Fishermen finally got a break from the weather this past weekend and although it was a bit windy fishing was good. They are finding flounder from the Route 90 Bridge to the back bay areas behind Assateague Island. There should be good fishing for flounder this week despite overcast skies through the upcoming weekend.
Tautog fishing in and around the Ocean City Inlet has been good this week and the action should certainly continue through next week. Fishermen have been catching them off the jetties, bulkheads and the Route 50 Bridge. Pieces of green crab tend to be the preferred bait.
Lately there has been good striped bass fishing at night in the Ocean City Inlet/ Route 50 Bridge area and the action should even pick up a better pace this week as warmer water temperatures and striped bass migrations bring more fish into the area. Most fishermen are casting bucktails dressed with soft plastic or swimming shad type lures.
Surf water temperatures are approaching the 60-degree mark this week and surf fishing is on the upswing for migrating striped bass. A number of large striped bass were caught last weekend in the surf and this week should prove to be even better. The bait of choice has been fresh menhaden and the head often seems to hold up through the chewing of dogfish and skates. There are plenty of both bait stealers in the surf this week and will certainly keep most anglers from napping. A couple of bluefish were caught this week in the surf also along with a few medium sized black drum.
Just about all of the head boats calling Ocean City port are now making regular runs out to the inshore wreck sites and artificial reefs. The anglers on board are catching sea bass although limits are not common since a good portion of those caught have been just under the new 12-1/2” minimum size limit. There is no such problem with the tautog being caught on the same wrecks. Most tautog are large and limits are the norm.
If you submitted a photo and don't see your picture in the regular report please look in the photo gallery that we periodically run. Click here for this week's gallery!
Real-time water information for selected points in the Coastal Bay
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.
