I wouldn't recommend recommend. 

01:05:07 Merriel Solesky 

Waiters and stuff like that, uhm? 

01:05:11 Merriel Solesky 

So just definitely be cautious of what you're doing. 

01:05:16 Jonathan Hua 

But yeah, Jay also has a good tip right here. 

01:05:19 Jonathan Hua 

If you're waiting and you're gigging, it helps to figure out which way the current is going and start up current. 

01:05:26 Jonathan Hua 

I mean, you walk up the currents that way. 

01:05:29 

Yeah, I'm. 

01:05:30 Jonathan Hua 

Yeah, sorry yeah you walk up the current that way that whenever the what the current is pushing. 

01:05:34 Jonathan Hua 

Faster, it pushes the dirt away from you and not. 

01:05:36 Jonathan Hua 

In front of you, so definitely a good tip. 

01:05:37 Merriel Solesky 

Right? 

01:05:39 Jonathan Hua 

Uh, yeah, that's a good. 

01:05:40 Merriel Solesky 

Thanks Jay. 

01:05:41 Jonathan Hua 

That's a good tip. 

01:05:43 Jonathan Hua 

Uhm, and before we close it out for for tonight I I know we've gone through a lot of information. 

01:05:49 Jonathan Hua 

If you guys have any questions feel free to ask them right now and. 

01:05:52 Merriel Solesky 

I felt I felt. 

01:05:52 Merriel Solesky 

Like we only gave up half the information we wanted to give, but we might have to do this one again I. 

01:05:58 Merriel Solesky 

I feel like we missed a lot. 

01:06:00 Merriel Solesky 

Oh yeah. 

01:06:01 Merriel Solesky 

Yeah, but we'll we'll try to see if we cover it again for you guys. 

01:06:05 Jonathan Hua 

Oh yeah, and another another place to go for. 

01:06:08 Jonathan Hua 

For those of us who, for those of you who live in Sabine is a Walter Umphrey State Park. 

01:06:14 Jonathan Hua 

Basically it's at the the Texas Louisiana border that park right there has a nice bulkhead where whenever to flounder running around now. 

01:06:23 Jonathan Hua 

It's no secret, but just work that bulkhead, especially with live mullet and you know you'll be on it. 

01:06:31 Jonathan Hua 

If you want to make that drive. 

01:06:33 Jonathan Hua 

I know Louisiana has some some pretty liberal flower policies and and plenty of flounder to harvest that. 

01:06:40 Jonathan Hua 

That's also an option, and I know a bunch of our. 

01:06:44 Jonathan Hua 

Our people on here will do that. 

01:06:46 Jonathan Hua 

We have 

01:06:46 

If you want. 

01:06:47 Merriel Solesky 

The Louisiana side. 

01:06:48 Merriel Solesky 

Make sure you have your license which. 

01:06:50 Jonathan Hua 

Oh yes, yes. 

01:06:52 Merriel Solesky 

Yeah, Louisiana license. 

01:06:54 Jonathan Hua 

Yep, we have a question from Austin. 

01:06:57 Jonathan Hua 

Here are Ray guards worth the money. 

01:07:00 Merriel Solesky 

Uhm yes. 

01:07:02 Merriel Solesky 

Uh, I don't. 

01:07:04 Merriel Solesky 

I shouldn't say that 'cause it's not like 'cause. 

01:07:05 Merriel Solesky 

I don't use them. 

01:07:06 Merriel Solesky 

But I've I've been in situations where the rain guards come back and the guy got hit in the Ray Guard and the Stinger either stuck. 

01:07:16 Merriel Solesky 

In the reigart or. 

01:07:18 Jonathan Hua 

They got a. 

01:07:18 Merriel Solesky 

Big old gas in them like where the ray hit. 

01:07:21 Merriel Solesky 

Them sliced it. 

01:07:22 Merriel Solesky 

But, uh. 

01:07:24 Merriel Solesky 

I use like these if if I'm waiting I use. 

01:07:27 Merriel Solesky 

I do use like some. 

01:07:28 Merriel Solesky 

They're not Ray guards, but there's some pretty tough nuke like boots that come up pretty high. 

01:07:35 Jonathan Hua 

Oh yeah, yeah, I I definitely recommend Ray guards and especially where in areas where I know, uh, Stingrays are an issue, even though they're kind of everywhere. 

01:07:43 Jonathan Hua 

I know there's certain areas where there are tons of them. 

01:07:47 Jonathan Hua 

I will. 

01:07:47 Jonathan Hua 

I will definitely wear Ray guards, it's just a nice kind of security blanket in the back your mind, but always shelf. 

