Flounder nets are a traditional way of catching this delicious fish in New Zealand around the estuaries and mudflats of our coasts.
The term flounder is a generic one that covers several identifiable “flatfish” in New Zealand waters; these include sand flounder ( also referred to as square, dab, white or diamond's), lemon sole, New Zealand sole, yellow belly flounder, brill, turbot, black flounder and greenback flounder.
These prolific breeding fish generally gather where freshwater discharges into the sea, which indicates where to set your net. This freshwater mingled into the briny sea is the flounder's prey source. Whitebait (nom nom), crabs, copepods (small crustaceans), shrimp and tiny shellfish, are top of the flounder's menu.
When setting your net, check your local conditions; in areas prone to seaweed, it's ideal to set your net parallel with the current rather than across it to avoid catching too much plant life. Setting your flounder net, create a “V” or an arch with the shore and your net, the widest part points into the current so the flounder swimming in and out to pluck crabs and other prey get caught in your net. Also, check out our earlier post on general set net advice for tips and accessories for your net http://tinyurl.com/koeuwyy
Fish on a rising tide to maximise your catch. Look for areas of warm water where flounder like to hide and ambush prey; sandstone is a common rock that holds warmth well and can help locate this master of disguise.
The safe setting of your net is very important. Please see previous posts on set netting or call or write if you have any questions to admin@actionoutdoors.kiwi. I recommend walking over the area where you intend to set your net at low tide so as to be aware of the areas of mud and where the channel becomes deep with the incoming tide. As you do this, take note of freshwater sources and where they flow into the sea, as well as potential food sources like crabs or shrimp and flat rocks where fish are likely to be abundant.
Flounder will come into very shallow waters, often inches deep when the sun has set. During the day, they are generally found in deeper water, waiting for night to fall when they become more active.
Please make sure you follow the regulations for your area and the generic set net fishing rules where ever you happen to be in New Zealand, and take only the number of fish allowed and make sure these are the regulation size. Check the Ministry of Primary Industry (MPI) website for these details and local regulations in your area on flounder or any other species of fish you are targeting. Just follow the link to their site MPI NZ. It is of the utmost importance you set your net, only in places allowed by regulations in your area. Doing otherwise will end with your net being confiscated and fined. Note that the method of measuring fish is from the tip of the nose to the middle ray or “V” in the tail.
Action Outdoors flounder nets are generously designed with high mesh ratios per metre of the net to ensure you catch fish efficiently. See our flounder net page http://tinyurl.com/p6uqlug . Our design and construction can be created with what is referred to as a bag in the net where the top rope is tied down to the weighted bottom rope at intervals to ensure the best possible results for fishers using our nets, as required. This also avoids by-catch (untargeted species you'll have to set free) and acts as a trapping mechanism for the flounder, so when the net is pulled in, flounder will remain in the net even though they may not be caught by their gills in the mesh.
My final tip
For catching a good haul, as mentioned in some of our other Action Outdoors publications as follows, set your net through one change of light only; for example, if you set the net in the late afternoon, collect it just after dark, you won't catch much more fish during the night. Fish will feed and move again in the morning with the change of light. This advice is especially relevant in the warmer months as you don't want to return to a net eaten by predators like sharks and stingrays, octopus, crabs and shellfish. Fish also deteriorate in quality very quickly in warm water once they have been caught.
Again if you need any advice, do write to admin@actionoutdoors.co.nz
Happy fishing, all!
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