Article by Capt. Doug Maguire
One of the things that I love the most about living and fishing around Ocean City, Maryland is that we are truly blessed with abundant opportunities to target striped bass. Whether you are a bridge fisherman, a beach fisherman, a rock hopper or a boat fisherman, you won’t have to look very hard to find your favorite type of striper fishing here in Ocean City. In this article, I’d like to break down our local striper fishing scene into four parts—the Inlet, the bridge, the beach, and boat fishing—and then spend some time discussing each venue in detail. Let’s start with the Inlet.
The Ocean City Inlet is located at the far southern end of Ocean City. It was originally formed during a hurricane in 1933 when a huge tidal surge from the storm broke through the beach that once connected Ocean City to Assateague Island. Today the Inlet is comprised of three rock structures (the North Jetty/sea wall and the South Jetty) that keep the Inlet open allowing water to flow between the Atlantic Ocean and Sinepuxent Bay. While there are two sides to the Ocean City Inlet, it is best for us to keep our focus on the north side, as it provides the easiest access for shore-based anglers since the South Jetty was closed to anglers over a year ago. Likewise, the north side has long been known as one of the most productive striper spots in town.
If you’ve never been to the Inlet or fished the north side, one quick look at a map or Google Earth will show you the area I am talking about—which includes both the North Jetty (the rock structure that extends into the ocean) and the inlet seawall which extends from the base of the jetty inward to a point behind the Oceanic Motel. As the tide flows in and out through the inlet, some strong current seams and eddies form at different locations along the seawall and jetty. This entire area becomes a haven for all species of fish and aquatic life, as they find safety in the massive amount of rock structure and excellent ambush sites to hunt for prey.
Although our main subject in this article is fishing for striped bass, I should mention that practically all fish species which travel along our coastline can be caught at this location from time to time. For striper fishermen in particular, inlet fishing is a science that cannot be mastered by reading just a couple paragraphs in this article—it really has to be learned over time. Still, I will try to share with you some of what I have learned over the years.
All seasons are a little bit different when it comes to fishing the inlet, yet they all can be productive. Our best striper fishing (numbers-wise) generally occurs during spring and fall, but fish can be caught all year round. In fact, some of the season’s largest fish are often taken during midnight tides in the middle of the summer.
As far as baits and lures go, you will often see inlet anglers making full use of their striper fishing arsenal. However, I have found there are a few simple lures that will produce most of the time if fish are present. First are jigs. Included in this group are traditional bucktail jigs, as well as the soft-plastic, shad style swimbaits. Fish these lures deep in the current seams, bounce them on the bottom, and retrieve them close to the rocks. The swimshads in particular have produced more inlet stripers for me in recent years than any other lure. Next would be swimming plugs, like Bombers and Redfins. Fish these plugs in the current rips that extend off of each end of the jetty and seawall during opposing tides. Many times bass will be sitting in these rips, waiting to ambush your swimming plug as it passes by. Last are eels. You can fish them live or rig them dead. Successful anglers use eels both ways; however, I would say the majority of anglers tend to fish live eels in the inlet. A bucket of eels and a slow-moving tide in the middle of the night is a combination that has produced some of Ocean City’s largest stripers over the years.
The last piece of advice I can give you about the inlet is to fish at night. There is something special about the cover of darkness that makes striped bass more vulnerable—especially to shore anglers. Early spring and late fall can sometimes be the exception to this rule, but for the most part our local striper bite is much better after dark than in the daylight hours.
Moving on from the Inlet, it is now time to talk about a place that is near and dear to my heart—the Route 50 Bridge. If you have spent much time fishing around Ocean City, you have most likely heard of, or even fished the Rt. 50 Bridge. It is a large and daunting object as it spans the entire width of the bay between West Ocean City and Ocean City itself; but this conglomeration of steel, concrete and asphalt is a fish magnet that provides a massive amount of structure and current breaks for fish and fisherman alike.
Like the north side of the Ocean City Inlet, the Rt. 50 Bridge is easy to get to for shore-bound fishermen. Anglers generally access the bridge by parking on either end of it, and then fish from the walking paths that line each side of the bridge. When a big fish is hooked (and I did say “when” not “if”), a large, hoop-style drop net is often used to land and release the large fish.
Just like the inlet, almost all of the fish species that travel through our waters each year can be caught from the Rt. 50 Bridge. Still, those anglers looking for striped bass, bluefish, and/or flounder tend to fish the bridge most often.
Bridge fishing is also an art form that could take a good angler a lifetime to master. Conditions are constantly changing throughout the year. Some nights the fish are there, and some nights they are not. Other nights it seems like the fish have vanished, but in reality they have just moved from the spot you found them last. I often tell anglers visiting my shop that bridge fishing (and fishing in general) is just a challenge to figure out puzzles. I can tell you honestly that I know of no other place inshore that presents a puzzle with as many pieces as the Rt. 50 Bridge. Still, when you have spent a fair amount of time fishing the bridge—when you begin to identify the different variables and become successful at piecing the puzzle together—bridge fishing can become extremely rewarding.
As far as seasons go, and times to fish… the cooler months of the year (spring and fall) are usually best for striped bass fishing from the bridge, however, there are some resident fish that seem to stick around for anglers all season long. In other words, if you have the time, go fishing. Also, bridge stripers tend to bite the best after dark—just like the inlet.
There are a variety of lures and baits that will work from the bridge, but most fishermen have their best luck fishing jigs. Bucktail jigs used to be real hot, but have faded recently to the plastic swimshads and other plastic baits (like Zoom flukes) rigged on a jig head. Live or rigged eels are another bait to consider from the bridge as well, especially in the heat of the summer.
