Flounder to Slam
Capt. Justin Leake and Meredith McCord opt for jigs instead of gigs to target flounder in late spring off Panama City Beach. It’s one of the best times to fish these waters because practically all of the species favored by anglers are abundant.
Leaving the dock just as the sun comes up, Justin’s plan is to pursue the so-called “Inshore Slam” by catching flounder, redfish and speckled trout. When he spots a small pocket of flounder in about four feet of water, the duo starts bouncing jigs along the sandy bottom to entice a bite.
Justin brings in a flounder almost immediately but Meredith, who has never caught one of these flatfish on conventional tackle, gets frustrated when her bites turn out to be ladyfish and blue fish. Capt. Leake can’t resist the opportunity to tease his friend with some trash talk. “She’s working on the ‘Trash Can Slam,’” he says with a laugh.
But Meredith is a quick study and, after fine tuning her presentation, redeems herself by landing the day’s biggest flounder while Justin hauls in a nice black drum and monster speckled trout.
Also, we visit the iconic Carousel Supermarket where shoppers enjoy spectacular gulf views from the checkout lanes.