Article by Sue Foster
Anglers are used to fish sizes going up. It’s an exciting year (2011) when a fish size goes down! Maryland size limit was 19-inches last year and Delaware was 18 ½. Both Maryland and Delaware will have a size limit of 18-inches this year because both states “under caught” last year.
“What about the creel limits?”
Maryland has a three fish creel limit and Delaware has a four fish creel. If you are fishing on the water in Maryland and returning to Delaware, three fish is all you better have in your cooler as long as you are in Maryland waters!
“Where should I go fishing for flounder in my boat?”
The first part of the season always produces good catches far away from the Inlet. Drifting the main channel in front of the Route 90 Bridge is always good in the spring. The sun warms the waters up in the estuaries and on the outgoing tide. These warm shallow waters move back through the bay and stir the flounder to bite. Water in the far reaches of the bay is usually always warmer than water close to the Inlet. Look at your depthfinder and find depths that are 6 to 8 feet. Don’t bother with water that is much shallower than that. There are several little cuts and dips on either side of the channel, close to the green light that signals the main channel on the Route 90 Bridge. Drift or “slow troll” to find the biting flounder. You want to be moving about one knot.
“What side of the Rt. 90 Bridge should I fish on?”
Well, consider which way the tide is going. On the incoming tide, fish the north side of the bridge. On the outgoing, fish the south side of the bridge.
The Thorofare, the body of water on the west side of the bay opposite Captain’s Hill has been a “hot spot” this spring. The whole area from Buoy 16 to Drum Point (the northern end of Captain’s Hill) is often called the Thorofare. This is really a broad area. The “real” Thorofare is the deep water in front of the bulkheaded area close to the houses in Captain’s Hill. The large Phillip’s house can be seen through the green marshes and field just north of the Thorofare. This is where the deep water, over 20 foot, can be found. When you drift from the deep water to the shallow water, or vice versa, you will find flounder biting as you move back and forth over these underwater slopes. There’s an old boat down there too, which attracts flounder and also some “snags.”
To the north of the Thorofare are two small channels that are not as deep that anglers call “the flats.” A lot of flounder are caught in these areas on the high, flood tide. You want the tide to be moving, so two hours before and two hours after high flood tide is usually good when fishing on the “flats.”
Anglers follow the buoys on the west side of the bay near the green marshes from #10 to #16. Or they fish the small unmarked channel slightly right of the Thorofare. This can be tricky and you can run aground if you are not familiar with the waters. Look and watch other boats. It is usually smaller boats navigating this unmarked territory!
The bay behind Assateague has become a local’s favorite over the last couple years. The bay party boats have discovered it as well, thus this area has become very popular for flounder fishing. With the Worcester County boat ramp closed this May for repairs it will become even a more popular fishing hole since there is a boat ramp right there at Assateague Island.
Drifting the buoys between numbers #8 and #13 is always good. Anglers can see Frontier Town and Eagle’s Nest Camp Ground as they drift the buoys, between the sand bars and the green marshes or along the green marshes themselves. When the water is clean in these backwaters you can really tear the flounder up! Anglers find that an easterly wind is best. A hard south or north wind usually stirs up the slur and makes fishing unproductive in the bay behind Assateague.
If the water is dirty, flounder anglers do better closer to the inlet as long as the water temps are not too cold. Drifting in front of the Ocean City Airport is a popular spot. So is the drift in front of the big houses between the bay behind Assateague and the mouth of the inlet.
On the east side of the bay, anglers like to drift the buoys around 32nd Street. They call this area the Convention Hall channel. THEN, if the water temperatures are temperate enough, anglers drift in the main East Channel from 14th Street (Harbor Island) to the draw of the Route 50 Bridge.
For anglers in small boats, there are some secret holes in the bay close to Hooper’s Crab House, but that area is not marked and channels come and go. You have to be real careful if you mess around there!
“Where can I fish for flounder from the shore?”
Well, the usual haunts are the Route 50 Bridge, the Oceanic Pier, the 9th Street Pier, the Inlet and cement wall along the Inlet area and the bulkhead along 2nd through 4th streets. Anglers can also go to the west side of the Route 50 Bridge to the Homer Gudelsky Park. Flounder can also be caught from the Ocean Pier and the surf.
Flounder fishing is a lot of fun. They are site feeders and like clean, clear water. That’s what you need to look for. The optimum temperature range for summer flounder is between 62 and 66 degrees. They like the water temperatures to be at least 56 degrees for a decent “bite.” So in the spring, look for those nice sunny days to warm up the water, to get those flounder “hopping on the hook!”
Good fishing….
Sue Foster is an outdoor writer and co-owner of Oyster Bay Tackle in Ocean City, MD and Fenwick Tackle in Fenwick, DE.
