It breezed up once again today, and was a little cool to start, but it truly was another gorgeous day on the Shore. I played a little golf, did a little work outside, went for a bike ride, no I don’t fish every day. 🙂
Captain Dave Caffrey of On the Run Charters was back in the OC Inlet today and he put another angler on another very nice sheepshead. Dave reports the Deadly Tackle spinning rods did the trick on this 24″, 10 pounder that ate a sand flea.
Anglers fishing with Captain Jason Mumford of Lucky Break Charters enjoyed some good flounder fishing today. All though there were lots of shorts to weed through, there were plenty of keepers in the cooler.
Svend Sheppard used a chartreuse Deadly Double with a white Gulp to land this 17.25″ keeper flounder on his first trip of 2026.
Tim Bielaski had the Bass Grounds to himself today where he had some catch and release tautog action and a nice pile of sea bass.
Rick Stutter caught this keeper flounder fishing from Homer Gudelsky Park using a Roy Rig.
Matt Katz and Colton Rhoad found some flounder in the back bay today and a nice 31″ bluefish at the Verrazano Bridge on their private boat Katz Pajamas.
Captain Chris Mizurak of the Angler reported a slow start today, but things picked up nicely in the afternoon with plenty of keeper sea bass and some flounder.
Captain Monty Hawkins of the Morning Star had several folks in double digit keeper sea bass today with some very nice fish in the mix
Cbass in the teens – Sunday 5/31/26
As happens a lot anymore, we lost yesterday to N winds. Would make a good research paper. The Mid-Atlantic is windier than once it was. Kyle down at Wallops Island pulled the data for Sept/Oct across four decades a while back. Days with winds over 20 knots was significantly higher in the 2000s than in the 1980s/90s.
Had planned to lay in today (Sunday 5/31/26) so it was off the books. While letting Saturday’s clients know we’d be unable to go, Marisa offered everyone a spot Sunday for the same trip – a few anglers took me up on it too.
Though some heave remained from Saturday’s hearty breeze, the ocean was plenty calm enough for good cbassing. We eased on off, pausing long enough for Big Jon, Shelly & Jigmaster Tom to send a 24 block unit by the stern rail to bolster our reef habitat; then continued burning the expensive stuff for a good while after.
As is the way with boats, today I lost my PA system. Found a broken wire to the mic but reconnecting with a butt splice did no good.
Looks like another new item for my overhaul list – and soon.
Got fishing done the old fashioned way.
One toot – in they go.
Two – up they come.
Three? Going home.
Three toots came really late.
Sure had a nice grade of fish. Holly, on her inaugural trip of 2026, was first into double digits. Big Jon and Jigmaster Tom soon followed with Big Don, Ron, Joey, Shelly and Rob also crossing the DD line.
Hopes rising, it looked like we might have some limits this day.
Yeah, No.
Lots of 13s though!
Sakes.
I honestly thought Jigmaster Tom might be a gentleman about it. You know; let Holly win the pool being her first trip this season.
But?
No on that too.
Was a nice fish though. For some reason my crew was glad he won.
Speaking of more wind than historical averages would have, this morning Tues, Wed & Thurs coming looked highly doubtful in yet another three days of NE wind.
When we got in? Just Tues with Wed & Thurs the start of an extended calm.
Well, I’ll sure get the PA fixed or replaced at least. Probably have the starlink up and running too. Boat projects abound.
Have a bunch of irons in the fire for reef building too. My good friend, Kim – especially handy on a computer and fluent in .guv writing – will be working on new bi-state Army Corps Engineers (ACE) reef permits for Fenwick Shoal & Winter Quarter.
Drafting is a loooong way from actual permits – a first step. Seems as though DE & VA will support the idea. Lots of people enjoy scuba & freediving our shallow reefs. Those two shoals especially. I’ve heard of 13 boats at Winter Quarter can buoy wreck. Time to create some more substrate down that way.
I’m also keen on getting the Army Corps’ blessing to add material to our old reefs atop the First Lump. Permits for that skinny water on the shoal were not renewed because ACE thought it best to stop further construction in the event that shoal’s sand was needed for beach replenishment.
Hmmmm…
Well? For now I’m just hoping to have micro permits issued. If allowed to work within a hundred yard centerpoint from existing constructions we could freshen some of our oldest reefs with new substrate – the effort would undoubtably cause a surge in coral and fish..
I mentioned beach replenishment; wouldn’t be a Reef Foundation project but Tyndall Air Force Base in FL recently had ‘wave attenuators’ sited off its shores to knock down wave height in storms. Doesn’t stop flooding – reduces wave energy though, and that lessens erosion.
It’s not a new idea. There are successful projects like it scattered around the world.
It is my understanding Ocean City has several erosion hot spots along its oceanfront where the brunt of beach erosion occurs.
Hmmm..
Another nearshore ‘reef’ that has been successfully built in revent decades is for surfing. Waves break when the depth becomes too shallow for their height. Build up the seafloor and create a wave break.
A surfing reef has to be a broad affair. Sited offshore a bit, such a reef might also create a buffer between surfers and beach goers.
And if such a reef had nooks and crannies fish love?
Slow beach erosion, create a popular surfing site – and, on calm days when the surf just isn’t going to break?
A fishing reef too.
We built ‘pipe units’ in 2015 from miscast and off inventory concrete pipe bound together with 1/2 inch crane cable OSHA makes companies replace every three years. Drill some holes, stack pipe with a telehandler, thread the cable and tighten saddle clamps – makes a really nice reef unit with free components. (The expensive part of reef building is always getting reef material on site. When a tug and barge become involved? It’s expensive.)
Could Ocean City make a three-for reef? Save money on replenishment, add tourism via surfing–possibly while making swimming safer–and a surfcaster’s honey hole?
I’ve tried to plant this seed many times before. Start a YouTube search with ‘surfing reef’ or ‘wave attenuator reef’ and you’ll soon find yourself down a deep rabbit hole.
Bringing more life to the shoals and rekindling our old reefs atop the First Lump will be plenty!
It breezed up once again today, and was a little cool to start, but it truly was another gorgeous day on the Shore. I played a little golf, did a little work outside, went for a… READ MORE
Crab Pie Ingredients 1 Pound jumbo lump crab meat 2 Deep Dish Pie Crusts (this recipe will make 2 pies) 1/4 cup of diced onion (or shallots) 8 oz of Swiss cheese 2 Tablespoons flour 3… READ MORE
