Article by Capt. BJ Pietryak
The past week has shown us a ton of wind. The back bays are muddy and discolored. The beaches are wind driven making it hard to cast and even harder for fish to find the bait.
Sea bass:
Despite the strong winds and rough seas this past week, anglers that could make it out to the fishing grounds did find sea bass. The summer is coming and that means a lot of smaller sea bass are on the wrecks. Site 11 continues to be the hot spot. Catching keepers requires a lot more culling though smaller fish but if you’re willing to put the time in nice keepers can still be had. Inshore wrecks are also giving you some nice fish, however the wrecks are covered in smaller size fish making the catch ratio about 7 throwbacks to each keeper. Fresh squid and clam still seem to be working the best.Maryland regulations are 12.5 inches with a 15 fish creel limit.
Bluefish:
Bluefish are really starting to show up both in the surf as well as back bays of Ocean City. Craig (Big Bird) Cropper states that the Route 50 bridge is producing many nice blues with many in the slammer category. Blues at the bridge are being caught on cut bait, squid, and soft plastics. Several boat anglers are also catching blues near the inlet on popping lures and diving plugs.
As a note this year, limits on bluefish have changed. Maryland regulations are a minimum size of 8 inches with a creel limit of 3 per person.
Black Drum/Red Drum:
Several nice drum have been caught in the lower part of Assateague Island this week, though the wind has kept many anglers off the beach. Early morning times at high tide with fresh clams seems to be the best way to catch these fish. Several fish over 30 lbs have been reported.
Cobia:
In Ocean City, the Little Gull area is known for holding a plethora of cobia all summer long. I have received a few reports of cobia being caught at Little Gull, although the wind has kept many anglers at the dock that would normally be targeting these fish. This coming week of warm weather should show an increase in cobia in our area. Virginia continues to have large cobia being caught on a daily basis, so this means we can’t be far behind.
Shark:
Inshore wrecks and surf fishing areas have seen several spiny and smooth dogfish sharks being caught off the beaches, as well as back bays of Ocean City this week. The biggest change is that several large bullnose rays have moved into the area. Craig Cropper says that fishing the Route 50 bridge for blues has been hard due to the large influx of these rays. Several photos can be seen on social media of these schools all along the Route 50 bridge area. Near shore sharking continues to get better however, the wind again kept many anglers at the dock who would have normally targeted these fish. A federal HMS permit is required for shark fishing along with a shark endorsement. Check the federal regulations as each species has unique regulations.
Flounder:
Ocean City Inlet and Assawoman Bay had shown a large increase in fish being caught just two weeks ago. This week however, the wind picked up and the water became very dirty and muddy. Due to this, the flounder bite has really slacked up. Flounder are still being caught along most of the normal hot spots however the large rays, bluefish, and sharks are dominating the catch in Ocean City. The wind is due to slow down next week and the temperatures are supposed to rise . These changes should bring back the flounder bite we saw just two weeks ago.
Sea Trout:
Several nice sea trout have been seen this week . Most sea trout are being taken on small swimbaits and diving style plugs. The Route 50 bridge and the area by Hoopers is seeing the most action. However, I am getting reports that fish are beginning to show up above the Route 90 bridge. If this continues it could be a very productive year for sea trout. Many older anglers (like me) remember the nights in front of Shanty Town when your arm hurt so bad from all the trout that were caught. This year the night fishing for trout seems to be the best time when targeting these fish.
Crabs and Clam:
Indian River has been the hot spot for both crabs as well as clams up to this point. This week that began to change. Ocean City bays are seeing nice crabs being caught off piers as well as in back bay areas. Larger males are also being caught. Just a reminder, these crabs are molting in shorter periods this time of year so finding crabs that are not heavy (full of meat) is common as crabs lose most of their meat when they molt and grow bigger.
Some nice clams have been seen all along the sandy areas of the bay. This is a great activity for kids as a simple metal rake in knee deep water is all that’s needed. Assateague federal and state parks have many areas available for clamming including posted boards explaining the art of clamming. A fun time for the entire family, minimal expense, and no real expertise is needed. You simply rake the sandy bottom until you feel the rake scrape against a shell reach down and pick it up. Easy peasy!!!
As a note: The bay area of Ocean City with the wind has also seen a big influx of grass and sediment. Checking your bait or lures frequently is required as most fish will not bite on lures covered in grass or sediment.
As things start to heat up for our fishing season, get out and catch some now!
Tight lines and fins up!
BJ Pietryak
Samantha Pietryak
