Plaice are on of sea angling’s most recognisable and sought after species. A flatfish, it has both of its eyes on the top of its head. They are normally coloured with a brown top side covered with a number of bright orange or red spots and a completely white underbelly. The spots are the plaice’s most distinguishing feature. Occasionally they can be mistaken for flounder which can also sport orange spots but these spots are usually less apparent and more irregular in shape. Flounder also have boney tubercles at the top of the spine which plaice do not have. The plaice also has a more rounded body shape than the flounder.
Plaice are a species most commonly encountered during the spring and summer with specimens turning up through until early November if the weather stays settled. Most plaice are caught in April and May when they return to the inshore waters after spawning out at sea. It is during this time that they are eager to replenish their fat reserves that they can be caught more easily. As the year progresses and the plaice get fatter they become harder to locate and catch. They will feed both day and night with daylight leading into dusk during calm, settled weather the best time to target these feisty flatties. A rough sea will see the plaice move offshore where they will bury themselves into the sand/shingle and wait out the rough weather. Plaice, like many flatfish, are found over clean ground with a sand or shingle bottom, often close to mussel beds. The beaches in the South Hams and the lower reaches of the Salcombe estuary are well known in South Devon for produce plaice. Being a flatfish they will tend to spend much of their time on the seabed and this is generally where you should position your bait. Many anglers swear by using numbers of beads, sequins and flashing blades above the bait, saying that these will attractive the inquisitive plaice to investigate the shine or movement, a flowing trace can help with this movement. Try out different rigs, some with attractors, some without and see what works best for you. Ragworm is the best bait to use, either on its own or with a strip of squid to tip it off. Other good baits include lugworm, peeler crab and razorfish or a cocktail of any of these. Rigs should be those which have baits fished on the seabed; a running leger is the simplest of these to tie. As with most flatfish, plaice (if you are lucky to catch one large enough) make excellent eating.
