ISLE OF WIGHT SHOAL
A small but productive spot sitting by itself to the northeast of Ocean City Inlet is the Isle of Wight Shoal.

This structure has much the same characteristics as the shoals mentioned earlier and is marked by what is popularly called the IWS buoy, a red and black can.

Those shoals marked with buoys are easy to fish, since you have a marker from which to plot your drifts.

One of the keys to success with big summer flounder is covering as much choice bottom as possible during your day on the water.

During fluke season, my wife June and I fish several times per week. When we head to the offshore shoals, banks and lumps, we almost always know the days we’ll be successful.

If it’s a beautiful hot summer day with no wind, we’re often doomed to failure, even if we opt to power-drift. But along the mid-Atlantic coast, a characteristic of hot and sunny summer mornings is that by noon, a brisk wind comes up from the southeast.

Early in the season, this wind has a tendency to tumble water temperatures a few degrees and turn the fluke off from feeding. As you get later into the season and the water temperatures stabilize in the low 70s, the development of the afternoon southeaster -- even the early stages of a northeaster is good -- gives you a drift that’s often extremely fast.

This means that in order to keep your lure on the bottom, you’ll sometimes have to move up to 6- or 8-ounce jigs while keeping your line nearly perpendicular -- especially if you’re on the 60-foot lumps. With a strong wind, you’ll cover more bottom. And summer flounder are much more aggressive, walloping your jigs or strip baits with a vengeance!

I’d like to offer a last reminder. When a big flounder wallops your jig, it’s understandable for you to instinctively react to lift back and set the hook. But please, that’s all you should do! I’ve seen so many big fluke lost by anglers who feel the weight of a heavy fish. They actually see line slipping from their drag and repeatedly strike the fish.

But believe me, once the fluke grabs the jig or strip bait, it’s hooked. You need only maintain pressure on it as you work it to within range of the net. As you draw that doormat to the surface, reel it to within just a couple of feet of the surface, so it can’t thrash around and rip free. Just 2 feet down offers a perfect target for whoever’s handling the landing net.

Even by following to the letter what I’ve covered here, inevitably you’ll catch many undersize fluke that must be returned to the water. Handle them with care, and avoid having them flop around on deck.

With the bait and jig hook sizes recommended, you shouldn’t have any deep-hooked fish, and can release them relatively easily.

Remember, it’s important that those throwbacks survive -- they’ll be next season’s keepers!