Fishermen are certainly looking forward to improved weather conditions this week and fishing opportunities. Tautog are being caught in the Route 50 Bridge/Inlet area during the last ½-hour of the tide and slack. It is not uncommon for fishermen to catch a limit of four tautog in an hour’s time using pieces of green crab or frozen sand fleas for bait. Most fishermen are fishing from the bridge, bulkheads and the north jetty; but fishermen in small boats have been enjoying excellent fishing for tautog along the south jetty.
Fishermen are catching increasing numbers of striped bass in the inlet area by casting soft plastic swimming shad lures. Most of the striped bass caught recently have just been under the 28” mark but a number of larger fish are being caught every evening. Fishermen in small boats have been drifting over some of the deeper holes in the East Channel and in the inlet with live spot or eels and doing very well on striped bass.
Surf fishermen are seeing an influx of large bluefish into the surf zone this week and they have been catching them on finger mullet and cut menhaden baits. Growing numbers of large striped bass are being caught each day on fresh cut menhaden baits from the Ocean City and Assateague Island beaches.
Outside of the inlet fishermen have been trolling for a mix of striped bass and large bluefish within the 3-mile limit. At times the ocean can be a mass of diving sea gulls and gannets and fish; other times it is described as a steady pick. The wreck fishing fleet is reporting good catches of sea bass and tautog at the wreck and artificial reef sites. The throwback ratio on sea bass is high but most fishermen are coming home with double digit catches or limits.
Click here to view recent bay region satellite images at mddnr.chesapeakebay.net/NASAimagery/EyesInTheSky.cfm
A Couple of Closing Notes...
Don't hesitate to e-mail your recent
fishing/crabbing photos and trip information. Send your photos via E-mail by the
following Monday in order to be included in the next update. The file should be
in .jpg format with the longest side sized at 600 pixels. Please keep the file
size under one megabyte if possible. The photo should clearly depict the angler(s), fish, and ethical
handling practices. For information on ethical angling practices please
reference the Catch and Release information located at URL:
http://www.dnr.state.md.us/fisheries/articles/catch_release.html
Include the following information:
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Date
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Angler(s)
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Hometown(s)
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Photo credit
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Location
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Weight/length of catch
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Bait/lure
Important Note:
If anyone in your picture is under 18
years of age, we must have a
photo release
signed by that person and a parent/guardian before we can post your picture. By sending any photos or art to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources you are giving DNR permission to use the image(s) online and in print. You are also giving DNR permission to distribute the photo for non-commercial purposes to other media, print, digital and television for their use. You are not giving up your copyright, but are allowing the photo(s) to be used for educational and news purposes.
Send your photos and information to
Keith Lockwood
The Fisheries
Service is pleased to have you visit. We want to make this
site as user friendly as possible, if you have any suggestions, please
mail them to
Paul Genovese.
