Flounder Revolution (R)
The future of flounder fishing begins here...
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Flounder Revolution (R) is the concept and original project of award-winning outdoors communicator and conservationist Chester Moore. The goal is to fundamentally change the way flounder are viewed to ensure their conservation for future generations.
Flounder Revolution
13-pound flounder eats shrimp! (video) plus more
Greetings fellow flounder fanatics!
This is typically quiet time around Flounder Revolution (R) headquarters as I delve into other projects in the Moore Outdoors universe.
Still, I like to peak my head out and let you know I am alive.
For those of you who have never seen the amazing videos we put together showing flounder hitting baitfish, they are up on my blog at fishgame.com.
Click the links below to view
Search for State Record Class: Slots Available
There are a few slots available for the next Flatfish University (TM) course.
From 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Sat. Feb. 11 Flatfish University ™ will host the very first Search for the State Record class.
This class is all about someone from Flatfish University ™ breaking the current state record for flounder (13 pounds) and targeting big, big fish. As far as I know there has never been any class or even writings dealing with this specific level of seeking giant flounder.
The class will detail the following:
*Creating a very specific game plan to target the very biggest flounder
*Monster flounder tackle selection
*Live bait riggings and presentation
*How to utilize lures and live bait in tandem
*Top days to target monster flounder
*Unlocking mysteries of the south wind and the flounder bite
*How to fish deep drop-offs
*The fall purge: What it is and how it can help you catch monster flounder
*GPS coordinates to top big flounder spots along the Texas and Louisiana coasts.
*Methods for keeping a big flounder alive for hatchery donation
*How to certify water body and state records
The class will be held at Gander Mountain in Beaumont, TX and is limited to 20 participants. This class is getting close to selling out. All classes sold out last year and we expect the same in 2012.
The author with a 13 pound, 11-ounce flounder from the University of Texas Marine Science Institute in Port Aransas. As you can see record-sized flounder do exist.
Send checks to “Moore Outdoors” 101 Broad St. Orange, TX 77630. E-mail to reserve spot if sending checks.
God bless,
Chester Moore
Search for state record flounder begins Feb. 11
Greetings fellow flounder fanatics!
It has been awhile since I checked in but I promise this announcement will be worth the wait.
From 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Sat. Feb. 11 Flatfish University ™ will host the very first Search for the State Record class.
This class is all about someone from Flatfish University ™ breaking the current state record for flounder (13 pounds) and targeting big, big fish.
The class will detail the following:
*Creating a very specific game plan to target the very biggest flounder
*Monster flounder tackle selection
*Live bait riggings and presentation
*How to utilize lures and live bait in tandem
*Top days to target monster flounder
*Unlocking mysteries of the south wind and the flounder bite
*How to fish deep drop-offs
*The fall purge: What it is and how it can help you catch monster flounder
*GPS coordinates to top big flounder spots along the Texas and Louisiana coasts.
*Methods for keeping a big flounder alive for hatchery donation
*How to certify water body and state records
The class will be held at Gander Mountain in Beaumont, TX and is limited to 20 participants. This will sell out. All classes sold out last year and we expect the same in 2012.
The author with a 13 pound, 11-ounce flounder from the University of Texas Marine Science Institute in Port Aransas. As you can see record-sized flounder do exist.
Sign up before Friday and get in for only $39.95.
God bless,
Chester Moore
Flatfish University ™ is brought to you by Mr. Twister in 2012
And the "Flounder Revolution Angler of the Year" is...
Greetings fellow flounder fanatics!
The 2011 Flounder Revolution (R) Angler of the Year is Justin Hawkins.
After catching, photographing and releasing the most Sabine area fish ever entered into competition he ended up with a tally of 635.5 inches.
Photo courtesy Justin Hawkins
Hawkins will receive a trophy as well as a flounder tackle package worth $1,000. He now joins Chris Dial and Jantzen Miller our 2009 and 2010 winners as unique representatives of flounder fishing who have helped step things up for conservation.
