Article by Capt. BJ Pietryak
Cooler weather means colder water inshore. Due to the cool down the fishing was slower than previous weeks. Anglers who put in the effort and time did manage to catch some nice fish though. New regulations as to FIN (fisherman identification numbers) and new federal size restrictions for rockfish (31 inches maximum) are coming to our waters. I discussed these in the Delaware Report this week so be sure to check them out.
Tog & Bluefish
Tog fishing remains pretty good with many anglers catching a few to bring home for dinner. This year I am seeing even more anglers releasing the big 10 plus pound fish so they can breed. It is great to see our anglers taking an interest in the future of our waters and the protection of its resources. “Just a Toy Sport Fishing” returned to the docks with some happy anglers. Limits of the elusive blackfish were had by all. That's some good eating for dinners to come. Kelly Keliz fished with Kane Bounds on the charter “Fish Bounds” and despite big storms, wind and hail they did manage a great catch of a massive tog. Kelly reports the fish was released and swam away strong. Great catch and even better release. Dennis Muhlienforth fished later in the week with Kevin and Kane and hooked some really nice tog on nearby wrecks. Hunter Tipon fished away from the fleet at the Rt. 90 Bridge and came home with two fish for dinner. The tog bite has been mainly on green crab as well as sand fleas. Just a reminder to anglers, tog are notorious bait stealers and careful attention must be paid when fishing for these fish. Most of the time if you delay setting the hook at the first sign of a bite the fish will be gone, and so will your bait. Tautog season closes May 16th. I have received a few reports of small and medium bluefish both in the surf as well as on the near shore wrecks. Cut bait as well as squid and clam are the best baits.
Black Drum & Rockfish
The start of the black drum season has been good. The beaches are producing fish all along the Maryland coast. Sand fleas have been the best bait with clam and crab as a close second. Assateague Island has been a big producer for drum. Eric Field was on the beach and got a nice medium size drum last Thursday. The incoming tide just past a slack low was the correct time to be on the beach. David Moore had a productive day fishing the south end of Assateague Island. He caught a 42” striper as well as 2 black drum. David was out earlier in the week with Morgan Mericle and Russell Lederman and pulled in a striped bass just over slot. David really seems to have the surf dialed in, great job. Both the rockfish, as well as the black drum run is in full swing on the island and now is the time to target these fish. A fish finder rig incorporating a sliding sinker followed by a leader of 5-10 feet of fluorocarbon and ending in a 6/0-8/0 circle hook is the normal set up for these fish. Bait consists of fresh clams if they can be found, cut blue crabs or peeler crabs, and sand fleas. This year anglers have been putting a piece of Fishbites on the hook along with the sand fleas and have been doing surprisingly well for both species. Fishbites now offer flea, shrimp, clam, and other flavors in their product. Most tackle stores in the area have started stocking up on these due to the demand. Amazon is a good alternative if local shops are sold out. But please support our local shops first and when doing so you can usually pick up a few tips on where and when to target the fish. Scott Phillips also got in on the striper runs at Assateague and drug a 40” fish onto the beach. Quick pictures were taken, and the fish was released to be caught another day. Gary Harmison snuck out after work one evening and hauled in a huge striper from the surf. Clams and crabs are doing the trick for most anglers on the surf. Gary, like others, returned later in the week, and again, had a great morning catching another big fish. It really seems like these fish are moving through the area right along the shoreline, so now is the time to get out and catch a once in a lifetime fish. As always, Shaun and Morgan were out with Big Bird Cropper and caught several blues and a nice 31” rock near the Rt. 50 Bridge. Do you Roy Rig? I heard of a few other anglers who fished the two bridges in Ocean City who caught decent size blues and small rock on cut bait and paddle tails. These fish stage just inside of the eddy behind the pilings waiting for bait to be swept by. The bluefish will be in the middle to upper water column with the rockfish closer to the bottom. So adjust the depth of your bait accordingly with the fish you want to target. Cut bait on a circle hook, fished off the bridge is a good bait to use, however many anglers opt for a swim bait for a livelier action. Roy Rigs, Deadly Duo, Salt Strong or just about any heavy swim bait will work. If a live spot is available this will be the best bait to use. Many times, while fishing the bridge in the evening, I can outfish even experienced anglers. Spot when bought at a tackle shop are expensive but definitely worth the cost. Using a sabiki rig on a light line with small pieces of shrimp on any dock will usually get you a few to save money. A portable aerator will keep the bait alive for a few hours as you fish. If you plan on fishing the bridge invest in a drop net or bridge net to bring your catch up from the water. I have seen many anglers lose big fish trying to crank them up to the bridge. Flounder have slowed down this week as have the crab count in traps due to the cold weather. Hopefully next week will bring warmer water and better catches.
Until next week...
Tight lines and fins up §
