Article by Capt. BJ Pietryak
This week in Maryland saw a rise in water temperature as well as catches of more summer species. As the water approaches 70 degrees the spring fish begin to move out and the warm water fish move in.
SEA BASS & TOG
Tog season is open again. Maryland tog season opened July 1st with a size limit of 16” and a creel limit of 2 per person. As the water warms you can seek these fish in deeper wrecks where the water is colder at the bottom. Deeper wrecks like those of the Jackspot or NJ/DE reef are your best chances for these fish. Crab and sand fleas are the most common baits. Just a reminder, if you get green crabs from the tackle shop do not discard them in the water if you have any left over as they are an invasive species not common to our waters.
Sea bass is really slowing due to warmer water. Jackspot and deeper wrecks are holding the most keepers. Near shore sites like the Bassgrounds have tons of small fish but keepers are hard to find.
BLUEFISH, SHARKS & RAYS
As the water heats up more larger sharks are being caught close to shore. Many bluefish and rays are still being caught at the Rt. 50 bridge. The Rt. 90 Bridge area is holding bluefish as well with several nice sea trout. Casting small spoons for these fish seems to be the ticket. Craig Cropper had a great week catching lots of trout and blues throughout the back bays of Ocean City.
COBIA
Many anglers chumming for cobia at the Little Gull shoals are finding more larger sharks than anything else. Several reports are coming in of cobia being taken in the bay area. As the water warms to 70 degrees, many more cobia will move into these waters near the shore areas. Fenwick shoal is a great spot to target the “Man in the Brown Suit”. Live eels and cut bait work well. Baits such as bucktails and artificial lures also work well when the fish is spotted. Cast your lure in front of the fish and retrieve it quickly. Cobia are a great fish but make a blistering first run and will quite often bite through the line on these runs. Using a small wire leader or a thicker mono/fluorocarbon leader will help prevent this.
SHEEPSHEAD
This time of year also brings the return of sheepshead. These fish are mostly targeted just outside of the Ocean City Inlet, but can also be found in the surf. Peeler crabs, shrimp, clams, and fiddler crabs are amongst the best baits. Notorious bait stealers, these fish are not easy to catch. Bridges, docks, and jetties are the best place to target these fish.
FLOUNDER
The back bays of Ocean City are really starting to come alive. The flounder bite is getting red hot! Many anglers are using squid tipped with minnows. Gulp and other artificial baits are also catching their share of flounder.
Key areas are behind the airport as well as the area by the Verrazano Bridge. The main channels near the Rt. 50 bridge are producing some of the best keepers. The area on the outside of the south side of the main inlet is also holding fish. Fish this area close to the rock wall.
CLAMS & CRABS
The north end of the bays are still producing the best catches of crabs. Carl from Bob's Marine said he is averaging about 12 keepers per pot on a 3 day soak.
Clamming around Assateague Island is still the best spot with the sand bar in front of Hoopers being a close second. Many of the clams are big and make a great clam chowder.
SURF FISHING
Surf fishing is getting into our summer months and fish are getting scarce. With many tourists as well as locals heading onto the beach as well as playing in the water, fishing will become more difficult. Times to target the surf are after 6pm when most have gone home to dinner or even after dark as temperatures cool down. Small sharks and blues can still be found in the surf as well as an occasional cobia. The best baits for blues this time of year is finger mullet on a mullet rig cast just past the breakers. Often at night these fish will swim very close to shore causing many anglers to over cast their prey. Weakfish and sea trout can also be found in the surf this time of year. Small hooks baited with bloodworms or squid can be an effective tool in catching these fish.
So get out and catch some fish today.
Tight lines and fins up!
Captain B.J.Pietryak
