The gigging of flounder is done either by wading the flats or from the bow of a shallow floating boat during the dark of night. The water is illuminated by a light source as the anglers move through the area looking for flounder laying on or often buried in the sandy bottom.
The fish are very well camouflaged and it takes a real discerning eye to pick out the outline of the flounder. Often only the bumps of the eyes and a very light outline of the head is visible. After locating the flounder a single or multi-point gig is used to pin the flounder to the bottom.
The light source can vary from something as simple as a flashlight or gas camping lantern to a sophisticated light bar mounted to the front of the boat operated by a generator or a bank of batteries. Over the years, a variety of light that can be submerged have been used. The advantage of an underwater is that the light tends to reflect back into the water and light up the area without also blinding the angler while a light source above the water will reflect off waves and be less effective.
With the development of bright and very efficient LED lights, there has been a proliferation of small battery operated lights that can be carried. This has diminished the need for larger batteries and generators, allowing a larger population of angers to participate in the gigging of flounder.
The key to successful gigging of flounder is relatively clear 1 to 3 foot deep water with a good sandy bottom. It should be an area with good tidal flow and cuts or drop offs along the edges.
