Surprisingly aggressive for such oddly-shaped creatures, flounders cruise shorelines along the Gulf Coast, sometimes using their flattened bodies to live in water less than six inches deep. Nearly every bay, inlet or marshy bayou along the Gulf Coast contains a population of these furiously fighting delicious fish.
Flounders even tolerate freshened water normally found in river-fed estuaries.
Heavier than fresh water, salt water sinks to the bottom, creating a brine layer. Flounder thrive in that brackish bottom layer where other saltwater species cannot. It some cases, anglers catch them miles upstream in freshwater rivers. Each spring and fall Gulf Coast fishermen catch flounders as they congregate in shallow bays, coves and passes to feed on shrimp, crabs, minnows or other morsels. Their mottled, flattened bodies form perfect camouflage against black marsh muck or dark sand as they wait to ambush unsuspecting prey.