June Rosko believes in big baits for big flounder. She used an 8-inch-long squid strip to score on this fine flattie. Photo by Milt Rosko.

Look at a nautical chart, and you’ll observe a substructure configuration from Indian River Inlet south to Ocean City Inlet that lends itself to bottom-fishing for summer flounder.

For many years, our family visited both inlet areas, usually aboard a motor home.

We enjoyed fine fishing for a variety of inshore species, most notably summer flounder -- because this species provided us many fine dinners.

During that era, we fished the productive waters of Indian River, Rehoboth, Isle of Wright and Chincoteague bays.

When calm seas were predicted, we ventured into ocean waters via Indian River Inlet and Ocean City Inlet, where a beautiful sandy bottom stretched to the north and south.

In the 20- to 30-foot depths, it always seemed easy to put together a catch of fine-eating summer flounder.

There are still plenty of summer flounder in these waters. And using the same techniques of years ago -- a three-way swivel, a leader 36 inches long, 2/0 hook and squid or minnow bait -- will produce a good catch.

During the intervening years, however, the waters of both states imposed minimum-size restrictions on recreational anglers.

This in itself makes it difficult to put together a catch of what are popularly called “keeper-size” flounder.

Last year, Delaware had a 17-inch minimum, with a four-flounder creel limit for ocean, bay and tributary waters. Believe me, it was tough trying to catch a limit, when we had to release 20 or more undersized flounder in order to retain one keeper.

Maryland anglers had a 15 1/2-inch minimum-size limit with a four-flounder creel limit all year long in ocean and nearshore waters -- and more importantly, a 15-inch size limit and a two-flounder limit all year long in the bay and tributaries.

I’ve closely analyzed regulations along the entire Northeast coast, and daresay that Maryland anglers have had the most sensible regulations.

Their catch is limited to two flounder in the bay and tributaries. But at least that gives anglers a chance to catch a couple of fish for the table throughout the year.

Of extreme importance, especially for youngsters and retirees, there was a legitimate chance to catch a keeper, whereas under the harsh restrictions in other states, this group of anglers is essentially forgotten.

OCEAN CITY INLET
Heading out of Ocean City Inlet to the northeast, you’ll encounter a series of lumps or ridges, including the Isle of Wight and Fenwick shoals, along with numerous shoals between the inlet and these offshore spots.

To the southeast are Little Gull and Great Gull banks. As you move farther offshore, a series of lumps and ridges extend up from the bottom. On these offshore shoals, bigger summer flounder tend to congregate.

Scattered throughout the entire area are numerous wrecks and reefs, still another congregating point for keeper-size flounder.

The smaller fluke invade the ocean shallows and the two bays, where they dine on small forage such as minnows, spearing, glass minnows, grass shrimp and other minute marine organisms.

Bigger flounder will move to the lumps, ridges, reefs and sand bottom adjacent to the wrecks because that’s where their big forage is available.

It’s not unusual for big flounder to feed on juvenile cunner, tautog, scup, spot, sea bass, squid and crabs, which are available in huge quantities on this type of bottom.