Both of our former winners were competitive his year and deserve kudos just as Case Williams, Justin Pelton, Mike Bishop and Chester Moore, Sr. do for submitting fish.
Once again this year many anglers reported releasing fish that were not quite 20 inches to help with conservation efforts, showing the Flounder Revolution (R) has taken hold in the hearts and minds of many anglers on the Texas and Louisiana coasts.
Look for an even bigger year for this project in 2012. The Coastal Conservation Association has once again signed on to sponsor the replica program and Costa will provide a pair of their premium sunglasses for all anglers who earn a replica fish.
Upgrade is in the air!
God bless,
Chester Moore
Gear of the "Fall Flounder Run"
Greetings fellow flounder fanatics!
Last week's Fall Flounder Run (TM) brought to you by Mr. Twister/Exude and Flatfish University (TM) saw me catch and release 102 flounder in four days. While it might seem as if the flounder were jumping in the boat, the fact is I had to fish really hard to make that happen and a big part of the success can be attributed to the gear I used.
The following is a breakdown of what it made all possible.
2.5-inch Sassy Shad: This small shad imitation from Mr. Twister in the clear/silver flake/black back caught the vast majority of the fish. They wanted something small and the water for the most part was clear so I offered up this lifelike shad imitation rigged on a sixteenth ounce jighead for most of the run and toward the end used an eighth ounce. Tipped with a small piece of shrimp it proved to be a deadly combo.
2-inch Mr. Twister Teenie: Like I said, the fish wanted something small and when we came across murkier water this was the ticket and was probably responsible for 15-20 of the fish caught. Curltails are my all-time favorite lures for flounder and as I have learned the last couple of years, sometimes going small is what it takes.
Mike Iaconelli Combo: This inexpensive combo geared toward young people proved super sensitive, yet it sported enough backbone for a good flounder hookset. I used Stren Fluorocast on it in 8-pound test and believe this is a great option for anglers seeking an inexpensive flounder finesse rig. Plus, it has Mike's saying, "Never Give Up!" on the shaft to add a bit of inspiration.
Stren Fluorocast: The water called for fluorocarbon due to clarity for most of the trip so I used what has proven to be a sensitive, abrasion resistant line over the last couple of years for yours truly.
Nanofil: The new class of line from Berkley which I wrote about after ICAST 2011 helped out and allowed me to catch probably 30 of the fish. I had it rigged up on another rod for making long, precision casts into a shallow area we could not reach from boat and also as we wrapped up our fishing from bank. I added a 15-pound fluorocarbon leader (and I don't like leaders but it was needed due to clarity) and an eighth ounce jig head using the Sassy Shad. I was able to make casts at least 20 feet longer with this line than just the fluorocarbon. I have used this a fair amount crappie fishing this year and am starting to add it to my flounder repertoire.
Fenwick Elite Tech River Runner: This is the rod I used with the Nanofil and in conjunction with a Pflueger Supreme spinning reel. The bite for most of the trip was very light so this rod allowed me to feel it and still have a bit of backbone. I have been using this rod for finesse fishing for awhile and love the action.
As you can see I had to use very specific gear to make it happen. I started off using the power gear (pool cue rod/heavy braid) but the fact is the conditions and the flounder bite called for a far more delicate approach.
What this proves is that flounder are not just some dumb fish that will hit anything you pull over them but they are every bite as dynamic as largemouth bass or speckled trout. There is no way I would have caught as many fish if I had not adapted. And the truth is if this would have been one of those bites that called for heavier gear I would have probably hit the 100 mark in two days. I could have done that at Calcasieu a few weeks ago easily and truthfully using the heavy gear and that kind of bite is my preference.
However, I like to catch flounder no matter what and the "Fall Flounder Run" shows what a difference gear can make and that you can make a lost of adjustments to make the flounder cooperate.
For those of you wanting to learn more about catching flounder at this level I will be announcing a couple of the 2012 Flatfish University (TM) clinics brought to you by Mr. Twister/Exude in the coming weeks.
