Posted on May 23rd, 2019
Boy it was a windy one today!! Coming back across the route 90 bridge from Ocean City I could see that the bay was stacked up with lots of whitecaps thanks to a stiff breeze out of the south. It was so windy some boats headed for the barn early and I didn’t see anyone on the bay when I went across. We also saw some nasty thunder boomers this evening with rain, wind and lightning. The forecast straightens right out tomorrow and the weekend looks beautiful so I think there are going to be plenty of anglers out and plenty of fish caught.
I saw a report today that a white marlin was sighted in the Wilmington Canyon by Bryan Jones and his crew as they were tuna fishing and it motivated me to get some info out about the first white marlin of the season in Ocean City. Bryan said he had a couple of shots at the fish and even got to drop back on it, but they were unable to come tight. Now that a white marlin has been seen it’s only a matter of time before the first white of the season is caught and someone could get checks that total $16,000!
If the angler that catches the first white marlin of the season here in Ocean City is a member of the Ocean City Marlin Club or fishing on a Member boat the prize could be worth $16,000. $5,000 is won by the OCMC member or member boat that catches the first white, $5,000 is contributed by the Town of Ocean City and another $6,000 is contributed by the Fishermen United for a total of $16,000.
The Town of Ocean City only honors catches that leave from and return to Ocean City Inlet, but the OC Marlin Club will honor a fish that is caught from member boats that leave from Indian River Inlet as well. Both however require that the fish is caught inside 100 miles from the Ocean City sea buoy.
Last year the first white marlin of the season was caught by Ron Bennett on board the Stalker with Captain Steve Moore on June 14. Ron met all of the requirements for the big prize and was awarded $16,000!
Photos courtesy Dave Messick and Hooked on OC
Good luck to all of you white marlin fishermen out there and good luck to you tuna fishermen out there if “ole’ whitey” shows up in your tuna spread and starts pecking at your spreader bar!
Captain Monty Hawkins of the Morning Star had another day of contemplating today that ended with an early return trip, but if you had the experience that Captain Monty has you’d have done the same thing.
Hi Scott,
In a few months I’ll have been doing this 40 years. Something about today had the hair on my neck raised. 15 knots when it was supposed to be ten.. Then 18 a while – then 20 & finally holding at 23 knots.
Never did build any sea until noon—Switchy. When a wind shifts on the compass it has to ‘start over’ on wave height. Once it did start to get teeth, I figured we’d best scoot. Glad of it. Wave height had doubled time we got to sea buoy. Though we caught fish – I went in early: gave everyone half off their next trip.
High man was mate alumnus Jake Shaffer now working with tilefish specialist Capt Ron Callis on the Bills for Bills out of the OC Fishing Center with 9 sea bass – Bob Hauser of Carlisle PA was hot on his heels w/8 – Richard Gunion of Washington DC didn’t care how many they had, he had the pool winner and second biggest too!
Also pictured are Chuck Burnham of BelAir MD – John Chacos of Annapolis MD – Mark Smish of Crownsville MD – Lorraine Matarese of Smyrna DE – Joe Sim of Annapolis MD & John Nines of Baltimore MD
Cheers
I was surprised anyone fished the bay today as windy as it was, and I was more surprised when I got an email from Josh Rosenberger with a photo of an 18″ keeper flounder that he caught today. Josh agreed that it was windy, but the water was clear in the Thorofare and this flattie ate a Gulp swimming mullet on board his Jeffry Jr.
