Posted on August 31st, 2021
Hit the vid for the Daily Catch at the Ocean City Fishing Center
Today looks to be the last calm day for a couple as what’s left of Hurricane Ida moves through the area tomorrow into Friday morning. The residual from this storm that brought major flooding and damage to Louisiana and areas to our south will bring rain and some wind though the early part of the weekend.
The ocean going fleet enjoyed calm seas today and a pretty good bite on the fishes. Captain Chris Mizurak of the Angler had a nice day with some good flounder and sea bass for some of his customers.
Captain Monty Hawkins of the Morning Star reported in that the sea bass bite was exceptional for what we usually expect this time of year.
Well Double-Darn.. Green water where it had been near-blue. Saw some flying fish, but looks as though September is going to be what it usually is—and for everyone: a huge change from summer.
Our guest reef builder today was Sue H from Bloomberg PA. She dropped 16 heavy block made into a reef unit atop Capt. Bob Gowar’s Memorial Reef. Promise, that spot will be among the great ones before it’s lost in time.
Considering the date, sea bass this morning were amazing. For a while it looked like May – pretty fish around the rail. Males are losing spawning color, not appetite. Wasn’t drop & reel fishing. Mighty fine for the final day of August though.
Thennnnn the current changed. Oh Well. At least Sea Bass Bob was across the finish line just after 11 – limited out.
Fluke aficionados Flounder George & Craig worked hard for the flat ones. At 10:45 we had one keeper summer flounder aboard caught on a rental rod & boat rig. Just before 11 a 22 incher was caught, also on a cbass boat rig (& right next to George..) A few more – all on sea bass baits – none for my flounder pros fishing fluke rigs. Lady luck can be mighty fickle.
Time’s coming for flounder though. Been 5 or 6 years ago when I’d advertised a special sea bass trip and at all seven spots I hit that day we found flounder voracious ..this while cbass were AWOL. Yup. Doubles of fluke without even trying. Clients angry.
I’d have never believed it, yet was trying desperately to get away from flounder.
Couldn’t.
(Note – happened 5 or 6 years ago. Not today!)
Anyway, so today we raised lots of sea bass and some skates on our clam dredges. Gulp teaser in the port rigger was hot too. Dropping a five count on rigged squid worked best.
Still, only two mini-mahi were aboard by lunch time. Tried to change our luck; good thing sea bass were chewing.
Right out of the gate Ida’s going to take a chunk out of September. Can’t fix it. Way better than a direct hit.
Will soon see if any of our mahi remain afterward.
Cheers,
Monty
Anglers on the Ocean Princess have had some fun with some good eating triggerfish lately.
Captain John Prather of Ocean City Guide Service put his anglers on some good fishing that resulted in some Spanish mackerel and three keeper flounder.
Curt and Cody Presnell had an awesome day of ocean flounder fishing when they caught their limit of fish up to 24″.
These folks had a nice day on the Ocean City Girl filling the cleaning table with a bunch of mahi.
Captain Marc Spagnola of Dusk to Dawn Bowfishing has been busy lately putting shooters on target with cow nosed and southern rays both day and night.
Linda Ferreri caught a 6.6 pound flounder at the Old Grounds and Tom Casper caught a 10.2 pound black drum at Massey’s Landing. Weighed at Rick’s Bait and Tackle.
David Johnson weighed this 7 pound flounder up at Lewes Harbour Marina caught on board the Lil’ Skipjack with Captain Beau at the helm.
