Awesome Sea Bass Fishing and Some Big Stripers From the OC Inlet

By Scott Lenox

Posted on May 18th, 2025

Today started off very nice, but the wind picked up mid morning and fishing went downhill from there. A strong northwest wind pushed in today and will remain for a couple of days which will probably dirty back bay waters and rough up the ocean. Things will settle down later in the week and fishing should pick up right where it left off.

Captain Jason Mumford of Lucky Break Charters found his morning group a couple of big “chopper” bluefish in the OC Inlet.

Lamont Hilbert got outside the inlet first thing this morning before the wind started and put three keeper flounder in his boat Sea Bum up to 18″.

You may not recognize him clean shaven, but this is Nature Boy Shawn Flaherty with a couple of awesome rockfish from the OC Inlet that he caught on Roy Rigs.

Captain Kane Bounds of the Fish Bound reported a great start to the Maryland sea bass season with some limits of some really big fish.

Captain Chris Mizurak of the Angler reported a nice day with a good catch of sea bass until the wind started on the ride home.

Captain Monty Hawkins of the Morning Star had a nice day on the rip today.

Had a light rail this morning of mostly regulars and a nice Irish lady from DC. (Where’s Eamon when you need him?) We found the ocean quite calm again and were glad of it.

Julie & Big Jon gave today’s reef blocks a shove; again targeting the small gap between east-side tug and barge at Capt. Bobby’s Reef.

It’s an often used saying in marine fisheries: “Listen to the weather forecast and you’ll go broke – don’t and you’ll die.”

Well, neither is acceptable so I look at several forecasts–especially when conditions appear a bit dicey.

Today we began fishing with winds at about 12 knots. Soon after it was under ten. My drift changed every time I stopped and a few times mid-drift..

Mercy!

Knowing where the boat is going to go is an important part of ‘captain stuff’.

Not knowing?

Oyyyyy! Makes me crazy..

Miss Julie made good use of her reef builder’s karma to cross into double digits at 10:25 – long before any of the boys did. I reckon ‘luck of the Irish’ must have come into play as well.

Try as he might Big Jon couldn’t leverage his reef maker’s luck as quickly. It took him 25 minutes more to attain double-digit status. Cbass were taking a jig well today & Jon made good use of the artificial bite. Tim and Earl both had a hungry sandtiger shark on for a bit – cost em each a good fish too!

Along about 11 winds came true west at 18.3 knots on my anemometer. It started getting a bit saucy so we set an anchor.

Soon after Miss Julie revealed she wasn’t done with her testosterone diminishing beat down. She limited first at 12:08 while most aboard hadn’t crossed into double digits.

Did I mention she won the pool too?

Why do I see Cathy, Holly, Shelly & Julie causing ‘grumpy old man syndrome’ come summer..

I joke about it, but some fellows just can’t handle being outfished by a lady – let alone 4 of them! Seriously, I’ve seen men close to tears, especially back when Sue Foster fished with me but also with Cathy! I’ve been accused of giving the girls special bait.. I’ve had clients absolutely livid when outfished by a lady – or worse still, ladies.