Posted on April 22nd, 2022
Check out the Anglers Advantage video to see tog and rockfish gear at Atlantic Tackle.
It was an absolutely gorgeous day today both on land and on the water. The wind was next to nothing for most of the day, the sun was shining and temps were warm way up into the 60s and beyond……and the fish were snapping!
Got a chance to get out and do a little drifting myself this afternoon for a few hours and found the water clean in the Thorofare. The new Deadly Double in orange was the hot ticket and landed me two keepers that were both 16.25″. Remember the new minimum size in MD is 16″.
The report from out in the ocean was very good and the tog were chewing for the bottom fishing fleet. Captain Chase Eberle of Chasin’ Tides Charters had an awesome day with fish of 12.5, 13.5, 16, 17.5 and 18.5. The big 18.5 pounder was caught by a female angler!!
Captain Kane Bounds of the Fish Bound also had an insane day of blackfishing with 9 fish in double digits today. Paul had two 11s and a monkfish, Chan had two 11s, Brian had a 12, Dennis and Mark had 13s, Sunny had a 14 and the biggest of the day belonged to Alex who caught a fish over 17 pounds. Most all of the big fish were released and several 7-9 pound fish went in the box.
Tautoggin’ in the bay wasn’t bad either and Captain Jason Mumford of Lucky Break Charters found a few for Mark Debinski of Bluewater Advisory Group and his crew. The guys also had a bunch of catch and release shad action and one keeper flounder.
Kevin McNelis and his dad had a great day of inshore togging too with over 40 fish released. The father / son duo also had six keepers with the biggest fish at 19″.
Brian Brannan was fishing right next to me in the Thorofare some today and he landed this 17 1/2″ keeper on the Deadly Double in chartreuse baited with a Gulp.
Brian Selzer fished the Thorofare and landed this healthy keeper on a high low rig.
And here’s a story you don’t hear everyday….Bob Hudson was in the middle part of the bay today behind Ocean City when he noticed some fish disrupting the surface. He thought it might be rockfish so he grabbed an old cheap fishing rod that he happened to have in his boat, he tied on a Roy Rig that he was lucky enough to have with him and cast toward the commotion. Bob lost the first bite, but on the second cast he caught the mystery fish. Well it wasn’t rockfish, but it was a new state record for white perch!! That’s right, once the ink on the paperwork is dry Bob will hold the Maryland State Record for white perch with a huge 15.5″ fish that weighed 1.85 pounds! Pictured with Ben Shamburger of Felton.
Captain Monty Hawkins of the Morning Star had some great help today doing some terrific work for the Ocean City Reef Foundation.
Ocean View Scouts worked hard this day. I suspect Eagle Scout applicant Jacob will have no issues with the review board. Young men moved just shy of 10 tons of cement in nearly 11 hours to build the Peter Kangas Memorial Reef.
Most reef I ever built off the stern of my boat in a day.
Plus they worked on pyramids all winter.
Today’s reef building was essentially free – some trucking expense for block. Didn’t even have to buy Royal Farms chicken this time.
Want to help make some big reefs happen? Barges need tugs – tugs cost money! See us at OCReefs.org – donate..
We’ve already made the nearshore ocean off coastal Maryland far more productive than it was in 1980 when I began working deck.
We can make it incredibly better still.
Way, way, way better.
Promise.
Cheers All,
Monty
Check out our flounder catch, clean and cook and subscribe to the Fish in OC YouTube channel!
