Page 90 - Fish in OC Magazine 2026

BEYOND THE BAY

Fishing Ocean Structure For BIG Summer Flounder

Targeting late-season flounder on wrecks and reefs — rigs, bait, and the

migration pattern from the Inlet to ocean structure.

When the back bays cool and boat traffic diminish- Reading the Wrecks
es, a different kind of flounder fishing takes over Locating productive structure is half the game.

Ocean City. The crowds may be gone, but those Ocean City’s reef program, managed by the Ocean
willing to head offshore and fish the wrecks and City Reef Foundation, provides an excellent network
reefs will find some of the biggest flatfish of the of habitats that hold flounder through the fall. Sites

year as their reward. like the African Queen, Russell’s Reef, and the Great
Eastern Reef can consistently produce quality fish.
The Offshore Shift Flounder don’t cling tight to wrecks like tautog

Each fall, as water temperatures drop into the mid- do — they prefer the sand edges, rubble fields, and
60s and baitfish begin to thin out, summer flounder drop-offs just off the structure. “Think of them as
start their annual migration out of the back bays ambush predators waiting on the outskirts,” says

and channels of Ocean City and other Mid-Atlantic Captain Monty Hawkins of Morning Star. “You don’t
coastal towns. Their destination: the network of need to be right on top of the steel. You want to be

nearshore wrecks and artificial reefs that dot the working that sand-to-structure transition.”
8 to 20 mile range off the coast. A good drift crosses both the wreck and the sur-
Once bay temperatures fall into the mid-50s, most rounding sand, letting your baits pass through

summer flounder have begun the long offshore mi- multiple strike zones. Wind and current direction
gration to the winter spawning grounds. There can matter; seasoned captains often make short, con-
still be a few fish caught in deeper channels in the trolled drifts to stay in the sweet spot.

back bays, but more and larger fish can be found
on ocean structures. The Perfect Presentation
This offshore migration gives anglers a narrow but Offshore flounder fishing rewards anglers who

productive window to target wreck and reef floun- balance toughness with finesse. Depths of 60 to
der, typically from late September through early 100 feet call for heavier tackle than in the bay but

December, depending on the year. The payoff can not so heavy that it kills the bite. A medium-action
be huge: fish over five pounds are common, and conventional setup spooled with 20 to 30-pound
double-digit doormats appear almost every season. braid and a 30 to 40-pound fluorocarbon leader is a