WACHAPREAGUE, Va. — The biggest flounder fishing tournament is underway in Warchapreague on the Eastern Shore.
“It's been known as the flounder capital of the world,” said Debbie Shrieves. She’s been in charge of the Captain Zed’s Flounder Tournament since it started 33 years ago.
Originally, a man called Captain Zed owned what’s now the Island House restaurant, the tournament headquarters.
“As a child, I can always remember flounder fishing,” she told me. “I mean they catch other fish but mainly flounder.”
Participants hit the water Friday. Mark Hill, a Wachapreague resident, is hoping to cash in on the $5,000 grand prize.
“I like to catch flounder using the drift method with a top-bottom,” he said. “The bait of choice is squid, silver side or lognut. The other method to catch flounder is trolling, I’m not a big fan of that because I like to feel the flounder, feel the bite, trolling you don’t get that.”
But why is flounder fishing so good on the Eastern Shore?
“The flounder come in and they get up on the flats and try to find warm water,” Hill told me. “They feed in the channels and the shallows on the seaside of the Eastern Shore.”
Investigations
Don't speed on the Eastern Shore — especially in Eastville
The tide is a factor too.
“Typically the best tide for flounder is the outgoing tide–when the water is going out and the drains are getting shallower– the fish are feeding on the edge of the drains,” he continued.
But the fish are hard to spot.
“They are a bottom feeder,” Hill said. “The blend in with the bottom. I don't know if you've seen videos, but the flounder can actually camouflage itself to the bottom of the ocean floor.”
The ten-day tournament consists of several divisions including a youth and women’s contest.
The largest flounder ever caught in the tournament was an 11-pounder eight years ago.
Here’s hoping the competitors get a big catch this year too!
