Point Lookout Flounder Holes©
By Rich Johnson
Every week
here in the fishing reports of "The Fishing Line" many
locations are given as to the whereabouts of the fish caught. Unless you’re familiar
with some of them, or they are within your “domain” many people may not know
where they are located or how to get to them. We have decided to make it easy for our
readers to find these places and in turn also inform you as to what is caught and what
time of year these species may be found there. Our first installment of the” HOT SPOT”
series is Point Lookout’s Hole in the Bay.
WHERE
IS IT. These locations mentioned in most of Scotty’s Fishing
Station's 
(432-4665) reports each week are just five to 10 minutes from
the docks of Point Lookout and directly opposite Lido Beach and the Town of Hempstead boat
ramp. This area can be tricky and is used mostly by smaller boats and rental skiffs from
Scotty’s. At low tide, the water shoals in some places and anything with a draft of
more than 18 inches may have trouble in here. This popular fishing spot got its name from
just what it is. A hole in Middle Bay. It actually is more like an extended channel in
that it is long and narrow which makes for good chumming for flounder and fluke.
To get to
the Hole in the Bay you make your first right, west of the Point Lookout Bridge, into Sea
Dog Creek. Staying between the buoy markers make you first left past the grass island on
you’re left (Long Meadow Island) and hug the edge. This will put you in a stretch of
water a few feet deep. This little channel extends along the edge of this grass island on
the left a little more than half the island’ length. About halfway down this little
cut, turn to the starboard and cut across. This should put you at the beginning edge of
the Hole in the Bay. The depths here range between three feet at the southern end to about
five or six feet depending on the tide, at the northern edge. The water here is clear and
clean so watch for bottom or keep a steady eye on the depth finder. You’ll know when
you reach any of the edges s water shallows quickly.
TURTLE
CREEK. In getting to Turtle Creek, make the same right turn after the 
bridge, but follow Sea Dog Creek around to the right following the deeper
water. This keeps you on the edge of Adler Island. Just past pole marker #9, Turtle Creek
will be on your left. This creek is very shallow close to the end of the ebb tide and
unless you are in a boat that drafts very little water, this may not be the place for you. The depths of the cut in Turtle Creek, even on the low
tide range as deep as seven feet. It’s just getting through the creek that’s
tough. However, big fluke and flounder are taken from the hole here all the time as the
fish try to escape the noise and traffic of a busy day on the water.
SPECIES
LIST. Most anglers fishing these areas target fluke and flounder as their main
quarry. It is the first place fishermen look for both species when their respective
seasons roll around. Both places make an ideal hangout for summer flatties as the
opportunities to escape to deeper water off the flats is available and the makings for an
easy ambush also enhance their chance of an easy meal. As for flounder, these deeper cuts
allow them to take advantage of the flushing action of the shallows as the tide runs out
serving them a smorgasbord of opportunity for meals off what soon will become mud flats at
low tide. In these same areas I have also had very good success with the larger variety of
snappers and last year I had so me small yellowtails and pilot fish crashing on the huge
schools of spearing that run through these cuts and drains.
FISHING TECHNIQUES.
Chumming here for
flounder and fluke works wonders. As the tide recedes, fluke and flounder will congregate
in this channel. Anchoring up current on either tide will allow the chum line to work it’s
magic as it will be distributed through the length of the “hole”. As usual when
fishing for winter flatties, clam or mussel chum is the ticket. I have chummed for fluke
using canned cat food or bunker chum. Once anchored with the chum starting to disperse in
the current. I will fan cast the area with bucktails or plain spearing on a leadhead. This
technique has netter my fishing buddies and myself many fine catches in the past. One of
the neat things about fluking is this type of situation is that you get to see the strike
of the fluke as the bait nears the boat due to the shallow water.
