Posted on September 16th, 2022
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Beautiful day of weather today in and around Ocean City and looks like more coming for the weekend. Get out and enjoy it!
Captain Monty Hawkins of the Morning Star had a first on board his party boat today….a yellowfin tuna!
Covid done and mechanical tasks squared away, was a fine day to return to our task. We found winds nearly calm and seas but a ripple; moseyed on off to Tyler Long’s Memorial Reef where Katie & Tom G deployed 20 reef blocks – loose – within the 120’ barge named in Tyler’s honor.
Vic & Brian had cut a bunch of holes in the barge before we sank it; that and all her hatches left open made every part of the barge accessible to fish. Now we’re adding ‘rugosity’ – breaking flat steel planes so that sessile growths such as mussels & corals can attach more readily/speedily.
I’m certain of this – it makes a difference.
Paddled a-ways on off and got to the fishing. Wasn’t long before we had a nice shot of mahi coming – bailers. Could’ve used another practice drop maybe. Dern tangles were a sight. Brian & Vic got through em with ease. Some folks at least began to pay more attention to their lines.
I had reduced the number of clients so I could fish everyone down a side and across the stern. Thought abundance would be less than when we’d begun my covid time off – it was.
We’d just had back to back boat limits when we tied up 10 days. Not reaching that lofty goal still left plenty of room for a good day – and it was. A mix of bailers & peanut dolphin lay well-iced in clients’ coolers.
I’d had a feeling on the way out – told the boys to use a heavier grade of mahi tackle than we’ve been offering clients. Sure didn’t pan out for a better grade of mahi, but I’m certain Chris from Magnolia was glad of it.
I honestly thought he had a shark on – hooked just so where it couldn’t bite the light flouro leader.
Yeah, no.
Yellowfin tuna. Nice keeper at that. Leader, all nicked and scarred, must have been on its last breath when Vic scooped it up in one of our ‘big game’ nets. (I dislike loosing a loin to a poor gaff shot. A big net is easier and never wastes good fish!)
I’d caught bluefin where we were fishing. Once when an 11yo caught a bluefin on clam. Never yellowfin. A first in all things I suppose.
Mahi fishing slowed to a crawl. It was all I could do to nick a few more – even with an hour of overtime..
Ah well. Sure got what we’d come for. Katie put her reef building karma to use – was high hook with 8. Chris & Jeff from Newark DE split the pool – together they’d reeled in a mahi that had taken both their hooks. Not “yellowfin tuna” odd, but a rare bird nonetheless..
Have a (very) few spots open over the weekend. See morningstarfishing.com Fish Report if interested but you’ve not booked before.
Aside from that? We’ll see what tomorrow brings!
Cheers
Monty
Captain Chris Mizurak of the Angler saw some decent fishing with some flounders up to 6 pounds aboard today.
Captain Wayne Blanks of Bayside Guide Service was all over the fish at the route 50 bridge again today putting rockfish, bluefish and keeper flounder in the boat.
Anglers on the Tortuga out of Bahia Marina have been having some success with keeper flounder on the high tide the last few trips.
Captain Marc Spagnola of Dusk to Dawn Bowfishing showed this solo shooter a great time and put him on cow nosed and big southern rays today.
