Post by freedomrules3 on Sept 16, 2005 23:12:53 GMT -5
Welcome to the Ocean City Fishing Report from Captain Skip Maguire of Skip's Bait & Tackle. We will regularly update our report with the latest fishing conditions, tips, and more. Be sure to bookmark this page and visit regularly for the latest on Ocean City fishing. Click here
www.oceancityfishing.com/fishingreport.html
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Photos from two charters by Skips Charter Service. Call Skip to arrange a trip.
All around me I see signs of fall. As of this writing, the first hard Northeast blow of the season is wisping through Ocean City. The cool air, gray skies, and pounding surf resemble a scene from late November, and just the thought makes me want to put on a flannel shirt and break out my Helly Hansons. There is no doubt that this week will mark the beginning of a transition for those of us who spend a lot of time in Ocean City. Labor Day has come and gone, our peak tourist season has begun to fade, and now hardy fishermen and wetsuit sporting surfers out number the sun bathers on our beaches. Fall is knocking on our door.
Weather is not the only thing that is showing signs of fall here in Ocean City. Our fishing season is also beginning to enter a phase of transition. With the days growing shorter, finger mullet are now abundant, peanut bunker have been swarming and flipping throughout the back bay, and there seems to be a strange sense of urgency–as young-of-the-year baitfish start to dread their southerly migration and hungry gamefish eagerly anticipating the soon coming feast. Here in Ocean City large flounder are now present in good numbers, rockfish are growing more hungry, more bluefish are starting to show, and tautog are beginning to move back into their usual haunts. Offshore, anglers are beginning to pick up more yellowfin tuna, wahoo are still around, and some boats have been experiencing excellent luck with white marlin.
This past week we saw classic late-August/early-September fishing. Flounder fishing in particular was quite representative of the season. Most seasoned flattie anglers know that flounder fishing can be quite feast or famine–one or two days of fast action per week is typical. This past week saw exactly that. We weighed in 6 nice flounder this week, 4 of which were brought in on September 4th.
On August 30th Bill Linemann of Ocean City stopped by to weigh in the first flounder of the week. Bill’s fish turned out to be a nice 18 inch flattie that weighed 2 lbs. 3oz. After the 30th, however, we experienced a dry spell until action picked up again on the 4th. Mark Hanbley of Elk Ridge, MD was first into our shop on the 4th. Mark was fishing the Oceanic Pier when he hooked a real nice flounder on a live minnow. At the shop, Mark’s fish stretched to 22 inches and weighed in at a hefty 4 lbs. 8oz. Not long after Mark left we received a phone call from Bob Gummer, who exclaimed the flounder were hammering and that he was coming down to weigh in a nice one. A few minutes later, we measured Bob’s fish at 21 inches and weighed it in at 3 lbs. 10oz. Bob said the fish took a live mullet from the 4th street bulkhead. Next into the shop was Samantha Baum of Red Lion, PA. Samantha had been fishing on the Happy Hooker when she landed a nice 17 ½ inch 2 lb. keeper. The report from the Happy Hooker was 66 flounder in one 2 hour trip! The last angler into our shop on the 4th was Steven Newton of Ocean City. Steven had just caught his very first flounder ever, and was excited to weigh it in. The monster fish measured 22 inches and weighed in at 3 lbs. 14oz., not a bad way to start out flounder fishing.
I always enjoy fishing around the new and full moons, not just because fishing is better (as it usually is), but because the tides are timed just right to allow fishing in the early morning hours. Nothing beats being on the water as the first few rays of sun peak up over the Western Atlantic and a uniquely woven patchwork of pastel colors quilt the sky. To my delight, I was able to experience a few of these magical hours with several of my clients this past week. One morning, in particular, was especially memorable. As night turned to pre-dawn, a crowd of anglers began forming around the tip of the North Jetty–long rods, jetty cleats, and bait buckets revealed these anglers as tog fishermen, and it did not take them long to find fish. We watched as the silhouette of several bent rods filled the foreground of a magical sunrise painting. I wished I had a camera, but I could not be disappointed. . .the experience was enough.
Needless to say, the tog are back, and anglers have been finding them at most of their usual haunts. For those interesting in harvesting a few bread and butter fillets, the North Jetty, and 4th Street Bulkhead have been hot for shore bound anglers; and I have noticed some nice tog being boated by anglers fishing the South side rocks as well. Small black hooks with any type of crab or clam bait are popular with serious anglers, and anglers should note that sheepshead and triggerfish are sometimes a welcome by-catch for those targeting these crab eating fish.
During this part of our season, there are so many possibilities for anglers around Ocean City. One never knows what he or she might catch. Scores of small trout have been lining the bottom outside of our inlet, different species of drum are beginning to arrive in our waters, and we have seen a resurgence of large croakers in our bay. Experienced anglers know that this is the season to be fishing for a variety of fish species. Bill Linemann, whose name frequents these report pages, is a well versed angler who is successful with many different species of fish. On September 5th, he proved his skill again by weighing in an Ocean City grand slam–a keeper rockfish (35 inches 13 lbs.), flounder (16 inches 2 lbs), and tautog (15 inches 2 ½ lbs.). For those of you who love variety, now is the time of the year to do this type of fishing.
