Huge turbot have been caught on kite longline rigs set straight out from the creek at Muriwai Beach and sole and brill are often taken as a by-catch on commercial longlines set for snapper.
There appears to be no reason that harbour flounder flounder can't be caught on hooks, but if it was easy everybody would be doing it.
It appears that most people that have tried have use small hooks baited with corn or peas, I have also heard of fishers using garden worms as flatfish bait. However, flounder naturally eat small crabs and shrimps and if these are used the chances of success would be vastly improved.
We would be interested in hearing from anyone who successfully targets flounder on hook and line.
The ultimate would be to make up a scaled down longline with tiny fish hooks and 3kg traces and set it in one or two metres of water.