God bless,
Chester Moore
"Fall Flounder Run" concludes
Greetings fellow flounder fanatics!
If someone would have proposed to me the idea of trying to catch and release 100 flounder all on lures in five days just three or four years ago I would have passed. The fact is the fishery in Texas was just not up to par and I had lost my confidence in some key flounder areas.
So as I stood on the shore and released flounder number 102 into the marsh near Bridge City, I could not help but smile and think how much things have changed in just a few short years. The regulation changes protecting the fish during spawning time, cutting back on commercial harvest and a new flounder stocking program have made a huge difference. We'll get into those numbers in an update at the end of the month but for now just know I could not be happier with where the fishery is headed.
Flounder No. 102 made history but hopefully gets to make babies as she was put back into the Bridge City Marsh to produce more of her kind. She's a beauty, isn't she?
Now to the challenge.
I came up with the idea for the Fall Flounder Run (TM) a few months back and when Mr. Twister/Exude signed on to sponsor Flatfish University (TM) it seemed like a perfect way to celebrate this partnership. Catch and release 100 flounder in five days on artificial lures. Sounds crazy? At times it felt like it.
However, I am happy to report the goal was reached and exceeded on the evening of the run's fourth day. My Dad and I went out after church and combined caught more than 35 flounder all on Mr. Twister 2.5-inch Sassy Shad rigged on an eighth ounce jighead tipped with shrimp. I was at 81 flounder going into the day and the 21 I caught put me at 102.
This event was not about numbers, my fishing skill or personal aspirations. It was about raising awareness to flounder conservation and showing people great things can be done if they have the gift of belief.
I am no better than anyone else out there. Any fishing skills I have were not natural, but learned and practiced again and again. I do however have a larger than life passion for flounder and flounder fishing which pushes me to do things like this project. God has blessed me with the opportunity to be involved with flounder in my career and I truly hope this project shows that your passions, no matter what they may be, can put you on the path to seeing dreams realized.
It was important to me that we end this run from the bank where many flounder fishermen are relegated to fishing. I have always said flounder are a fish of the people and their comeback will benefit everyone from the wealthy with the most expensive bay boat money can buy to the person who can barely afford a license and gas to get to their favorite bank fishing destination. Everyone rich or poor deserves to be able to catch fish. As that last fish (an 18-incher) splashed me with her big tail as she swam into the waters near Bridge City, only a stone's throw from where I lost a big flounder as a child that birthed my passion for the species, it all sort of came together.
Yes, this project helped me reach some personal goals and was good business to promote my flounder teachings but it was really about you.
If you have dreams that involve flounder they are attainable. Set your sites on catching your biggest ever fish or putting your child on their first flounder because you can do it. Life is good my friends and we have some super cool things coming your way to be announced soon.
Lure Pack Winners
Kelly Gunn got Monday's Mr. Twister/Exude lure pack by photo texting this super spotted caught and released flounder.
Mr. Twister/Exude provided me with some lure packages and decals to give out during the run. Each day the the first angler to photo text or email me a flounder they caught and released that day won. The response was great. Here are the winners
Thursday: Scott Bandy
Friday: Case Williams
Saturday: Case Williams
Sunday: Justin Hawkins
Monday: Kelly Gunn
We'll have another update later in the week with a few exclusive notes on techniques and gear from the quest as well as other announcements. Thanks for all the support and a special thanks to Mr. Twister/Exude for helping make it happen.
God bless,
Chester Moore
Flounder Revolution (R)
Fall Flounder Run Day 2 recap
Greetings fellow flounder fanatics!
What a difference a day makes for the Fall Flounder Run (TM) brought to you by Mr. Twister/Exude in association with Flatfish University (TM). I suspect we would have high pressure today and when I woke up to perfectly calm conditions, I knew it would be a tough day and it was. I only bumped the tally up to 30 by catching and releasing seven flounder and let me tell you that was hard work. It was an incredibly strange bite, maybe the weirdest I have ever experienced.
