Article by Capt. BJ Pietryak
Last week the reports were grim with cold water and fish hard to come by. This week after a nice warm up our reports are much different. Starting with flounder, reports are in from the bay behind Ocean City showing a big increase in the catch. The area behind Assateague Island still boasts the most fish being caught. Anglers are targeting the deeper holes near the airport and getting some nice size fish for this time of year. Double high-low type rigs like the Aqua Clear ones are the big producers. Gulp is still the preferred bait while traditional anglers opt for the squid and minnow duo.
When looking to catch a flounder in our back bays, look for rips in the water or upswells indicating a change in bottom structure. A moving current is also a must. The area right along the inlet is another great spot to target flounder. Some small rockfish and bluefish are also being reported by fishermen in these areas. The near shore reports are that the wrecks are full of tog. Captain Kane Bounds from Fish Bound Charters reports several limits of flounder from the nearshore wreck this week. Many of these fish were quite big, up to 12 lbs.
Fish Bound Charters also reported several jumbo sea bass being caught along with the tog. This is a great sign as sea bass season opens next Saturday, May 15th. The regulations for this year are the same as last year with a creel limit of 15 fish at 12.5”. Clam, squid, sand fleas and jigs are all great baits when targeting these fish. Jigs and clams are the best producers this time of year. If you are going to use clams, salting them will make them stay on the hook much better. Clams that are salted and allowed to brine overnight will also no longer need to be refrigerated. Most headboats are still operating at a reduced level due to state restrictions of social distancing. Book early due to a limited number of anglers.
The best fish reports this week are from anglers targeting the black drum. Black drum along Assateague surf beaches is on fire. Several reports of fish in the 60-80 lb. range have been caught. The closer to the Virginia line the better the success. Assateague beach drive-on permits can be purchased from the Federal Park office. Surf clams, sand fleas and crabs are amongst the best baits. Buck’s Tackle shop on Rt. 611 has a good selection of all these baits and is right on the way to the park. When looking for a good spot to fish, look for changes in the beach which will tell you where the holes and eddies are under the water. Baited circle hooks set out on a fish finder rig with a sliding sinker works best. Many angler will fish a few rods at different distances off the beach to figure out where the fish are staging. Many times the fish are just past the breakers so there is no need to try to cast to another country.
While fishing for Black Drum several anglers also reported big striped bass being caught. Many of these fish were caught on sand fleas. Tim Tribbits was fishing in Oyster, Virginia this past week and caught a big black drum for dinner. The fishing at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay has really turned on. This is a great indicator that the fish will be following the warmer water north into our areas.
The rockfish have a size limit in Maryland of 28”-35”. Most of the reports I have received are that the fish are way over-slot and had to be released. A few bluefish are also being caught in the surf.
Bluefish on the near shore wrecks are much bigger with many slammer fish targeting the fish anglers have on their hooks. Bluefish are a darker, heavier tasting fish and not liked by many anglers. Smoking or making fish cakes out of bluefish is a great way to try them if you are not wild about a strong fish taste.
A few small dogfish sharks have been reported but overall, there is not a lot of shark activity. This will change quickly as the water warms up. Ocean City Bay fishing is really starting to heat up. Areas near the RT 50 bridge and along the 2nd street bulkhead are reporting several small rockfish being caught as well as smaller bluefish. As usual Craig Cropper continues to catch both rockfish and bluefish in this area as well as the main channel of the inlet.
Clamming is still slow in the bay. A report from a commercial fisherman is that although crabbing had gotten better it is still below last year's catches. Hopefully as the water warms the catch will increase and lower the price of crabs. Remember sea bass opens next Saturday and as always...
Tight Lines and Fins Up!