01:07:55 Jonathan Hua 

Feet don't like take huge steps and and just especially in areas where you if you can see the bottom, just be aware of where you're going. 

01:08:07 Merriel Solesky 

I know we got, uh, not question. 

01:08:09 Merriel Solesky 

What kind of nod are you using for your flounder, I know. 

01:08:12 Merriel Solesky 

Somebody said a. 

01:08:12 Merriel Solesky 

Parliament that clinched not they used one of doing. 

01:08:16 Merriel Solesky 

I I've always. 

01:08:17 Merriel Solesky 

Used the same, not. 

01:08:20 Merriel Solesky 

Uh, which nuts do you like to use? 

01:08:22 Merriel Solesky 

I like a palm or not for the hook, and then I'll use either the crazy Alberto knot or I'll do the unity uni when its leader to braid. 

01:08:32 Jonathan Hua 

Yeah, it's same the the problem or not is is one of my go to ones. 

01:08:38 Jonathan Hua 

There are just so many knots out there. 

01:08:40 

Yeah, yeah. 

01:08:43 Merriel Solesky 

All right? 

01:08:44 Jonathan Hua 

So yeah, I know we covered a lot of a lot of information. If you have any more questions you know, feel free to reach out to us on facebook.com/one last cast podcast. And again we would love to hear your reviews. If on Spotify, Apple wherever. 

01:09:02 Jonathan Hua 

Uhm, if you leave us review and post on our Facebook page that you left this review, you'll be entered into a I'll. 

01:09:10 Jonathan Hua 

I'll make the post and you just post there. 

01:09:13 Jonathan Hua 

You'll be entered in a contest to win a a custom rod donated by Chad. 

01:09:18 Jonathan Hua 

One of our sponsors here. 

01:09:22 Jonathan Hua 

Yeah, we we went. 

01:09:23 Jonathan Hua 

We couldn't do this without you guys. 

01:09:25 Jonathan Hua 

I wonder. 

01:09:25 Jonathan Hua 

Thank you all if you want to join us live we go live you know I know we've been a little bit infrequently but we go live Wednesdays and again. 

01:09:33 Jonathan Hua 

We post a lot on our Facebook page so you can see when we go live at facebook.com/one last cast podcast. Love to hear from. 

01:09:41 Jonathan Hua 

Uh, my guess? 

01:09:42 Jonathan Hua 

Uh Merrill, do you have any parting? 

01:09:44 Jonathan Hua 

Words of wisdom that you wanted to give, yes. 

01:09:47 Merriel Solesky 

Anytime you go fishing, have fun. 

01:09:51 Merriel Solesky 

Enjoy what Mother Nature brings to the table, especially this time of year. 

01:09:55 Merriel Solesky 

You guys have a good time and share some cool recipes for with us. 

01:09:59 Merriel Solesky 

Man, I'd like to hear some cool flounder recipes. 

01:10:03 Merriel Solesky 

I'm definitely one that likes to eat a catch and eat, so I like a good a good recipe. 

01:10:10 Merriel Solesky 

So if you. 

01:10:10 Merriel Solesky 

Guys want to help us? 

01:10:11 Merriel Solesky 

Out with a good rest or help me out with a good recipe I like. 

01:10:16 Jonathan Hua 

Yeah no for sure. 

01:10:17 Jonathan Hua 

Yeah, my favorite way is is a self fonder. 

01:10:20 Jonathan Hua 

Usually when a gig him I like to definitely get some some crabs so that we can stuff it with some crabmeat the next day. 

01:10:25 Merriel Solesky 

Alright, sounds good. 

01:10:26 Jonathan Hua 

Yeah, that it. 

01:10:27 Jonathan Hua 

It's really good at. 

01:10:28 

I know. 

01:10:29 Merriel Solesky 

It with crab meat. 

01:10:30 Merriel Solesky 

I'm gonna have to. 

01:10:31 Merriel Solesky 

I I when you said that I was like man that. 

01:10:33 Jonathan Hua 

Sounds real good. 

01:10:34 Jonathan Hua 

Oh yeah, so yeah, you know. 

01:10:37 Jonathan Hua 

She does. 

01:10:37 Jonathan Hua 

She just aligned give us a call whatever and and again faced with a COM forward slash 1 less cast podcast we are streaming now on YouTube as well as Twitch so you can find us there if you want. 

01:10:49 Jonathan Hua 

However you want to watch us and we will hear you guys later. 

01:10:55 Merriel Solesky 

Take care.