Article by Capt. BJ Pietryak
In Maryland we saw some of the best bay fishing we have seen in years. Big schools of flounder were seen though the Ocean City Bay along with even larger populations showing up near the inlet. Sea bass was off to a decent start with many boats catching limits for most of their anglers. The fish near shore are still in the deeper cooler water and are a little finicky as to when and what they will bite. They can be coaxed into biting if the anglers are consistent and put the time in. Surf fishing is beginning to slow with more sharks and rays showing up on Assateague Island however black drum and rockfish can still be caught early in the morning or late in the afternoon.
Back Bays and Inlets
The big story this week has been the incredible flounder bite at the Ocean City Inlet. At times 30-40 boats were fishing the inlet with almost all anglers returning to the docks with full coolers. A 4 man limit was often taking less than 2 hrs to catch with fish coming in on every drop to the bottom. Many anglers reported they were catching 2 fish at a time on high low rigs such as the Deadly Double or AquaClear rigs. Small Gulp twisty tails and shiner mix were the hottest baits, although at times many angler felt candy Skittles attached to the hook would work. Many anglers had to wade through large numbers of shorts to get their quotas but the non stop action was a prize in itself. Further back in the bays the flounder bite was well above normal allowing anglers to land nice size fish for the dinner table. The main Thorofare and back bays of Assateague Island were the hot spots aside from the inlet. A moving tide seemed to be the only prerequisite to finding fish and not the flow of the tides. Bluefish and rockfish are still being caught at the Rt. 50 Bridge using swim baits as well as cut bunker. A higher tide is producing the best at the bridge. The Rt. 90 Bridge has slowed substantially with mainly small blues being caught. The Oceanic Fishing Pier is now open 24 hrs. every day. Walter Moore got in on the big influx of flounder at the inlet landing several doormat fluke on High-Lo rigs. Our own Scott Lenox, of Hooked On OC, found the fishing so good he even produced a show which let you see the fast action of the inlet and multiple anglers filling their coolers with the flat fish. At times during the week, up to 40 boats could be seen on the south side of the inlet catching four man limits in a few hours. Big Bird Cropper took time away from fishing the Rt. 50 Bridge to land a cooler full of fluke during this big onslaught of arriving fish. Corey Wendling stumbled on a big bluefish blitz at the Rt. 50 Bridge Tuesday eve when he hooked blues on every cast. Kevin McNielis with Freedom Baits managed a few nice fluke before the wind blew them back to the docks.
Nearshore Wrecks and Reefs
Sea bass fishing is under way and anglers are catching a good number of these black beauties on many of the nearshore wrecks. The deeper water near the Jack’s Spot, Great Eastern Reef, and the NJ/DE Reef have been producing the most consistent catches. Small flat fall jigs have been the best lures for catching bass with fresh clam a close second. In the past few years we have seen a big increase in boats at our normal spots and the fish have become much more wary of a hook and line. In this regard many experienced anglers have changed their tactic and are using light spinning rods spooled with ten lbs. line and a small 2-4 oz. vertical jig to catch the elusive fish. These jigs can be purchased online, however many local tackle stores are offering locally made jigs from our regional fisherman who know these waters. Orange and yellow jigs appear to be working the best, but a variety would help you hone in on that day’s preference. The “Ocean Princess “ had some challenging conditions on many of their seven hour trips this past week, but did manage to pull in some quality fish including a few big flounder. Karen Bailey had the biggest flattie measuring 22”. “Bad Wind Charters” had a good week getting in on the start of the sea bass season landing coolers full of the tasty fish for their clients. The group used their clacker hi-lo rigs to catch the fish. I use these rigs quite often and have found them to be very effective for both bass and flounder. “Double Trouble Charters” had early limits of bass and Captain Churchhill states he still has a few days open for upcoming weeks. Monty Hawkins of the “Morning Star” stated that the seas finally calmed down as the week drew on and fishing for bass became more consistent. Some limits are being found and better quality fish appear to be arriving. “Fish Bound Charters” hasn’t seen any fluke yet this year but has been keeping customers occupied with a bounty of sea bass. Captain Kane and crew are usually one of the first groups to really locate the fluke. Hopefully that will be within the next few weeks.
Surf Fishing
Surf fishing has slowed but is still fairly consistent for black drum. The beach has had a big uptick of sharks and rays in the surf as the summer and warmer weather approach. Early morning and late afternoon trips will provide the best opportunities for success. Thomas Woods stated that the offshore nor’easter made surf fishing on Assateague Island tough when even 10 oz. weights had trouble holding bottom. He did manage a nice keeper flounder but nothing else. Alex Artese and Dante Williams had a good morning finding several blues for the smoker using mullet rigs. Stefanie Gasbeck had a great day fishing the island and landed several fish including a few large size sharks. All the fish were safely released and she stated the fights were some of the best she has had in years.
Clams and Crabs
Clams at the back side of the island are very close to the sandy surface with minimal raking needed. As the holiday weekend is upon us many tourist anglers will begin searching for these tasty little ones and force anglers to search out less picked over spots. Crabbing remains slow with 3-5 keepers per pot. Like our northern state most pots are full of crabs but many are either pregnant females or undersized. Small traps have actually been producing better than traditional commercial pots. Fresh razor clams or bunker are your best baits.
Until next week
Tight Lines and Fins Up!
