My #1 Artificial Lure for Flounder (If I Could Only Choose One)

When it comes to flounder fishing, there are countless artificial lures that will catch fish. Paddle tails, jerk shads, shrimp imitations, curly tail grubs, and many others have all earned a permanent place in anglers' tackle boxes for good reason.

But if you told me I could only carry one artificial lure for targeting flounder, my choice would be easy: the Berkley Gulp! 3" Swimming Mullet. More specifically, I rely on two colors more than any others: Pearl White and Chartreuse.

Could other lures catch just as many fish on a given day? Absolutely. I've caught flounder on many different soft plastics over the years. However, if I'm looking for the lure that has consistently produced the most flounder across different seasons, water conditions, and locations, the Berkley Gulp! 3" Swimming Mullet has earned that title in my boat.

Why It Consistently Produces

What separates this lure from many traditional soft plastics is the scent. The Berkley Gulp! formula disperses scent into the water, allowing fish to locate the bait even when visibility is poor. Flounder spend much of their time lying on the bottom, waiting to ambush baitfish. That scent trail often gives them one more reason to commit to the strike.

While I certainly don't believe scent is the only factor in catching flounder, I do believe it gives anglers a noticeable advantage, especially in stained water or when the bite is slow. It's also a lure that regularly catches much more than flounder — redfish, speckled trout, white trout, and other inshore species all seem to have a hard time resisting it.

How I Fish It

My favorite retrieve is simple: Twitch… Twitch… Pause. That pause often gives a flounder just enough time to inhale the bait. If the fish are less aggressive, I'll slow everything down and simply drag the lure across the bottom just fast enough for the swimming tail to do its job. Patience usually catches more flounder than speed.

My Preferred Jigheads

Almost every Berkley Gulp! Swimming Mullet I fish is paired with a round-ball jighead. Since I spend most of my time fishing shallow marshes and backwater areas, my first choice is almost always a 1/8-ounce jighead. If I'm fishing deeper water, stronger current, or windy conditions, I'll step up to a 1/4-ounce jighead to maintain bottom contact. The goal isn't simply to cast farther — it's to keep the lure where flounder live: on or near the bottom.

Where I Fish It

If I had to pick one tide, it would be a falling tide. Moving water pulls shrimp and baitfish from the marsh into deeper drains, and flounder know exactly where to wait. Some of my favorite places include small marsh drains, ditches, points, current seams, creek mouths, and drop-offs leading into deeper water. These are natural ambush points where flounder can conserve energy while waiting for food to come to them.

Final Thoughts

Will this lure catch every flounder? Of course not. There are plenty of outstanding artificial lures on the market, and I regularly fish many different manufacturers depending on the conditions. Every lure has its time and place.

But if someone asked me today to choose only one artificial lure to target flounder for the rest of the season, I'd reach for the Berkley Gulp! 3" Swimming Mullet in Pearl White or Chartreuse without hesitation. It has earned its place through years of time on the water — not because of advertising or hype, but because it consistently catches fish.

What is your number one flounder lure? I'd love to hear what has earned a permanent spot in your tackle box. Leave a comment below and let me know.

Until next time… See you on the Coast!

— Randall Cobb
Founder, Marshline Fishing Co.
Helping Everyday Anglers Catch More Fish.

Shop Flounder Baits from Marshline

While the Gulp! is a go-to, these Marshline baits also produce flounder consistently:

• 3.8" Tide Turner Paddletail — Vibration-driven paddle tail that catches flounder in marsh drains and current breaks
• 4" Tidal Tail (Scented with Marsh Brew) — Scented curl tail with a slow, natural fall — deadly on the bottom
• Triple Tail Jerk Shad — Pearl Shiner — Jerk shad in a proven flounder color
• 3" Marshline Minnow Jr. — Finesse option for shallow flats and pressured fish