Have backup plans for flounder on western side of Pamlico Sound

Flatfish action has been great lately, just have options for daily trips

Flounder fishing has been pretty good on the western side of the Pamlico Sound lately, and one of the best thing is, there are so many areas to explore, one of them will normally be productive and fishable.

That’s what Capt. Mitchell Blake of Fish IBX Charters in Chocowinity has found.

“One of the nice things about the Pamlico Sound and the (Pungo) River is that you can usually find somewhere out of the wind to fish,” Blake said. “That’s a good thing, as we have our share of wind.”

Blake, a native of Jamesville who lives off Chocowinity Bay, can usually count on one of his options to work on any given day, as happened last weekend. Leaving from a ramp between Belhaven and Pamlico Beach to fish the lower Pungo, his first goal was to work the mouth of the Pungo down the northern edge of the sound to Swan Quarter, but winds and storms ended those hopes. His first backup plan was to fish points and creeks on the east side of the river, but he found those muddy. His second backup was to fish the creeks on the west side of the Pungo, and that certainly worked out.

Blake (252-485-1803) rigged two medium-light spinning outfits with 1/8th-ounce jigheads. To one he threaded on a 4-inch, white Gulp! minnow and to the other he lip-hooked a 4-inch croaker. He said the artificial bait could be fished a little faster to cover more ground, but there were days and when flounder prefer live baits.

“See where the grass changes color on that bank,” Blake asked. “Concentrate on fishing from there to the point. I think you can see the current easing down the bank and making that little eddy at the point. This should concentrate some bait here, and there should be some fish too. Cast as close as you can to the bank and then work it back to the boat.”

On his third cast, Blake’s rod dipped seriously, and he paused a second before setting the hook. Whatever was on the other end didn’t appreciate the hook lodged in its jaw and surged down the bank a few feet.

“I believe it might be a flounder,” Blake said. “There are some puppy drum in here too, but one of them would have run farther than this fish did.”

About that time, the flounder surged near the surface and was positively identified. Blake quickly scooped him up in the net.

“It’s tough when you have to go all the way to Plan 3, but it’s nice when the fish cooperate when you do,” Blake said. “These fish often lay close and in pods, so cast right over there where this one was and see if it has a buddy at home.”

The next cast produced a smaller flounder, but the day was started. Several moves produced more flounder at various points and creeks and the total slowly grew.