I have caught flounder before by accident or just luck, this weekend I decided to target them. I got a couple hits but I couldn't hook up. I was bouncing a DOA shrimp off the bottom and felt that familiar tug. I waited but never could get a hook set. What size shrimp should I use? I was using a 3 inch but I wonder should I switch to gulp or a smaller shrimp.

I haven't had much luck with flounder around here, but back in another life in FL, we used to tear them up bouncing a 1/4 ounce jig with a rootbear red or gold flake grub, tipped with a very small piece of shrimp for flavor.

I have seen a lot of them caught around Baytown on mud minnows, live or dead.

My wife catches them on accident a lot, she just slowly reels in her fish finder rig with some fresh dead on it along the bottom.

Let them take for a couple counts before setting the hook. They tend to chew on it a while before taking it in.

Thats what I was thinking, but i think they feel the plastic and let go. Thats why I might try it with gulp instead. Yeah I got at lot of hits at McCollum. off the rocks by the wall. Just couldn't get them to swallow the hook lol. I might try a weedless 2inch shrimp next time.

It'll depend on the bait and hook setup you are using. In Peru I fished for them with dead bait and hard plastic with trebles (rapala, spoons, rebel, bomber). Here I have hooked them on soft plastics (gulp shrimp, paddle tails), and dead shrimp.
When using treble hooks I set it as soon as I feel the thump, cause thy will spit it out, and the treble will set.
If using soft plastics or dead bait I wait for 10seconds or so before setting the hook. In Peru we catch them in the surf and sometimes they will swim towards you with the bait in the mouth without swallowing.

I've been blessed with Flounder catches. Nine flounder in the last five trips out. I'm useing 4" chickenboy shrimp,1/4 ounce wide gap Norton jig head. Worked along the bank of the ICW. Strikes acure within three feet of the bank. Also plenty of Reds.

Here's what messes you up with flounder on a plastic jig, and here's the cure:
They clamp down so hard when they hit, when you try to set the hook, the hook doesn't move, it's just lodged between their teeth.
The fix:
Oldham screw lock head with gamakatsu hook
Braided line
Stiffer rod.

and the forementioned sideways hookset works good too. Your standard limpy light action trout rod is just too weak to snap that steel in the flounder, gotta get after them harder.

I agree with the previous two comments regarding the sideways hook set, I typically do a looooong steady pull sideways instead of sharps lifts of the rod. I am not experienced enough with soft plastics as to be able to determine if differences in timing for setting the hook have made me more or less successful. They do have a strong jaw bone and the shape is not the usual for a fish mouth.

Agree with rod types too, you need some backbone. I have Med power fast action rods that I use for flounder, and probably could get by with a MH and stiffer action too. One is a standard UglyStik 7'0 the other is a Shimano Voltaeus 7'0... both Med power fast action. As I type this I recall another slower action 7'0 MH Daiwa that I have also used successfully. rod length is because in Peru we cats into the surf and sometimes need some distance to get into the sloughs. In the flats here in TX rod somewhere between 6-7'0 should be fine.

Sounds like the way I set the hook when fishing for bass, the "ol baseball batter windup hookset"

Sharp hooks are important too, I always sharpen my flounder jigs before an outing.

Yeah I just noticed the hooks on the DOA out the box aren't that sharp I sharpened a few a min ago. I'll use my custom rod it has more backbone than the ml carrot stick.

I dont mean to hi jack this thread but want to ask a question while the subject of flounder is here. How is the flounder fishing in mid January in the galveston area? Ive thought of taking my boat down in that time frame to stay with a cousin and fish a week while we are both on vacation.

No flounder in January dude, they are all out in the Gulf.

Tell you a cool technique my son and I have used, and it has been productive. Set up a Carolina Rig. Pink curly tail on top, bright yellow on bottom. Toss out, pull in slow. When you feel a hit, release your reel, let him make his run. Once he travels about 15 yards, click your real to lock. That little bump has set my hook so many times, and I have pulled in some really nice flouder - Good Luck!

I use a unweighted cork. Seems to help with hookups. When the cork goes I set the hook. If they are playing with the grub jig or DOA shrimp and not hitting hard, I add a pinch of dead shrimp to the hook. Makes them bite a little harder.