Re: Fishing Docks on the ICW
If the current is running hard, and I'm tired of running the trolling motor, I will anchor just offshore of docks in deeper water. You will find it seems like some docks produce better than others. I will anchor off of a group that has done me well in the past, and cast up to them. I use a Carolina rig with live fatbacks, popeye mullet, or live shrimp for the flounder. I will put two rods out and leave them in rod holders. The third rod I will cast up to a dock, and drag it really slow across the bottom until I feel a flounder pick it up. I prefer fishing docks in 10 -15 foot of water. You will find a lot sheepshead and black drum around these docks in the summer. That is a whole another topic. I f you are new to fishing for trout, flounder and drum, there is one important thing you need to do if fishing live bait. Fluorocarbon, Fluorocarbon, Fluorocarbon. You need to pick some up for leader material. You also need to go learn how to fish with slip bobbers also, if you don't already. You can set the cork, and fish any depth you want. I will set mine just off of the bottom. You can cover a lot of ground floating your baits this way for flounder. That is another key when flounder fishing. Trout, red drum and flounder will all hit live bait when you use either of these rigs. If you are fishing a group of docks and are anchored, and have not had a hit in 15 minutes or so, I will usually move on to the next ones. Unless of course I know the pattern fish follow on a paticular tide or set of docks. Then I will hang out a little longer.
If the current is running hard, and I'm tired of running the trolling motor, I will anchor just offshore of docks in deeper water. You will find it seems like some docks produce better than others. I will anchor off of a group that has done me well in the past, and cast up to them. I use a Carolina rig with live fatbacks, popeye mullet, or live shrimp for the flounder. I will put two rods out and leave them in rod holders. The third rod I will cast up to a dock, and drag it really slow across the bottom until I feel a flounder pick it up. I prefer fishing docks in 10 -15 foot of water. You will find a lot sheepshead and black drum around these docks in the summer. That is a whole another topic. I f you are new to fishing for trout, flounder and drum, there is one important thing you need to do if fishing live bait. Fluorocarbon, Fluorocarbon, Fluorocarbon. You need to pick some up for leader material. You also need to go learn how to fish with slip bobbers also, if you don't already. You can set the cork, and fish any depth you want. I will set mine just off of the bottom. You can cover a lot of ground floating your baits this way for flounder. That is another key when flounder fishing. Trout, red drum and flounder will all hit live bait when you use either of these rigs. If you are fishing a group of docks and are anchored, and have not had a hit in 15 minutes or so, I will usually move on to the next ones. Unless of course I know the pattern fish follow on a paticular tide or set of docks. Then I will hang out a little longer.
