It has been over a week since I checked in last because quite frankly I have been absurdly busy. Lots of goings on in career, life, etc. but all positive.

Well, first thing's first.

The month of March went by without an entry in the replica program. I figured we would probably have an entry or two from the Galveston complex but with the monster winds we had it is not surprising we had no entries despite numerous anglers saying they were vying for it.

When i selected 20 inches at the starting point it was not just a random size. I never do ANYTHING randomly when it comes to important decisions. I consulted Texas Parks & Wildlife biologists who revealed to me fish of that size show up at a ratio of about 1 out of 200 at dockside creel surveys. In other words, these are pretty elite fish. Last year we did not get a replica fish until July by the way but that will not happen this year.

We will have one in April I am sure. By the way, the feedback on the replica program is absolutely phenomenal and totally inspiring. We are seeing real attitude changes about the flounder fishery on the dawn of the specie's rise from the ashes.

My last update featured some philosophical approaches to flounder fishing and drew lots of emails and a few comments as well. In other words, I know you all enjoyed it so here is some more.

Water movement is beyond important for flounder fishing. As I have written and spoken of hundreds, it not thousands of times, flounder are lazy fish and use the tides to bring them their meals. Well, it is not just tides. You can have water movement on slack tides and still catch flounder.

Water movement on slack tides? Has Chester abandoned his lifelong aversion to drug usage?

Of course not. Here me out.

I have one spot that I fish that is essentially a ditch and it is located near the Intracoastal Canal. Actually I will fish several of these type spots from time to time. On slack tides you can pretty much guarantee you will get bites when ships come by and suck out the water. I have literally seen the fish start biting within seconds of the water moving out of the ditch.

You may be asking why I would go fishing on a slack tide. Well, my schedule like yours I assume does not always allow me to schedule my fishing at primo times. Sometimes you have to go when there's little or no tide but if you play your cards right you can think of areas where there is water movement out of small ditches, cuts and other drains when ships come by.

This can also be true of big winds. We have lots of big south winds this time of year and even when you have no tide moving you will still have some water moving into some cuts. Even a trickle of movement will tickle a flounder's bite button.

The flounder's flat, bottom-dwelling lifestyle can be the key to you unlocking the secret of catching them. You just have to know which factors make things happen.