A few fish hit with the classic THUMP and hold but most of the others would thump, let go, thump, let go, thump and let go. I say this is what they were doing because I had the incredibly unique opportunity to watch it happen twice today. From around 11-noon I had two fish bite while fishing parallel to a shallow, clear water bank and follow the lure all the way to me. When I stopped, they hit really hard, spit out and repeated several times. I was never able to catch either fish as they finally quite and swam off.
It was weird but super cool to get to see what I had felt several times that morning take place. It is a rare thing to have that happen with flounder. The fish today came on two-inch pink Teenies from Mr. Twister and their two-inch smoked-colored Sassy Shad from their Exude line, both tipped with shrimp and fished on an Abu Garcia Mike Iaconelli combo with Stren Flurocast line.
I have to regroup in the morning and although there will be big winds I believe I will be able to catch more fish than today. I hope so. I have a loooong way to go to get to 100. However, this journey is already proving personally inspirational and gratifying.
Thank you all for the emails, texts phone calls and Facebook messages.
The support for this project is amazing.
God bless,
Chester Moore
"Fall Flounder Run" Day 1 recap
Wow!
What a crazy way to start a quest to catch 100 fish. Today I sat on on the Fall Flounder Run (TM) brought to you by Mr. Twister/Exude and Flatfish University (TM).
The winds were forecast 10 to 15 mph (which is bad enough) as I learned from my buddy Gabe from IHuntFIsh clothing that means you're supposed to add the numbers. We had 25 mph north winds making fishing in the Sabine channel EXTREMELY difficult so he must be right. However 2 of the first 3 casts yielded fish, then they shut off after that.
At that point I switched from 4-inch smoked-colored curltails fished one of my pool cue sticks with 40-pound braid and went to 2-inch pink Teenie grubs from Mr. Twister fished on a short 1/
z jighead and tipped with shrimp but fished on 8-pound Stren Flourocast. This made a huge difference and I started stacking up the numbers of caught and released fish quickly. I moved down a ways and could not get bit so went back to the four-inch on braid since the water was a little murkier and put five away quickly and then it shut down.
z jighead and tipped with shrimp but fished on 8-pound Stren Flourocast. This made a huge difference and I started stacking up the numbers of caught and released fish quickly. I moved down a ways and could not get bit so went back to the four-inch on braid since the water was a little murkier and put five away quickly and then it shut down. 
The author and one of many fish he caught today on a 2-inch pink Teenie from Mr. Twister.
My Dad and I went down and found a little clearer water and I went back to fluorocarbon with the 2-inch pink Teenies and caught a bunch of fish in the course of an hour. We ended up abandoning the channel and finished up doing some bank fishing in one of the most protected spots we could find and ended the day with a few more fish. The total of the day for me was 23 fish all caught on lures and released to produce more of their kind. All in all it was a wild but highly productive day.
The highlight besides being nearly 1/4 way toward my goal of 100 fish by Monday night was seeing a big flounder come up to the surface and attack some shrimp that were cruising with the current. It made a big roll, grabbed one of the shrimp and went back down. Then I flipped a pink curltail and soon felt it's "thump". Go to http://www.flounderrun.com for video tips and photos from the trip and don't forget to follow me on Twitter @moore_outdoors.
I put up lots of updates in real time today and will do the same the rest of the journey.
Dream BIG and fish with intensity!
Chester Moore
"Fall Flounder Run" is on!
Greetings fellow flounder fanatics!
By the time you read this posting the Fall Flounder Run (TM) brought to you by Mr. Twister/Exude in association with Flatfish University (TM) will be on!
As you have probably read over the last couple of weeks this project will be me seeking to catch, release and log 100 flounder on artificial lures in five days. Crazy? Yes! Doable? I believe so.
The goal is to raise awareness to flounder conservation and show that flounder are a dynamic species that are not a live bait only proposition. I have nothing in the world against catching them on mud minnows and mullet but I prefer fooling them on plastic.
