Article by Capt. BJ Pietryak
This week in Ocean City we saw much calmer water and a coolness to the air. Fishing in the back bays remained strong as did the sea bass offshore. I do hope that everyone took a moment to remember those fallen heroes who gave their lives so we could enjoy the freedom of this great nation. Thank you to all that have served and continue to serve, but especially to those who made the ultimate sacrifice to protect our freedom.
Sea Bass & Flounder
Sea bass is beginning to slow down as more and more boats arrive in Ocean City for the summer. These anglers put more pressure on the wrecks pulling fish off every day. Good catches and even limits can still be had as long as you're willing to put in the time. Fresh clam remains your go to bait for this time of the year with jigs being a close second. Squid is working but not producing even half of the fish that fresh clam will produce. The Jack Spot and Great Eastern Reef are the hot spots of the week mainly due to the distance (30 miles), making it less crowded. As the spring progresses the deeper and less crowded spots will produce the best fish. John Foreman reports he had sea bass so thick this week at his secret wreck that he started using Teriyaki flavored jerky to catch his fish! Just goes to show you when they are hungry they will eat anything! “New Release Sportfishing” had some great sea bass trips with nice fish and limits for many of their customers. They said they have a few dates open in June and wanted everyone to know they do not charge a fuel surcharge. The “Ocean City Girl” was also on the brass this week reporting some big catches despite a few in each group feeling a bit sea sick. Capt. Monty Hawkins of the Morning Star had a good week out at the wrecks pulling in some nice sea bass as well as a real nice pollock which have not been seen in these waters as much as in years past. Monty has said with many of the new reef structures in place, sea bass has been getting better each and every year. Capt. Kane Bounds and Capt. DJ reported great sea bass trips this past week with some true trophy fish coming over the rails. They shared that at least so far, limits were had by all that wanted them. The “Angler” reported that some big fish came onto the boat this week despite a few bumpy trips, with the average pool winning fish being around 2 lbs. 13oz. Down the way the “Ocean Princess” also reported some great trips and big catches. Many of the head boats are fishing the closer reefs such as the African Queen and Bass Grounds. The various headboats reported that although fishing has gotten a bit harder than opening day, many quality fish can still be had. For those of you that don't own a boat or just want to go out into the Atlantic and fish, the head boats in Ocean City are some of the best on the east coast. Costs for the boats are very reasonable with mates that are willing to help even novice anglers. Having worked headboats all my life both as a captain and mate, I can't tell you how many first time anglers were hooked on wreck fishing after their first trip Many continued to return year after year always wearing that same smile on their face when returning to the ocean. Many of us “children of the tides” forget how lucky we are to live where we do. So introduce someone this year to fishing the Atlantic.
The “Miss Ocean City” was out this week and managed some nice flounder. The Dempsey family scored a few keeper flounder to take home for dinner. The “Tortuga” was also on the water snatching up on the flounder. Capt. Mike reports that the flounder are getting better every day as the bay water temps continue to warm up. The areas behind Assateague Island are still reporting the best catches, with the main Thorofare as close second. “Lucky Break Charters” had several trips and returned with some really big flounder. The “Happy Hooker” reports they are up and running for the summer season and have been catching some nice fish just north of the Rt. 50 Bridge in OC. Squid is still the best bait this week, however, I'm getting more reports that Gulp is beginning to really catch the bigger fish in the bay.
Rockfish, Bluefish & Drum
On Assateague Island the surf is still giving up some big black drum. The fish seem to be moving a lot more quickly this year than in past years. The changing daily temps and wind have a lot to do with this. James Augustine caught a few slammer bluefish on the beach. Stripers are still around on the beach but most are over slot size. David Moore was at it again catching his overslot rockfish on Wednesday. Morgan Mericcle had a few good trips out and caught some over slot rockfish as well. In the bay, Craig Cropper and Shaun Flaherty landed some nice bluefish as well as 33.5” rock. Capt. Skip Courtney was fishing with Pete Renzi and managed a few nice stripers as well as some big blues. No fish were kept by the two but a fun trip was had. The Rt. 50 Bridge has been the hot spot for big blues as well as a few keeper rockfish. Some smaller stripers can still be found at the Rt. 90 Bridge in the deeper hole just northeast of the bridge. Further south, the Verrazano Bridge is also holding a few rockfish but most are undersized.
Until next week...
Tight lines and fins up §
