Posted on December 13th, 2018
By December standards we had a reely nice day today in Ocean City and surrounding. Heading across the route 90 bridge this evening you could see the reflection of Ocean City Christmas lights on the surface of the bay so I knew today was pretty calm and tomorrow should be as well. There were several boats out trolling for rockfish today, but I only had one reported to me and the ocean going party boats are having to go further to chase the sea bass as they head toward the canyons and warmer water….but going they are.
The lone rockfish report that I had come in today was from my buddy Tim from Atlantic Moving. Tim fished all day today with Joe Dinenna and lucked into one keeper rockfish about two miles off of 28th street. The fish was Joe’s personal best at 37″, but wasn’t weighed because it had to be eaten.
Captain Monty Hawkins of the Morning Star was out for some tautog fishing today and had a couple of keeper tog come over the rail and some others that were kept that weren’t legal……I’ll let him explain…..
A few nice tog today. Just a few. Ham Kim of Salisbury took the pool. Also had a fair number of throwbacks. Only today they too were keepers..
Do What?
Three MD DNR biologists were aboard doing aging analysis. Though currently reviewing every state taking a couple hundred tog for science every year, and I certainly support MD/DE/VA combining into a single ‘state’s worth’ of tog to sample – for now samples must be gathered as they have been for 20 years.
Science gets their gill plate covers (operculum) – a few otoliths – and clients get sweet young tog for dinner ..even tiny ones.
Happens once a year.
Very much looking forward to calm seas for tomorrow’s sea bass run. Chasing them.. Plenty of spots left along the rail.
Going!
Cheers
Monty
Captain Chris Mizurak of the Angler was out on the rip today as well and reported “meh” fishing. Some keeper sized sea bass did come over the rail, but they are getting harder to find as the move off the beach. Captain Chris also had a couple of straggler flounder hit the deck.
Another buddy of mine, Chef Paul Suplee of Boxcar 40 went over to the Chesapeake Bay where he caught a personal best rockfish on the troll.
Ocean City fishing legend Big Bird Cropper cleaned house in the Atlantic Coast Sportfishing Association’s season long fishing contest. Bird won Angler of the Year for both the bay and ocean divisions.
