The Duke O' Fluke is a floating store that offers products and experiences from the natural world.
Like most stores, there is a core product - it's namesake flounder - and a diverse selection of other offerings: Birds, marine ecology, sightseeing, partying on the water and other brands of fish.
Captain and owner Brook Koeneke, 75, of North Wildwood, bought the 45-foot pontoon boat in 1995, a decade after it had begun its fishing business out of Margate.
Two years later he moved the Duke O' Fluke to the municipal pier in Somers Point, where the centerpiece of its offerings remains two four-hour flounder fishing trips every day during the season.
The 14-foot wide and flat boat can accommodate 46 paying passengers and a crew of two, and its stability is as appealing as its easy access to summer's favorite fish.
"We can claim very little seasickness due in large part to the fact we only operate in the back bay," Koeneke said. "Anyone prone to motion sickness most likely will have a pleasant experience on a four-hour trip aboard the Duke."
Like any good businessman, Koeneke keeps his prices competitive with the other activities available to vacationing and local families. Adults pay $24, children $15, seniors $17, and rod rentals are $3.
"Families with a couple of kids are spending far less than they would on three hours on the Ocean City Boardwalk," he said.
Onto that flatfish foundation Koeneke has built a few other revenue streams that have made the Duke a success.
One is nature tourism, specifically trips to view some of the area's signature birds in habitats reachable only by boat.
Read more at http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/business/duke-o-fluke-in-somers-point-carries-passengers-for-fishing/article_3656a738-b4c0-11e0-92ef-001cc4c002e0.html