For daily reports and video tips go to http://www.flounderrun.com or for up to the minute updates via Twitter follow @moore_outdoors.
Each day the first angler to photo text 409-920-2062 or e-mail their flounder photo to cmooreoutdoors@yahoo.com with a photo of a flounder they caught and released that day gets a special lure pack courtesy Mr. Twister/Exude.
I personally picked some of my favorite lures from their incredible line of flounder friendly products and when I get the first photo message via email or text that person will be put down to get this super cool package pictured below.
The angler who logs the most flounder in the course of five days gets a signed copy of my book Flounder Fever and a free slot in a 2012 Flatfish University ™ course of your choice.
Thanks to Mr. Twister/Exude for making this possible and to all of you for supporting my work on behalf of flounder.
This will be a wild ride for sure!
Please guys keep me in your prayers while on the road and waters as I will fish practically 24/7 if need to be get this done. I would also appreciate prayers for focus and awareness as those will be two keys to getting those fish during what looks like it will be a tough bite opening day.
Always dream BIG and fish with intensity!
God bless,
Chester Moore
Flatfish University, Mr. Twister/Exude team for "Fall Flounder Run"
Fall offers Gulf Coast anglers the greatest opportunity to score on southern flounder.
The flounder bite turns on as they migrate out of the bays to spawn in deep Gulf waters.
From Nov. 10-14, award-winning outdoors communicator, conservationist and flounder expert Chester Moore will take this angling opportunity to the extreme.
“In celebration of Mr. Twister/Exude becoming the 2012 sponsor of my flounder clinics, Flatfish University ™, I am embarking on the first annual ‘Fall Flounder Run ™ ’. I will fish five days to catch, release and document 100 or more flounder on artificial lures,” Moore said.
“That means with a healthy supply of Twister Tails I will hit my favorite flounder hotspots at Lake Calcasieu, Sabine lake and Galveston Bay.”
Moore will log his daily catches at flounderrun.com and live via Twitter @moore_outdoors.
“At various points throughout the day flounder fans can check in and get updates on how many fish have been caught. Each night there will be video clips up at flounderrun.com, but the best part is all anglers are invited to participate.”
Each day the first angler to photo text 409-920-2062 or e-mail their flounder photo to cmooreoutdoors@yahoo.com with a photo of a flounder they caught and released that day gets a special lure pack courtesy Mr. Twister/Exude.
“I personally picked some of my favorite lures from their incredible line of products and when I get the first photo message via email or text that person will be put down to get this super cool package,” Moore said.
The angler who logs the most flounder in the course of five days gets a signed copy of Moore’s book Flounder Fever and a free slot in a 2012 Flatfish University ™ course of their choice.
Moore said he loves to eat flounder himself but chose this to be a catch-and-release project to prove a point.
“Flounder are a valuable sportfish and if we start turning back the big fish and letting them spawn we can help secure their future. We do that through our Flounder Revolution ® online tournament every year and provided anglers with replicas of their catches due to the generosity of the Coastal Conservation Association as well as the Fish Mount Store who create the awesome mounts.”
“By making this a catch-and-release event I am having fun and showing anglers not only that artificial lures work great for flounder but these are a fish that is valuable beyond their table worthiness.”
Is he nervous the 100 fish challenge can’t be met?
“It will be tough for sure but I am far more excited to push myself to do something that has never been done before on behalf of my favorite fish. In short, I am inspired.”
Follow the Fall Flounder Run ™ at the following outlets:
http://www.twitter.com/moore_outdoors
Flounder Inspiration
Greetings fellow flounder fanatics!
Last week I received emails from Bill Kinney and Gina Rice of CCA that really inspired me. It seems the conservation message on flounder is really getting out there and even hitting the youth.
One of CCA's New Tide members Isabel Young, age 11 of River Oaks Baptist School, did a school project dealing with the food chain and used flounder as the focal point. It is great to see young people understanding ecology and the need to be good stewards of our resources.
Thanks Isabel for inspiring us with your creativity and vision for conservation!
God bless,
Chester Moore
