A client caught this nice flounder using Captain Bobby White's technique of slow trolling against...
Credit: Bobby White | ©Jeffrey Weeks
How to Catch Flounder Trolling Against the Tide: Fishing Guide Prefers Alternative Technique Over Drifting for Flatfish
Ask most Carolina anglers how to catch flounder and they will tell you to drift. From early spring through late fall our inshore waters contain a glut of boats filled with flounder fishermen drifting along with the tide. However, not every expert agrees that drifting is the best way to target the tasty flatfish.
Captain Bobby White has over 30 years of experience fishing the waters of southeastern North Carolina. He operates Marker 39 Sportfishing Charters, offering light-tackle trips in the Cape fear region. Unlike many anglers, he prefers slow trolling instead of drifting when it comes to flounder.
"My father happened to be one of the best flounder fisherman in this part of the country," says White, "and he taught me a lot of things about catching those flat critters. One of the most special techniques was how to catch them while slow trolling in a boat."
White says that using your trolling motor gives you more options and lets you cover more water than just letting the current do the work.
"I believe trolling is more effective than drifting because you can control your speed and where you are going," he says. "Trolling works extremely well in those shallow and narrow creeks where you can't easily set up a drift. Trolling parallel along the backside of a sand bar along the drop off can be very effective. You can't do that drifting."
Everyone knows flounder like moving baits, but White says that the direction and speed the bait moves is of more importance than people think.
"Trolling against the current is the only way to go," he says. "Go very slow. That is the major advantage of trolling. You are going against the tide and you can really slow down."
White lets his flounder rigs trail the boat, using a one ounce sinker to hold them down.
"You must maintain contact with the bottom," he says. "Usually a one ounce weight is enough. If not, the current is too strong or the water is too deep. Depths of four feet or less are the most productive areas for flounder while trolling."
Although White ties his own flounder rigs-- complete with yellow floats, spinners, and gold hooks-- he says the rig is less important than the technique.
Captain Bobby White has over 30 years of experience fishing the waters of southeastern North Carolina. He operates Marker 39 Sportfishing Charters, offering light-tackle trips in the Cape fear region. Unlike many anglers, he prefers slow trolling instead of drifting when it comes to flounder.
"My father happened to be one of the best flounder fisherman in this part of the country," says White, "and he taught me a lot of things about catching those flat critters. One of the most special techniques was how to catch them while slow trolling in a boat."
White says that using your trolling motor gives you more options and lets you cover more water than just letting the current do the work.
"I believe trolling is more effective than drifting because you can control your speed and where you are going," he says. "Trolling works extremely well in those shallow and narrow creeks where you can't easily set up a drift. Trolling parallel along the backside of a sand bar along the drop off can be very effective. You can't do that drifting."
Everyone knows flounder like moving baits, but White says that the direction and speed the bait moves is of more importance than people think.
"Trolling against the current is the only way to go," he says. "Go very slow. That is the major advantage of trolling. You are going against the tide and you can really slow down."
White lets his flounder rigs trail the boat, using a one ounce sinker to hold them down.
"You must maintain contact with the bottom," he says. "Usually a one ounce weight is enough. If not, the current is too strong or the water is too deep. Depths of four feet or less are the most productive areas for flounder while trolling."
Although White ties his own flounder rigs-- complete with yellow floats, spinners, and gold hooks-- he says the rig is less important than the technique.
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