If you are a shore-based angler who likes to get away from crowds and experience some solitude, the Inlet and Rt. 50 Bridge might not be your cup of tea. Instead, our local sand beaches provide some excellent access to quality-sized fish, as well as beautiful scenery and lots of solitude.
If you have a four-wheel drive truck or SUV you can go south from Ocean City and fish the ORV section on Assateague Island. Here (with the proper permits) there are almost thirteen miles of sand beach that are open for surf fishermen. Talk about room to spread out! Or, if you do not have a four-wheel drive vehicle, you can feel free to walk onto the beaches at Assateague or in Ocean City and fish anywhere you like. Be advised that fishing is not permitted during the lifeguarding hours on the beach in Ocean City, but this is only during the summer months. Moreover, the most productive times for surf fishing in Ocean City are generally at night or during the evening and early morning hours which are always open regardless of the season. Fall and spring are the best seasons for striped bass surf fishing along our coast. Every year there are anglers who travel from hundreds of miles away for a shot at one of the trophy stripers that migrate along our beachfront. If you look back at the last couple of Maryland state record stripers, they were landed between the first of May and the middle of the month.
In order to find the best spots in the surf, fishermen will cruise along the beach and search out likely looking areas where stripers might hold in rip currents or travel through cuts in the outer sand bar. It takes a lot of time looking at the beach and studying waves to develop a keen eye for beach structure, but once you get good at it your catch rates will increase. If you are a surfer, there is a good chance you will also do well at reading the beach for surf fishing.
The best baits to use in the surf for striped bass are season specific and always a subject of debate. Still, most guys seem to do best with cut baitfish like bunker, mullet, herring or spot; but sometimes even sand fleas or peeler crab are worth a try. In my opinion, whatever bait you choose, it is best to make sure that it is fresh–not spoiled. As a rule, these fish will not eat spoiled bait, and I have heard some very good anglers suggest that it even spooks them.
One of the best things about fishing the beach is that it is a good place to get away from other anglers. At times there is a lot of structure along our beaches—like sandbars and rip-currents—which provide great ambush spots for stripers, as well as plenty productive beach for people to spread out and fish. All types of fish can be caught from our coastline as well. Some huge stripers are taken every season, along with giant red drum, bluefish, flounder, sharks, rays and good numbers of smaller fish like croaker, kingfish, and spot. If you are a striper fisherman, definitely do not overlook fishing from our local sand beaches.
Last, but certainly not least, is fishing for striped bass from a boat in Ocean City.
Boat fishing really is the most efficient way to target stripers around Ocean City. I say this because fishing from a boat makes you more mobile as an angler. Likewise, a boat provides you with access to spots that shore fishermen simply cannot reach. That is not to say that using a boat to fish the same structures mentioned in the previous sections of this article (like the north jetty and Rt. 50 Bridge) is not productive—it certainly is. Rather, there are other areas like the near-shore shoals and the Inlet’s South Jetty that are not reachable by shore anglers, and are wonderfully productive spots for boat fishermen.
In the spring and fall, when migratory fish are passing by our shores, boat fishing can be your quickest ticket to a limit of keeper striped bass. In fact, right now as I am writing this article, there are quite a few boats catching fish by trolling diving plugs and casting jigs to the schools of feeding stripers and bluefish that are passing by just a mile or two off Ocean City. Also, just a few months ago, we had many days catching 30 to 40 plus fish while drifting live baits along the Inlet’s South Jetty. I say this all just to encourage you to not overlook boat fishing for stripers in Ocean City. If your goal is to catch striped bass, and you have access to a boat or the means to charter a trip—go for it!
Several areas have been very productive to boat fishermen looking for linesiders in the fall. Remembering that you have to stay within 3 miles of the shoreline, Little Gull Shoal, the Sliver, the lumps off 28th Street and north along the Delaware line and inside Fenwick Shoal all seem to be spots that produce year-in and year-out. Unfortunately, hot striper spots like Fenwick and Isle of Wight Shoals, the Bass Grounds and the Jackspot are all outside the 3 mile limit so anglers are not permitted to take advantage of awesome striper bites that occur every fall/winter at these locations.
When it comes to live bait, most anglers fishing from a boat will drift live eels and/or spot. Early in the fall season, spot seem to produce more consistent catches when either livelining or fishing with a sinker. Once anglers go through their supply of spot, they will switch to live eels. Most will tell you that more stripers are caught on spot but larger fish are caught on eels.
Trolling for linesiders has definitely increased in popularity over the last 5 years. Most trollers will drag Stretch 25’s and 30’s, spoons and mojo rigs (parachutes). Trolling between 2.5 and 3 knots can be tedious, but beneficial when the fish are scattered and you are trying to get a bead on their location. Remember, the best thing to do is to look for birds. When you find birds you generally find bait, and where there is bait there are usually fish!
In closing, this article was intended to provide you with some insight into the main striper fishing venues in Ocean City. So the next time you are in town and have the urge to catch a striped bass, get out there and spend some time fishing the bridge or the Inlet. Hit the beach and enjoy some peace and solitude while fishing the surf, or better yet, hop on a boat and have the best access to striped bass around town. Whichever option you choose, I wish you the best of luck chasing stripers around Ocean City next season!
Captain Skip Maguire is owner of Skip’s Bait & Tackle in Ocean City and Skip’s Charter & Guide Service docked at the Old Town Marina in Ocean City.
