HEN & CHICKEN SHOALS
The Hen and Chicken shoals, just southeast of Cape Henlopen, come to within 30 feet of the surface.

Surrounding these shoals are depths that plummet to 60 feet or more. On an ebbing tide, the flow of water from Delaware Bay sweeps across the shoal seaward to the black whistle buoy marking its seaward extremity.

Many types of baitfish congregate on the shoal, in turn attracting the bigger members of the summer flounder clan.

The nice part about fishing this shoal is that soft bottom prevails, although it gets a little bumpy when wind and tide collide. I’ve often felt the rough water enhanced the action of the lures. With the boat rising and falling in the swells, the jigs and strip baits are always moving like harried baitfish. There are times you’ll have to move up to 4- or 5-ounce jigs to keep the current from lifting your bait off the bottom.

FENWICK SHOAL
Fenwick Shoal extends up from the bottom, with surrounding depths of 60 feet. It’s but one of several shoals located midway between Indian River and Ocean City inlets. These groupings of more than a dozen shoals all attract forage, and thus, the bigger members of the flatfish clan.

To reach these spots, you’ve got to make a longer run than those anglers who are content to drift the sandy beaches near shore. But the rewards of keepers will be worth the ride.

The area from Cape Henlopen to Ocean City also has a nominal number of small wrecks and artificial reefs that warrant your attention. Remember that flatfish don’t frequent the waters above the rough bottom or wrecks, the way sea bass and porgies do. They will feed on the sandy bottom around the perimeter.

LITTLE & GREAT GULL BANKS
Run on an east-southeast course from Ocean City Inlet and first you’ll reach Little Gull Bank, followed a short distance later by Great Gull Bank. As with the shoals to the north, these rise to within 30 feet of the surface, with surrounding water depths of 60 feet and more. A red and black can marks little Gull, while Great Gull has a red whistle buoy.

Time your drifts to start in the deeper water, and then up onto the shoal and off of it. Often the flounder will station themselves along the edges where there’s an upwelling of current, along with crabs, small forage species and squid.

OFFSHORE LUMPS
During August -- and until the summer flounder retreat to their winter quarters offshore -- many big flatfish will take up residence on the lumps that rise within 60 feet of the surface, with surrounding water at depths of 90 feet and more. There are literally dozens of these lumps located east of Ocean City Inlet. Some are large and easy to locate, but many are just small mountains extending up from the depths, but warrant the time to drift across them. These lumps have sizeable populations of cunner, sea bass and porgies, plus schools of small herring -- all of which are targeted by summer flounder.

Here, too, time your drifts and watch your fish finder to determine where the edges of the lumps are located. Allow the current or wind carry you across the productive water.

I always make it a point to vary my drifts. All too often, I’ve fished with anglers who start their drifts too far from the lump and continue too far past it as well -- which is a waste of time.