Floundering?

[DonVito]

Do any of you good people go floundering at night? I know they'd be out there in the bay, but I actually never hear anybody talk about them/target them.

My brother who's a chef tells me they're pretty good to eat and they're popular as well.

I have a plan to head down to Rosebud/Rye way one weekend where my mates old folks have a holiday house with boat shed on foreshore and was thinking about a few beers and just cruising in the shallows.

Being such a thin fish - would anyone recommend using a spear gun or just a spear (wood with a sharpened end) for them. I'd imagine you'd also see flatty out there too.

[Brett]

I used to go all the time down in South gippy. Am yet to try in either bays yet though. Will give it a crack this year no doubt.

As for the spear, I make my own from a broom handle and 2 old bike spokes. They bend a little bit if you come across flatties of any size though. But for flounder they are great.

[DonVito]

Hey Brett. Where in South Gippsland? I head there all the time for the big bream and flatties. =]

Am I right in saying there is (to your knowledge) flounder in and around the bay? Do you sharpen the bike spokes or leave them as they are? Do you walk up to them and spear or do you throw the spear?

[Brett]

I grew up in Port Albert.

I can't see why they wouldn't be in the bays and I have seen and heard of a few people doing it, so there must be something out there.

Yep, sharpen the ends and walk up on the fish. Throwing a spear at fish takes a lot of practice, as there is a 30 degree refraction, so aim at the fish and you will miss every time

[DonVito]

No dramas, sounds good. Looking forward to trying it.

What do you think of the flounder/prawn lights? Do you use them, or ever used them? I personally reckon they'd be a load of wank but yeah, I've never tried it myself so what would I know? I have a great LED torch that I plan to use.

[vinhii]

Hay DonVito,

Theres Def flounder out there ive taken home a nice decent one from between sorrento - rye , but i was diving though so i could catch up to it if they sped off ..

Most or some mornings before i dive me and a mate go hunting for them in shallows just walking through the water with my hand spear.. i dont use the gun cause its too powerful and prob damage it or get real hurt lol.

I also did a D.I.Y flounder/prawn light LOL! cause i am not paying over $100-200 for a stupid L.E.D prawn light that i have to hook to a small motorbike battery. I use my diving Torch on the end of my gaff :lolf: bit of duct tape and preferred angle and bobs your uncle im ready to go haha!

Like brett i will be trying all this summer too and see if i can get some nice ones lol..

[Brett]

The prawn/flounder lights that you can get now are pretty good. I just got one last year that takes 3 AA batteries. I was sceptical at first, but the pros far outway the cons lol.
No dirty big battery to lug round, no cables to tangle with, they last pretty much all night and beyond are light weight and you can get them as cheaply as $40 now days.

A good strong torch is good, but once you have used a flounder light, you'll think "why did I ever bother with a torch" lol

Oh, for the record, I've used home made lights, those big arse allow handled things that weigh a ton, these new led ones and my old time favourite, which you cant get anymore.

[vinhii]

nicee brett hehe yeah i just use my diving torch cause its pretty bright and i use it for diving :p

haha yeah i remember those big ass torches used to lug them around the worst things ever! i forgot my torch at home when i went for a night dive once.. borrowed a friends dolphin torch with the big ass battery.. that was tiring to hold

Do you know how many lumens are the LED $40 prawn/flounder light is?

[Brett]

Nah I don't vinhii. They are pretty bright, but not as bright as my favourite light(which you can't get anymore), still pretty good though.

[vinhii]

hrmm damns thanks anyway

My mate had this other light which was huge! bright as a street post light lol but battery runs out real quick..
I was planning on investing in a L.E.D Lensor x21 torch.. apparently it can light up the entire carpark! but will still have to see if its worth my $$