Little River angler catches 11.7-pound flounder

Big flounder bit a live bait

Rodney Orr caught a 29 1/4-inch, 11.7-pound flounder in the Little River area on May 20, 2021. He caught the big fish on live bait while trolling at around 10 a.m. It’s not the first trophy flounder Orr has caught in his 15 years of fishing for them. But it is his biggest.

“I don’t expect to see another one that size for some time, if ever,” said Orr, who operates Orr’s Outdoors. Putting clients on big flounder is his way of life, and he has a lot of success at it this time of year through the fall.

“Every time I go out, with or without clients, my goal is to catch at least a 23-inch flounder. That’s what I consider to be a big flounder,” he said. “We catch a lot of 6-, 7-, and a few 8-pound fish each year. But an 11+ pounder is something I can’t say I was really expecting. I sure am happy to have caught it though,” he said.

Trophy fishing is good from now through the fall

Orr was fishing alone when he caught the big fish. That offered some challenges that he said he isn’t used to.

“When you’re fishing by yourself and you catch a 23- or 24-inch flounder, you’ve got your hands full with getting that fish in the net. This one, I wasn’t sure how I was going to do it…still not sure how I managed to get it in the net,” he said.

Orr’s technique is to troll with live bait. He said clients are welcome to bring artificial lures if they choose. But he believes the bigger flounder are keyed in on live bait strongly enough that it gives him and his clients the best chance for trophy fish.

“This is just a great time of year for big flounder in this area. And trolling live bait is the best way I know of to do it. There’s nothing I love more than putting kids on these big fish, but it’s fun seeing anyone catch them. These fish will be inshore throughout the fall in big numbers and I’m looking forward to trying to put an angler on a 30-incher. That’s my ultimate goal,” said Orr (803-899-0138).