Article by Capt. BJ Pietryak
Last week in Ocean City, the weather painted a challenging landscape with scorching heat, frequent storms, and morning fog. Despite these adversities, fishing in both the nearshore reefs and back bays proved to be remarkably robust, with anglers returning to the docks with top-quality fish. Leading the pack as the hotspot was the Great Eastern Reef, closely trailed by the Bass Grounds and First Hump. While spanish mackerel and fluke were the primary targets, many wrecks held an impressive array of sheepshead, triggers, and some of the largest redfish sightings in years.
The nearshore reefs have been a treasure trove of good-sized flounder, accompanied by a few keeper sea bass. The first hump near the bass grounds brimmed with spanish mackerel and small bluefish, while the wrecks provided a home to several sheepshead and triggerfish.
Among those enjoying fruitful days on the nearshore reefs were Blake Gunther and Derek Yobst, who reeled in several sizable flounder and a few sheepshead.
Onboard "Bad Wind Charters," a group of skilled Maryland and Virginia anglers experienced an unforgettable outing. Armed with clackers and jiggers, they skillfully pulled in large fluke during their trip, with Wednesday's three-man charter boasting a collection of flatties weighing up to six pounds. The anglers, wishing to remain anonymous, relished their adventure, which also yielded the catch of a unique lookdown fish—a rarity in these waters, typically found in more southern territories.
"Double Trouble Charters" lived up to its name, boasting an exceptional week of flounder fishing, consistently bringing home limits or coming close on every trip.
Amidst the inclement weather, Capt. Victor Bunting of the "Ocean Princess" reported a decent fishing experience for sea bass, flounder, and triggerfish. Remarkably, the boat continued to encounter a good number of quality sea bass, a sight rarely seen during this time of year. Moreover, several flounder measuring over 22 inches added to the excitement.
Noteworthy catches were not limited to seasoned anglers; young nine-year-old Allison Snyder and her mother Melissa, hailing from Shippensburg, PA enjoyed a delightful fishing adventure on Melissa's father's boat, the "Ocean Blue." During their outing, Melissa achieved a personal milestone, catching her first-ever limit of flounder in just over an hour, while Allison proudly contributed two keepers to the day's impressive catch. Additionally, the group caught numerous throwbacks.
Mike Day from Bel Air, MD displayed his fishing prowess at the African Queen on "Somethin's Fishy." Utilizing Gulp tipped with squid, he expertly caught a few nice flounder, the largest of which measured an impressive 22 inches.
Taking their angling endeavors to the next level, Bill Oass and nephew Tony Nicholas, both from Ocean Pines, embarked on a joint mission to boat a staggering 94-pound, 72-inch spinner shark at Great Gull Reef aboard "One More." The feat was accomplished using a strip of bonita hooked onto a 13/0 circle hook. Additionally, the crew hooked five brown sharks and a dusky shark, ensuring the safe release of all these magnificent creatures.
Further adventures ensued for Dylan, Greg, and David Lawrence, along with Todd Herman from Hanover, PA, who successfully secured their boat limit of 16 flounder. Meanwhile, Andy Dripps, Richard Hoeness, and Austin Smith from Baltimore, MD ventured to the second lump offshore and caught 16 spanish mackerel using Clark Spoons behind small planers. Although most bites were singular, they managed to achieve a couple of double headers. Not to be outdone, Garrett Elder from Monkton, MD faced sporty four-foot waves, refusing to let his broken arm dampen his spirits on his trip with Richard Holmes to the Second Lump. The pair reeled in 16 spanish mackerel, several ribbonfish, and released a dusky shark while on the troll.
Moving to the back bays, Capt. Garrett Hoffman of "Fluke U 2" guided Desi Hoffman from Deep Creek, MD to a remarkable catch. Fishing in the East Channel, Desi skillfully reeled in a remarkable 24.5-inch & 6¾ lb. flounder using live bunker as bait.
Young anglers Delaney, Kieran, and Abby McKelvey, aged 12 to 14, made their mark behind Assateague Island. Armed with a squid and minnow combination, they impressively caught keeper flounder ranging from 17 to 20 inches. However, Cindy Barnhart Gault encountered a tougher week of fishing in the same area, managing to land only one 21-inch keeper.
The "Miss Ocean City" bay headboat also made its contribution to the excitement, securing a few nice fluke throughout the week, including a doormat near the Coast Guard station. Additionally, Pete Jett, the boat's mate, ventured onto another ocean boat and skillfully caught a 24-inch flounder.
In the inlet, Jolly Smith reported a great morning of fishing from 10 a.m. until noon. Safely releasing all 12 flounder ranging from 12 to 16 inches.
Joey, Jonathan, and Michael Hager, accompanied by Ryan Neufer, opted for a pontoon boat rented from Bahia Marina. Armed with live minnows and squid, they fished the Thorofare on the incoming tide, successfully landing several nice flounder.
Transitioning to surf, clams, and crabs, Carl Littleton's report indicated a bountiful yield of about 10-12 keepers per pot on a three-day soak in the upper Assawoman Bay. The pots boasted an abundance of jumbo crabs, with very few females to contend with.
Meanwhile, clams off Assateague Island were in ample supply, nestled just below the sandy bottom, making them easily discoverable. While the grounds were becoming increasingly picked over, a wealth of big soup clams remained, though the smaller ones proved more elusive. To savor the delectable cherry stone clams, searching deeper in the sand proved more success.
As for surf fishing off Assateague Island, results were more unpredictable, with small kingfish and spot being the primary catch. Nonetheless, the late evening hours still offered a chance to reel in a few big red drum. The most successful approach involved employing cut bunker on a fish-finding rig, with the hour before high tide proving to be the most consistent for encountering larger predators. Notably, Forrest Bleinberger reported that flounder were still snapping off Assateague, with most measuring between 17 and 18 inches. His past week's catch fell victim to bucktail, tipped with a 4-inch Gulp swimming mullet and a 4-inch Gulp teaser. Furthermore, Bryson Brown from Virginia experienced fruitful surf fishing off 79th Street, capturing several nice kingfish using pompano rigs baited with sand fleas.
Despite the less-than-ideal weather, the week proved to be an exhilarating one for fishing enthusiasts, with several rare catches adding to the excitement and anticipation of future adventures.
Until next week…
Tight lines and fins up! §
