As a lifelong fisherman, I enjoy wearing my Starry Flounder T-Shirt. It is a reminder that there is an exciting conquest to be had along the Pacific Coast. Apparently, pollution has led to decline of this species with black and orange striped bars on their fins. I myself caught one of these challenging fish. Because the numbers of this species have diminished, this was one of my rare releases. I never waste a fish. Usually, I sell them to a market, eat them myself, or feed the crew with the fish I catch. The reason for wearing this fishing t-shirt is to remember what a great struggle the fish put up.

Trolling Tips

Trolling is the tactic I used to catch a Starry Flounder. Trolling may seem simple, since you simply drop your line behind a forward-moving boat. Having some strategies for trolling can help, however. Here are some helpful tips:

• You need to have the right gear. The rod, reel, and line you always use may not help you catch one of these rare fish. My trolling rod is 9 feet long. Be sure to have a bait-casting reel with line counters, because these features help you determine how deep the line bait is. Planer boards are helpful if you want to greatly increase the trolling spread width.
• Technology today can be great for fishermen. Before you set out on your trolling trip, study aerial photos and form a strategy. The best places along the Pacific Coast have deep-sunken areas among rocks. I figure that’s where these Starry Flounder congregate.
• Bring some electronics with you on the boat, too. Look for areas with greater depth if you want to hurry up and get to the business of catching this rare fish. Continue to monitor as you’re trolling. Things like bottom substrate and temperature changes help you know whether you’ve veered off into different conditions.
• If you’ve never been trolling, something you need to know is that it’s a mistake to put the boat in neutral while the lines are out or while someone is reeling in a fish. This could cause a snag with lines. There should, after all, be at least three lines off the back of the boat. It’s much easier to untangle and reel lines in while the boat’s moving.
• Try different lures when you’re trolling. I can’t recommend a lure to you because I altered mine, and there’s not another like it in the world.

Reel it in… get the shirt

Once you get the hang of trolling, you can focus on catching a Starry Flounder. The fun is reeling it in, because this fish will give you a bigger fight than the time Rocky went up against a Russian. Whether you catch one or not, I recommend you get a Starry Flounder T-shirt. 

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