This was a fair week for rockfish as well. My charters did well on smaller fish, and we had a couple of 30 fish days, but only a few keepers were in the mix. Shorebound anglers have also been reporting good numbers of short fish, with just a few keepers mixed in. The small fish can be found in all of the usual haunts, but it seems like most of the larger fish have been coming from the Rt. 50 bridge. The best baits have been live spot, storm shads, and other soft plastic baits. On September 4th, we weighed in a nice 33 inch 11 lb. 3oz. rockfish caught by Matt Morgan of Odenton, MD. Matt was using a live spot by the Rt. 50 bridge, when he hooked up to the strong fish.
With all of the baitfish in our bay right now, it won’t be long until the striper fishing really starts to heat up. September usually signifies the start of our mullet run, and when presented with the right conditions, action can be phenomenal. Fishing is good now, but October is right around the corner. So if you are thinking about booking a striper charter this fall, now is the time to do so. I am currently booking dates for two inshore striper boats this fall–my own and that of Capt. J. W. Powell. Prime time for Ocean City stripers is October and November, and the schedule has been filling fast, so call soon to reserve your preferred dates and experience the amazing fall striper fishery that Ocean City MD has to offer.
Unfortunately, the hard Northeast winds are making it hard to give an extremely accurate offshore report this week, as boats have been unable to fish the past few days due to high seas. Before the blow started, however, fishing was good. Yellowfin tuna have been showing in good numbers at places like the hot dog, ham bone, and the sausages. Wahoo are still here, and I talked to one man who went 6 for 13 on white marlin, earlier in the week. Loads of false albacore have shown up at places closer to shore, like the jack spot. King mackerel and dolphin are still available in these same areas as well. Once these winds subside and boats can get back out to the fishing grounds, I am sure good action will continue.
At Skip’s we offer both offshore and inshore charters for up to six people. So if you would like to experience inshore bay fishing for croaker, flounder, and rockfish; or try your hand at near-shore shark fishing, wreck fishing, or offshore trolling and chunking–we do it all. Give us a call at (410) 430-5436, or stop by the shop for more information.
This past week was a week of transitions here in Ocean City. Shorter, cooler days are fading into longer, even-cooler nights. Fall will be here before we know it. There are a lot of fish out there right now and some exciting days will undoubtedly unfold within the next few weeks. So get out there and fish. Who knows? Maybe I will be writing about you next week
www.oceancityfishing.com/fishingreport.html
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Photos from two charters by Skips Charter Service. Call Skip to arrange a trip.
All around me I see signs of fall. As of this writing, the first hard Northeast blow of the season is wisping through Ocean City. The cool air, gray skies, and pounding surf resemble a scene from late November, and just the thought makes me want to put on a flannel shirt and break out my Helly Hansons. There is no doubt that this week will mark the beginning of a transition for those of us who spend a lot of time in Ocean City. Labor Day has come and gone, our peak tourist season has begun to fade, and now hardy fishermen and wetsuit sporting surfers out number the sun bathers on our beaches. Fall is knocking on our door.
Weather is not the only thing that is showing signs of fall here in Ocean City. Our fishing season is also beginning to enter a phase of transition. With the days growing shorter, finger mullet are now abundant, peanut bunker have been swarming and flipping throughout the back bay, and there seems to be a strange sense of urgency–as young-of-the-year baitfish start to dread their southerly migration and hungry gamefish eagerly anticipating the soon coming feast. Here in Ocean City large flounder are now present in good numbers, rockfish are growing more hungry, more bluefish are starting to show, and tautog are beginning to move back into their usual haunts. Offshore, anglers are beginning to pick up more yellowfin tuna, wahoo are still around, and some boats have been experiencing excellent luck with white marlin.
This past week we saw classic late-August/early-September fishing. Flounder fishing in particular was quite representative of the season. Most seasoned flattie anglers know that flounder fishing can be quite feast or famine–one or two days of fast action per week is typical. This past week saw exactly that. We weighed in 6 nice flounder this week, 4 of which were brought in on September 4th.
