Even A Few Tunas Back in the Mix

By Scott Lenox

Posted on August 31st, 2025

We had another fall-like morning with very cool temperatures to start followed by sunny skies and more wind in the afternoon. The morning started off calm again too so there was plenty of time to put some fish on ice.

The crew of the Instigator fishing out of Sunset Marina has been on a roll all summer and that roll continued on this last trip. It was three stud yellowfin tuna, three healthy longfin and a pile of gaffer mahi.

8-Year-Old Tessa Bohlen released her first ever white marlin while fishing with her dad Jason and her uncle Shawn on board the JEB.

Michael Hackney of Bowie, MD caught his first ever mahi fishing offshore yesterday.

Captain Will of Local Hooker Too had a nice day on the south jetty today with several nice sheepshead and some keeper trout.

Anglers fishing on board Lucky Break with Captain Jason Mumford enjoyed some good fishing in the OC Inlet today with sheepshead, flounder, striped bass and some hammer croakers.

Captain Dave Caffrey of On the Run had a nice couple of trips today as well with sheepshead, flounder and croaker for his folks.

Rich Daiker reported that back bay waters finally cleaned up and flounder fishing picked up because of it. He had his limit of fish up to 22″ at the route 50 bridge.

My buddy Mike Johnston and his fam had another good day at the flounder grounds with a pile of fish to over 20”.

Anglers fishing on the Miss Kathleen out of Bahia Marina had some good fishing today. There were some sea bass, some triggerifish and even a couple of smooth puffer fish.

Captain Monty Hawkins had to deal with sporty conditions again today, but he still saw good fishing with some mahi and sea bass. One sea bass even won the fish pool against other sea bass and mahi.

Having calmed yesterday afternoon and overnight, sunrise over the ocean offered a still welcoming vista as we headed on off.

Didn’t last long, but sure was a fine start.

By the time McKenzie & Dad did the deed on today’s pyramid drop it had started to breeze up out of the north. (Apparently McKenzie garnered all Dad’s reef builder’s karma where mahi were concerned, but I shouldn’t write about that..)

Tried lots of spots for mahi. With 73 degree water we found a few bailers, some peanuts, a bigger bailer; even two on at once – but never a school.

Sea bass chewed OK though. Some dern fine fish too – a fair many of em. Then, near the end of the day, saw the biggest one I’ve seen in a long time. Amarilis took the pool with that dandy – even against some fairly nice nearshore mahi. In her pic with the fish it looks as though she’s long arming it – stretching her arm out to make it look bigger. But no – her elbow is bent 90 degrees.

Promise.

Having been tossed around the wheelhouse quite enough these last two days, I pulled the plug on tomorrow’s last scheduled mahi trip. Looks a bit too sporty to me.

My crew and I will enjoy Labor Day as most do; then pull maintenance a couple days.

New wallpaper and cabin lights last week; exterior lights and her oil changed among other things next..

Cheers,

Monty

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