Posted on September 12th, 2015
Well the offshore conditions cooperated enough today for the fellas to get one last day in before it blows for a couple. The good news is that the forecast has changed and the wind looks like it’s going to settle down on Monday evening into Tuesday so based on the forecast the offshore fleet could be off tomorrow and Monday and back at it on Tuesday. The weather that blew through the Ocean City area this afternoon will be off the beach tomorrow so I would almost guarantee nobody fishes tomorrow. Tomorrow’s offshore forecast is W to SW winds 20-30 knots and seas 8 – 13 feet…..uh, no thanks! Good thing it’s the first Sunday with football!!
Captain Luke Blume on the White Lightning reported that most of today was nice but it did blow up and get rough as the front pushed offshore this afternoon. White Lightning didn’t really hit any storms until about 18 miles from home. This photo from the Dispatch’s Facebook page submitted by Laura Scharle shows what we were dealing with here on the beach after 11 AM and why 1/2 day morning trips were all that went inshore.
Waterspout seen from Assateague Island. Photo by Laura Scharle.
Of the boats that did go, Captain Joe Drosey on board Rhonda’s Osprey out of Sunset Marina had about the best of it. Captain Joe fished the Poor Man’s Canyon today and released six white marlin and had some real nice mahi for the cooler.
The boys on the Spring Mix II with Captain Chris Watkowski had a great day with their make up trip today. Captain Chris and mates Riley McCabe and Ayrton Pryor put their crew on a blue marlin release, a white marlin release and 15 mahi while fishing the Baltimore Canyon.
I got a report from mate Steve Moore from the Moore Bills with Captain Rob Skillman out of The Ocean City Fishing Center about their day. Steve writes, “Started just south of the Baltimore and hit a few balls for some mahi, trolled south toward the poormans and found some weed beds that had some nice mahi under them. Ended up with 39 before the group said they had enough. Continued toward the 030 line where boats found a small group of whites and ended up 2 for 4. Nothing like hearing a group of guys saying how awesome a trip they had on their first time out.”
Captain Luke Blume on the White Lightning hailing from Sunset Marina had a decent day today as well releasing a white marlin and boxing 24 mahi south of the Baltimore Canyon.
Captain Dave Black on My Cin has been having some good luck with the billfish as of late. Captain Dave reported two trips recently putting folks on their first white marlin. Below Gloria Heinle and new parents Jessie and Jed Litsey combined for a total of four white marlin releases on a recent trip.
Fred Batgar celebrated an awesome 60th birthday with Captain Dave when he released an estimated 350 pound blue marlin on 30 pound stand up and Kevin and Caroline released their first white marlin.
The inshore weather was thunderstorm and waterspout free just long enough to get some 1/2 day morning fishing in. Captain Franky Pettolina on Last Call out of The Ocean City Fishing Center took advantage of the time and had six keeper flounder, 20 or so throwbacks, four sea bass, three sea robins, two sharks, “two skate like things” and one porgie. Franky sent many thanks to Capt. John Prather on Ocean City Guide Service for his advice. Would not have been a good trip without his help.
Last Call porgie
Last Call “skate like thing”
Speaking of Captain John Prather, he and the crew of Ocean City Guide Service also fished this am concentrating on shark fishing. They did catch five keeper flounder while fishing for the sharks and released sandbar sharks like the one pictured below.
