Article by Capt. BJ Pietryak
Summer is here… warm weather and the fish are loving it. Many anglers have switched offshore where the tuna bite is on. For those who stayed inshore the flounder, spade fish, and sheepshead have made their arrival.
Flounder
Flounder really turned on this week. Big catches off the wrecks inshore have really boomed. Keith Brasure caught a nice 20” flattie in the bay along with a nice weakfish. He stated it was non stop until the wind picked up. The back bays have been pretty good but many fish are stronger on the ocean wrecks. The area above the Rt. 50 bridge is still the hot spot with minnow or squid being the top producing baits. A moving current is crucial for catching these fish. The hour before a tide change seems to be the best. I was out on Friday right at low tide and the bite dropped off to nothing as the tide went slack. On the ocean side the wrecks in the deeper water such as the Jacks Spot are producing the largest flounder. Large Gulp baits on long leaders are getting the job done. The African Queen and Bass Grounds are also showing no signs of flounder moving in. Target the down current side with bucktails tipped with squid or Gulp to have the best chance of catching these big flatties. As pressure begins to build, look for the drop offs and ledges like the one on the south side of the Fenwick Shoals . These areas are less pressured and the big fish didn't get big by following the pack.
Sea Bass
Sea bass remains good but it's about 10 throwbacks to one keeper. The deeper wrecks like the twin wrecks and the Mid Atlantic Reef areas are producing the best ratio of keepers. The Marine Electric area has also really turned on with some nice fish coming off the wrecks. Target the deeper water with flat fall jigs and large bucktails tipped with squid for your best chance at some nice keepers. The Morning Star headboat reported this week that they were still getting some limits of sea bass. William Campbell was one of the anglers who brought home a limit of sea bass. He also stated that on blow days they will post for volunteers to help build pyramids for the reef sites. These pyramids are great at attracting the sea bass as well as other reef fish to our artificial reefs. Check out the Ocean City Reef Foundation for more information. Many anglers were also rewarded with some nice sheepshead while fishing for sea bass. Veronica Cannuli got a slob on one of the near shore wrecks this week. They had intended to go deeper but as always mother nature decided differently...wind. This seemed to be the story of the week. You left the inlet and it was a mild breeze, but as the mid day came so did the wind. This made anchoring the only way to set up. While many anglers prefer to drift over the wrecks this time of year, anchoring is truly the way to go. If you are not very experienced with anchoring on a wreck try using a bridle rope to help you set your position on the wreck. YouTube has a ton of videos on how to set up a bridle. This will allow you to adjust your position by changing the length of the bridle.
Cobia, Sharks & Stripers
Starting with cobia, its still been a slow start compared to last year. I have heard of a few fish coming south of the OC Inlet, but the majority of fish are still further south. I received reports from Cape Charles that the bite just north of the bridge is on fire. Anglers report big schools of cobia which all appear to be heading north. Target the fish on the closer wrecks and humps just south of the OC Inlet. As for sharks, they are just about everywhere. Using cut bait and chumming is the best for bringing in one of these hard fighting fish. Some thresher sharks are still around, but duskys and dogfish are the main ones being caught. Remember to bring a regulation chart with you as many of these nearshore sharks are protected and cannot be kept. Small rockfish are still around with a few keepers coming off the Rt. 50 bridge mainly at night. I fished the docks with Roy Rigs and paddletail jigs behind Assateague and caught several small stripers.
Surf Report
Not much going on in the surf these days as tourists begin to descend on the beaches. Kingfish on bloodworms remains the top catch. Spot are also showing up and make a great bait for larger fish. Keep them alive on a circle hook and throw them out for a chance at a bigger flounder, bluefish or rockfish.
Clams & Crabs
Crabbing in the upper bay along the Delaware line remains strong with 8-13 crabs per pot on average. Clamming on Assateague is also in full swing with the clams just below the sandy bottom.
Until next week...
Tight lines and fins up
