There’s a new state record summer flounder in Connecticut — a 15-pounder caught by Bill Proulx in the Niantic Bay, which is north of Long Island, New York. Proulx started fishing early in the morning of June 8 with little success. But in the early afternoon, something switched, and he hooked into the massive flatfish.
“When we brought it into the boat, we realized, ‘Oh my God, that is a big fluke,’” Proulx told CT Insider. Flounder are also often called fluke. Proulx did not disclose the exact location of his impressive catch. “A lot of people asked me where I caught the fish,” he said. “What my dad always said was if somebody asked where you catch the fish say, ‘I caught the fish in the mouth.’”
The impressive catch was 32 5/8 inches long and had a girth of 26 1/4 inches. Proulx got an official weight of it at Hillyer’s Tackle Shop. It came in at a whopping 15.3 pounds, easily besting the former 14-pound state record caught in 2019.
According to the NOAA, a summer flounder is a flat, bottom-feeding fish that keeps both eyes on its spotted left flank. They live up to 14 years and grow to three feet long. The fish is distinct from winter flounder, which are also found on the Atlantic coast. The species’ population is well distributed along the East Coast. The International Game and Fish Association lists the world record summer flounder at 22 pounds 7 ounces caught in Montauk, New York in 1975.
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“Please congratulate Bill Proulx with a new state record summer flounder,” wrote Connecticut Fish and Wildlife in a Facebook post announcing the new record. “[It’s an] awesome fish!”
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