On August 30th Bill Linemann of Ocean City stopped by to weigh in the first flounder of the week. Bill’s fish turned out to be a nice 18 inch flattie that weighed 2 lbs. 3oz. After the 30th, however, we experienced a dry spell until action picked up again on the 4th. Mark Hanbley of Elk Ridge, MD was first into our shop on the 4th. Mark was fishing the Oceanic Pier when he hooked a real nice flounder on a live minnow. At the shop, Mark’s fish stretched to 22 inches and weighed in at a hefty 4 lbs. 8oz. Not long after Mark left we received a phone call from Bob Gummer, who exclaimed the flounder were hammering and that he was coming down to weigh in a nice one. A few minutes later, we measured Bob’s fish at 21 inches and weighed it in at 3 lbs. 10oz. Bob said the fish took a live mullet from the 4th street bulkhead. Next into the shop was Samantha Baum of Red Lion, PA. Samantha had been fishing on the Happy Hooker when she landed a nice 17 ½ inch 2 lb. keeper. The report from the Happy Hooker was 66 flounder in one 2 hour trip! The last angler into our shop on the 4th was Steven Newton of Ocean City. Steven had just caught his very first flounder ever, and was excited to weigh it in. The monster fish measured 22 inches and weighed in at 3 lbs. 14oz., not a bad way to start out flounder fishing.
I always enjoy fishing around the new and full moons, not just because fishing is better (as it usually is), but because the tides are timed just right to allow fishing in the early morning hours. Nothing beats being on the water as the first few rays of sun peak up over the Western Atlantic and a uniquely woven patchwork of pastel colors quilt the sky. To my delight, I was able to experience a few of these magical hours with several of my clients this past week. One morning, in particular, was especially memorable. As night turned to pre-dawn, a crowd of anglers began forming around the tip of the North Jetty–long rods, jetty cleats, and bait buckets revealed these anglers as tog fishermen, and it did not take them long to find fish. We watched as the silhouette of several bent rods filled the foreground of a magical sunrise painting. I wished I had a camera, but I could not be disappointed. . .the experience was enough.
Needless to say, the tog are back, and anglers have been finding them at most of their usual haunts. For those interesting in harvesting a few bread and butter fillets, the North Jetty, and 4th Street Bulkhead have been hot for shore bound anglers; and I have noticed some nice tog being boated by anglers fishing the South side rocks as well. Small black hooks with any type of crab or clam bait are popular with serious anglers, and anglers should note that sheepshead and triggerfish are sometimes a welcome by-catch for those targeting these crab eating fish.
During this part of our season, there are so many possibilities for anglers around Ocean City. One never knows what he or she might catch. Scores of small trout have been lining the bottom outside of our inlet, different species of drum are beginning to arrive in our waters, and we have seen a resurgence of large croakers in our bay. Experienced anglers know that this is the season to be fishing for a variety of fish species. Bill Linemann, whose name frequents these report pages, is a well versed angler who is successful with many different species of fish. On September 5th, he proved his skill again by weighing in an Ocean City grand slam–a keeper rockfish (35 inches 13 lbs.), flounder (16 inches 2 lbs), and tautog (15 inches 2 ½ lbs.). For those of you who love variety, now is the time of the year to do this type of fishing.
This was a fair week for rockfish as well. My charters did well on smaller fish, and we had a couple of 30 fish days, but only a few keepers were in the mix. Shorebound anglers have also been reporting good numbers of short fish, with just a few keepers mixed in. The small fish can be found in all of the usual haunts, but it seems like most of the larger fish have been coming from the Rt. 50 bridge. The best baits have been live spot, storm shads, and other soft plastic baits. On September 4th, we weighed in a nice 33 inch 11 lb. 3oz. rockfish caught by Matt Morgan of Odenton, MD. Matt was using a live spot by the Rt. 50 bridge, when he hooked up to the strong fish.
With all of the baitfish in our bay right now, it won’t be long until the striper fishing really starts to heat up. September usually signifies the start of our mullet run, and when presented with the right conditions, action can be phenomenal. Fishing is good now, but October is right around the corner. So if you are thinking about booking a striper charter this fall, now is the time to do so. I am currently booking dates for two inshore striper boats this fall–my own and that of Capt. J. W. Powell. Prime time for Ocean City stripers is October and November, and the schedule has been filling fast, so call soon to reserve your preferred dates and experience the amazing fall striper fishery that Ocean City MD has to offer.
Unfortunately, the hard Northeast winds are making it hard to give an extremely accurate offshore report this week, as boats have been unable to fish the past few days due to high seas. Before the blow started, however, fishing was good. Yellowfin tuna have been showing in good numbers at places like the hot dog, ham bone, and the sausages. Wahoo are still here, and I talked to one man who went 6 for 13 on white marlin, earlier in the week. Loads of false albacore have shown up at places closer to shore, like the jack spot. King mackerel and dolphin are still available in these same areas as well. Once these winds subside and boats can get back out to the fishing grounds, I am sure good action will continue.
At Skip’s we offer both offshore and inshore charters for up to six people. So if you would like to experience inshore bay fishing for croaker, flounder, and rockfish; or try your hand at near-shore shark fishing, wreck fishing, or offshore trolling and chunking–we do it all. Give us a call at (410) 430-5436, or stop by the shop for more information.
This past week was a week of transitions here in Ocean City. Shorter, cooler days are fading into longer, even-cooler nights. Fall will be here before we know it. There are a lot of fish out there right now and some exciting days will undoubtedly unfold within the next few weeks. So get out there and fish. Who knows? Maybe I will be writing about you next week
