Article by Capt. Mark Sampson
Last week we had four days of strong northeast wind. To people who don’t fish, the reaction to that statement might be, “So what?” But for the rest of us, we know darn well what that means - and it “ain’t” good! For the other group of “unfortunate folks” who don’t know why a strong northeast wind is bad, please let me explain: It’s the wind that makes the waves, strong wind make for big waves, and big waves makes it tough to get out on the water and fish. It’s that simple.
Most folks have very limited time to get out and fish. Maybe they’re restricted to just going on weekends, or on a specific week during their summer vacation at the beach, or perhaps it can only happen when the kids don’t need attending, the lawn doesn’t need mowing, and everything at home is in perfect working order. So when the timing is right to go fishing, but a weather system rolls in that goofs things up for numerous days in a row, it can be a huge letdown for someone who has been looking forward to it for a long time. But on days like we had last week, when the wind is blowing 20 or more knots, and the open waters become a total mess with the ocean brandishing huge breaking seas and the bay waters turning white with a driving wind chop, fishing plans can quickly be blown apart like the waves crashing on the inlet’s stone jetties.
The good news is that, except for tropical storm conditions when people just have to stay off the water “period”, if it’s just a “hard blow” there are always places where anglers go if they just can’t say “no” to fishing that day, and it’s all about finding the “leeward” side of something.
The leeward side of something is the downwind side, or the side that is sheltered from the wind. On the water, the leeward side of a land mass or large object such as a bridge, jetty, pier, or even a very large anchored vessel can provide enough protection from the wind that the water might not just be “fishable” but actually quite calm. No matter which way the wind is blowing, anglers wishing to fish the inshore waters around Ocean City always have leeward places where they can tuck in and hide from strong winds. Granted, these places may or may not be loaded with fish at that particular time, but for those who really-really want to fish, at least they can give them an option other than sitting at home and grumbling about the weather!
Those who aren’t familiar with a particular area might find that the easiest way to locate sheltered places to fish is to grab a chart of the local waters and lay a pencil on it in the direction the wind is blowing. This will help one to visualize where the calm areas are and then identify places that might also hold fish. Just as important is deciding whether or not the calm areas are accessible or not, because if anglers must cross a large expanse of rough open water in a small boat just to get there, the place might not be a viable option.
Just like last week, some of the strongest winds we get around here often come from the northeast, which will make the oceanside of the beach virtually unfishable, but still leave plenty of places in the bay to hide. On a northeast blow, the inside of the inlet will remain calm, as will the east channel from 13th street all the way down to the inlet. The Rt. 50 Bridge and the shoal to the north of it also offer some shelter from a northeast wind, so the south side of the bridge can be a decent place to fish as well as the waters in front of and just below the mouth to the commercial harbor in West Ocean City. The channel running south behind Assateague Island also offers many places of sanctuary when the wind is from the northeast. These are all places where anglers routinely catch flounder, croaker, tautog, rockfish and bluefish. A scouting drive across the Rt. 50 Bridge will reveal where the calmest downtown waters are and give anglers some idea how to gear up for success and what to expect when they get there.
A decent size boat can certainly make it more comfortable for those trying to fish in choppy waters, but those with small, shallow-draft boats will sometimes have an advantage on windy days. Not limited to traveling only in the deep, open channels, small boats can often run close to the lee side of a shoreline and avoid rough water altogether. Small boats are also easy to trailer can be launched at ramps that are closest to the fish, thereby eliminating the need to make a long run up or down a choppy bay. Even on windy days those who launch at the public ramp in the West Ocean City Harbor or down at the Assateague Bridge can sometimes idle from their trailer to good fishing in just a few minutes and never encounter so much as a single whitecap!
Often in the fall, we’ll get strong west or northwest winds which will result in the calmest part of the bay being its west side. Such winds will also allow anglers to get out in the ocean as long as they don’t go too far. I remember comfortably fishing the ocean one day when the wind was blowing from the west about 30-knots. We anchored up about a quarter-mile offshore and caught sea trout, croaker, bluefish and sharks all day. Any farther offshore would have been way too rough to fish, but tucked in close we were offered plenty protection from not only the landmass but also the buildings along the beach. That day we had to tie our hats on our heads, but we enjoyed great fishing and calm seas.
The end of the summer often brings with it a lot of breezy days. Knowing where to go as the wind works its way around the compass can be the difference between spending time on the boat - or on the sofa.
Captain Mark Sampson is an outdoor writer and captain of the charter boat “Fish Finder”.