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Top-Rated Kid-Friendly Flounder Fishing in Matagorda
- Published Date: August 29, 2025
- Fishing
- Matagorda
- $650 price range
- Updated Date: November 15, 2025
Summary
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Night Fishing Fun
Kid-Friendly Night Flounder Fun in Matagorda
Get ready for an awesome night out on the water with Captain Justin! This 6-hour trip is all about introducing kids to the cool world of flounder gigging. Starting at 8 PM, we'll head out into the calm Matagorda waters where the real adventure begins. Your kiddos will get to use special lights to spot flounder and try their hand at gigging - it's like underwater treasure hunting! Don't worry, parents - Captain Justin keeps everything safe and fun, adjusting the experience to fit each child's age and skill level. It's the perfect way for young anglers to dip their toes into night fishing and make some unforgettable memories.
Night Fishing 101 for Kids
This isn't your average fishing trip - we're talking about a nighttime adventure that'll have your kids buzzing with excitement! As the sun goes down, we'll gear up with special lights and simple gigging equipment. Captain Justin will show everyone how to spot the telltale glint of a flounder's eyes in the shallows. The best part? Kids get to be right in on the action! They'll learn how to quietly approach the fish and try their hand at gigging. It's a hands-on experience that teaches patience, observation skills, and respect for marine life. And let's be honest, what kid doesn't love staying up past bedtime for a good reason?
Gig Like a Pro (In Training)
Flounder gigging might sound tricky, but Captain Justin breaks it down into easy steps that even the youngest anglers can follow. We use lightweight gigs designed for kids, and everyone gets a chance to practice their technique in the shallows. It's all about teamwork - one person holds the light while another readies the gig. When you spot a flounder, it's go time! The shallow, calm waters of Matagorda Bay are perfect for beginners. As we move along, kids will also learn about the other critters we see - from scurrying crabs to curious fish that come to check out our lights. It's like a real-life nature show right under your feet!
Why Kids (and Parents) Love It
This trip is a hit with families for so many reasons. First off, it's way more interactive than sitting around waiting for a bite. Kids stay engaged and excited throughout the whole experience. Parents love seeing their little ones light up with each new discovery. It's also a great chance for family bonding - working together to spot and catch fish creates lasting memories. Plus, there's something magical about being out on the water at night. The stars seem brighter, the water glows with bioluminescence, and every splash becomes a mystery to solve. It's the kind of adventure that turns into favorite family stories for years to come.
Flounder: The Sneaky Bottom-Dwellers
Southern Flounder are the stars of our nighttime show, and boy, are they interesting characters! These flat fish are masters of camouflage, able to change their color to match the sandy or muddy bottom. That's why we need those special lights to spot them. Flounder can grow up to about 25 inches long, but we usually see them in the 14-20 inch range. What makes them so fun to gig is their habit of lying still, waiting for prey to swim by. This means patient kids with keen eyes have a great shot at spotting them.
Fall is prime time for flounder gigging in Matagorda. As the water cools, these fish start moving towards the Gulf for spawning, concentrating in the bays and passes. This makes October and November some of the best months for our trips. Kids love learning about the flounder's unique adaptations, like how both eyes are on one side of its head! It's a perfect blend of weird and cool that really captures young imaginations.
Book Your Kid's Night Adventure
Ready to give your kids a fishing experience they'll never forget? This Matagorda flounder gigging trip is more than just catching fish - it's about sparking a love for the outdoors, building confidence, and creating family memories. Captain Justin's patient guidance and kid-friendly approach make this the perfect intro to night fishing for young anglers. With only room for 3 guests, spots fill up fast, especially during peak flounder season. So why not treat your family to a night of adventure? Book now and get ready to see your kids' faces light up brighter than our gigging lamps when they land their first flounder!
Learn more about the animal
Southern Flounder
Southern Flounder (Paralichthys lethostigma) Fish Description
A Southern Flounder is a flat, oval fish and is a part of the Paralichthyidae family. It is known for having both of its eyes on the left side of its head. It has an underdeveloped pectoral fin or has none at all. It also does not have any spines on its fins, and its caudal fin is separate.
The Southern Flounder is often mistaken as a Summer Flounder but one of its distinguishing factors among other flounders is its numerous light and dark blotches and spots on their dark side. Other flounders have oscillated spots, which is absent in a Southern Flounder.
It is a known predator, and it ambushes its prey from the bottom, camouflaging itself under sand or mud. It feeds on worms, shrimp, blue crabs, and smaller fishes like anchovies, menhaden, and mullets.
Interesting Facts About Southern Flounder
- A female Southern Flounder can lay up to 9,000 eggs at once.
- It can change its color and mimic the substrate they are in. This helps help hide from predators and also hunt for prey.
- Flounders are anguilliform swimmers. They swim using their bodies and caudal fin.
- Its eyes are both found on one side – also called their ocular side.
- Most Southern Flounders are 'left-handed' (both eyes on the left side), but there are also 'right-handed' Southern Flounders in rare cases.
- A male Southern Flounder's life is shorter than its female counterpart. It can live for at most three years only.
Size
A Southern Flounder typically ranges from 15 to 18 inches and can grow as long as 33 inches. Typically, they weigh around 5 lbs. but it recorded an all-tackle weight of 20 lbs—9 oz.
Habitat and Distribution
The Southern Flounder is found in the waters along the Atlantic seaboard and the Gulf of Mexico. It is commonly found in sandy, rocky, or muddy bottoms of shallow waters of coastal marine areas, bays, rivers, lakes, and estuaries. This makes it easier to catch and feed on prey. Most adult Southern Flounders prefer staying offshore during the winter season.
Southern Flounder - Fishing Techniques
The best technique to catch a Southern Flounder is still fishing or drift fishing since they settle at the water's bottom. Anglers can use live fish and artificial lures as bait. It is best to use a single-hooked, slip lead, or free-line rig with heads ranging from 1/4 "- 3/8". It is advised to use light-to-medium lines with reels that can spool 150 yards per 10 lbs. Anglers can also fly fish using medium lines.
Bull minnows, mullets, and shrimps are the best baits to catch flatfish like flounders.
About the Coastal Ways Guide Service
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Vehicle Guest Capacity: 6
Manufacturer Name: Suzuki
Maximum Cruising Speed: 35
Number of Engines: 1
Horsepower per Engine: 140
